Junior reveals he arrived due to his half-sister Anna Knight (Molly Rainford) contacting him as a last-ditch effort to stop their father's downward spiral.

Despite this, Junior remains cold towards George and tells him he only arrived for the sake of his half sisters Anna and Gina Knight (Francesca Henry).

Junior's stepmother Elaine Knight (Harriet Thorpe) hears the recording which Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) finds and discovers their affair.

After being referenced on-screen by his family on several occasions, Junior's arrival was announced on 2 May 2024, with Emmerdale actor Micah Balfour being cast in the role.

Speaking on his casting, Balfour stated he was "thrilled" to join the soap, having grown up as a fan, and described walking onto the set as "surreal".

[1] Junior's reasoning for his estrangement and his upcoming arrival was initially left ambiguous,[1] but his relationship with his father was described as "fraught" and long-running.

[4] Executive producer Chris Clenshaw teased: "Junior arrives in Walford following an unlikely meet with his dad and is quickly thrust into the heart of the drama.

[1] Balfour echoed such; "Junior is an exciting character to play as he's a complex man, and he's going to cause a bit of a stir".

[5] Junior was deemed "a major new face" and further teasers revealed he would have a one night stand with Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) early into his stint.

[20] The affair was teased to be "spectacularly exposed" and the fallout was set to depict that "all hell will break loose among the Beale and Knight families".

[23] In April 2024, prior to the character's announcement, his arrival was predicted by Grace Morris of What's on TV, who showed viewers correctly forecasting it via Twitter.

[24] Following Junior's arrival, Laura Denby of Radio Times commented that he had "turned up in the most unexpected way", adding that his first line, 'Hello dad', was like a "classic EastEnders entrance".