Colin Salmon is best known for his sole as George Knight in EastEnders. His character’s brother, Kojo, is autistic and the storyline means a lot to Colin
EastEnders star Colin Salmon revealed the recent storyline around autism has meant a lot to his family.
The actor, who is best known for his role as George Knight in the long-running soap, said his son has autism and appreciated the representation in the soap. He recently hit out at Alan Sugar when the business mogul slammed the recent storyline for being ‘disingenuous’.
“I understand that the remit of the BBC is to cater for all walks of life,” Sir Alan said when sharing his thoughts on the show’s decision to feature Kojo Knight, George’s brother, as an autistic character. “I personally think the character Kojo is a step too far. It is sad and hard to watch and somewhat disingenuous to those genuine people who are autistic.”
Colin was quick to slam the Apprentice star, with him saying: “Our duty as storytellers is to tell stories from all walks of life. Regardless of how hard or sad it is for ‘you’ to watch. Many of us walk a different path but we are loved, valued members of real families. Authentic representation in popular culture helps bring about & consolidate understanding and empathy.”
Colin opened up about the importance of the EastEnders storyline (Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Other fans also pointed out that Dayo Koleosho, who plays Kojo, is autistic himself. This week, Colin revealed why the storyline had such a big impact during a chat with The Sun at the National Television Awards. He explained that his son has autism so the representation ‘means a lot to him’.
“It meant a lot to my son as well, he’s quite excited about that,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve put more of myself as I tend to give everything I’ve got anyway. But because of the autism we have to create a safe environment, we have to keep it calm, it’s such a positive thing having him [Dayo Koleosho] on set and he always knows his lines, which is more than I can say for some people.”
Colin has been married to the multitalented artist Fiona Hawthorne since 1988, with the couple sharing four children: Sasha, Rudi, Eden, and Ben. The actor previously revealed he took on the role as he “can’t be far from home” due to his wife Fiona’s health condition.
Speaking at an EastEnders event with OK!, he revealed that his wife Fiona’s illness played a huge part in his decision to join the show. His wife was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, a rare lung condition, and relies on an oxygen tank.
