EastEnders’ Harry Mitchell has only been a resident of Walford for a year, but his world has been rocked by the revelation that his pregnant ex-girlfriend was murdered by his own mother, Nicola Mitchell (played by Laura Doddington).
The BBC soap introduced Harry last year as an addition to the renowned Mitchell family, revealing that his father Teddy (portrayed by Roland Manookian) is the sibling of Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick).
Since setting foot in Albert Square, Harry has also found out that his younger brother Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) is the offspring of Zack Hudson (James Farrar) in a shocking DNA twist.
At present, Harry, who works as a mechanic, is being coerced into selling drugs by local restaurateur Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), adding concern for his safety.
However, it hasn’t all been hardship for the mechanic; he enjoyed a brief romance with Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) and has formed a close friendship with Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho), reports OK!.
Off-screen, Elijah Holloway, who portrays Harry Mitchell, graduated from Rose Bruford College in the London Borough of Bexley in 2019.
He also has a talent for singing and attempted to kickstart a music career eight years ago. In his quest for stardom, Elijah auditioned for the now-defunct BBC talent show Let It Shine in 2017.
At the age of 18, Elijah was introduced to the stage as a luxury perfume seller who spent his days persuading “wealthy customers” to purchase his products.
The judges’ table was graced with a star-studded panel, featuring The X Factor’s Dannii Minogue, Glee’s Amber Riley, Take That’s Gary Barlow, and Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, who is also known for his role as Steve Owen in EastEnders.
In his audition, Elijah showcased his sales skills by pitching perfume ideas to the celebrity judges, aiming to demonstrate his vibrant personality.
However, things took an awkward turn when Elijah made a gaffe while addressing Martin, suggesting he needed a “wooden” scent.
Quickly trying to smooth over the faux pas, Elijah clarified: “And by wooden I mean mature and elegant.”
Martin quipped back with a reference to his soap opera past: “I know I was in EastEnders for a while but that’s below the belt I thought!”
Eight years on from that memorable audition, Elijah is now focusing on his role as Harry in EastEnders.
Last year, Elijah shared his enthusiasm about joining the long-running soap, saying: “It’s a massive privilege to join a British institution like EastEnders, and to be playing a Mitchell makes it even more exciting.”
He continued: “We’ve been given such a warm welcome, and it’s unbelievable to be turning up to work in Walford every day. Harry has a lot of charm and swagger, but he’s got a bit of a temper, too.”
Elijah concluded with a hint at his character’s potential impact: “He can’t resist trouble, or the ladies, so he’s ready to shake things up in typical Mitchell style!”
