The following article contains spoilers from an episode of EastEnders that hasn’t aired on BBC One yet, but is available to view on BBC iPlayer.
George Knight (Colin Salmon) was told some concerning news at the hospital after collapsing in EastEnders.
The much-loved character has been through a lot this year. Following the arrival of his adoptive parents Eddie (Christopher Fairbank) and Gloria (Elizabeth Counsell), George discovered he was adopted via a process called child farming.
This developed into a storyline that saw George learn that Eddie was facing trial for the murder of his biological father. After the shocking twist and Eddie’s sentencing, George was then dealt more trauma in the form of saying goodbye to Gloria, who died after a heart attack.
Cindy kept George’s secret
It’s been one thing after another for poor George, it’s no wonder he’s been struggling to cope.
In tonight’s (May 8) episode of the BBC One soap, George was busy planning a speech for Gloria’s memorial.
When it eventually got underway, the likes of Phil (Steve McFadden), Cindy (Michelle Collins) and Johnny (Charlie Suff) also gathered in the Square gardens to support the Knight clan.
As George started to talk, he suddenly experienced another dizzy spell and collapsed.
In hospital, as the Knight family and Cindy entered the ward room, George was told by a doctor he has a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CTE is a brain disorder likely caused by repeated head injuries, and causes the death of nerve cells in the brain.
George knew the diagnosis was as a result of his history as a boxer, but the doctor then pointed out the scan shows more recent head injuries too.
She then told the Knights if George endured another blow to the head in the future, it could kill him.
This resulted in George confessing he had started boxing again, with Gina (Francesca Henry) then establishing Cindy knew but kept it a secret.
Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) was puzzled by George’s decision to get back in the ring. She said there’s ‘easier ways to die, darling’ and how she’d push George ‘off the Vic roof’ if he ‘wanted to kill [himself]’.
A broken George admitted to his family that he felt he had ‘lost himself’ after so much life-changing family news, and was searching for something that made him feel like George Knight again.
Elaine, Anna (Molly Rainford) and Gina certainly felt sorry for George, but Elaine made sure she told her partner fighting again is absolutely not an option.
That evening, George spotted a gentleman in Albert Square and approached him.
The man handed George a wad of cash and said it was his winnings from last night’s match. He told George there’s a fight on the table for next week, and he was definitely tempted.
However, George had failed to spot Cindy in the distance, watching the conversation unfold.
But what will he do?
Will he fight and put his life at risk?
