EastEnders Star Elijah Holloway Reveals Real-Life Connection to On-Screen Rival Dayo Koleosho: “We Couldn’t Believe It!”
EastEnders star Elijah Holloway has shared a heartwarming behind-the-scenes story — revealing that he shares a surprising real-life connection with his on-screen rival, Dayo Koleosho, who plays Kojo Asare.
Appearing on This Morning on Wednesday (October 8), the 26-year-old actor — best known to fans as Harry Mitchell — admitted that he and Dayo were friends long before they joined the BBC soap, describing the coincidence as something “we couldn’t quite believe.”
“We Go Way Back”
Elijah, who joined EastEnders last summer alongside his on-screen family Teddy and Barney Mitchell, told hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley that he first met Dayo years ago while working at a theatre.
“Me and Dee, we go way back,” Elijah explained. “I was working on the stage door at a theatre and he was in one of the shows. We got talking and realised we got on really well — then at the end, he sent me a letter asking for my number.”
He laughed, calling the moment “very romantic actually,” before revealing that the pair stayed in touch ever since.
“We would chat on the phone about once a month,” Elijah continued. “When I got the EastEnders job, I told him about it, and he was super happy for me. Then, a month later, he calls and goes, ‘You’ll never guess what — I’m going to be in EastEnders too!’”
At first, Elijah didn’t believe him.
“I thought he was just pulling my leg because he’s cheeky,” he said. “But then I turned up to set — and there he was! We couldn’t quite believe it because we’d actually spoken before about how amazing it would be to work together one day.”
From Friends to Frenemies
Ironically, while the two actors share a genuine friendship off-screen, their EastEnders alter egos have become embroiled in a dark and dangerous storyline together.
Harry, still reeling from the traumatic revelation that his mother Nicola Mitchell murdered his girlfriend Shireen Bashar, found himself drawn into Kojo’s world — which took a grim turn when Kojo became entangled in Ravi Gulati’s drug operation.
In the latest episodes, Harry tries to escape the criminal scheme being run out of Kojo’s flat, but his plans backfire spectacularly when Ravi and his henchman Okie begin to suspect his loyalty. Upcoming spoilers confirm that Harry’s ordeal will escalate when the pair decide to kidnap him, plunging the Mitchell newcomer into even more peril.
The Future for Harry and Kojo
With Harry now caught in the crossfire between Kojo’s loyalty and Ravi’s threats, fans are bracing themselves for an explosive showdown — one that could test both men’s friendship and survival instincts.
Elijah teased that working with Dayo on such intense scenes has been a dream come true, despite the on-screen drama.
“It’s surreal,” he admitted. “We met years ago just chatting about acting, and now here we are — working opposite each other in EastEnders. It’s wild.”
Dayo first appeared in EastEnders in August 2024, introduced as George Knight’s younger brother. Since then, he’s become a fan-favourite character, known for his charisma and complicated loyalty to his family.