For Kojo Asare, the road back to normal life has been anything but smooth. After waking from a coma, losing his home in an explosion, and watching his family buckle under mounting secrets, the young man is finally beginning to imagine a future beyond the Vic. But what happens when your second chance demands you leave everything behind—including your family?

Next week on EastEnders, Kojo steps into a new chapter, one that puts distance between him and the traumatic memories tied to the Queen Vic. While George, Gina, and the rest of the Knight-Carter clan try to rebuild what was lost, Kojo is quietly realizing he may no longer belong in the same walls that once felt like home.

Before the explosion that rocked Walford and leveled the Vic to rubble, Kojo had been living with George and the Knights, trying to find his footing after a brutal fall—literally. Months earlier, Kojo was caught in the crossfire of Cindy Beale’s tangled web of lies and betrayal. After discovering her affair with Junior Knight, Cindy lashed out in a desperate bid to silence him. One violent confrontation later, Kojo was at the bottom of a staircase, unconscious and broken.

He spent weeks in a hospital bed, silent and still, as the family tiptoed around the truth. But when he finally opened his eyes, Kojo wasn’t just healing from a coma—he was waking up to a storm. Cindy tried to manipulate him, to keep him quiet, but the truth has a way of surfacing. It all came crashing down in spectacular fashion on Christmas Day, when Lauren Branning exposed the scandal that had nearly cost Kojo his life.

And just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse… the Vic exploded.

Since then, the Knights have been crammed into Sonia Fowler’s house at No. 25, watching their past burn while their future remains uncertain. But in scenes set to air this week, project manager Teddy Mitchell arrives with an update on the Vic’s reconstruction—and not everyone is thrilled. In fact, Kojo’s face says it all.

For Kojo, the idea of returning to the place where so many of his scars—both visible and emotional—originated is unbearable. The memories, the expectations, the pain… it’s all too much. And quietly, a new idea begins to form in his mind: maybe it’s time he stands on his own.

He tells George that he wants to live alone. Independent. Free. But George isn’t convinced. Protective and traditional, George sees Kojo’s request as impulsive, even reckless. Gina, ever the bridge between father and brother, tries to mediate—urging George to see that this might be exactly what Kojo needs.

Determined to prove that he’s ready, Kojo takes action.

He lands himself a trial shift at The Arches, working under Harry Mitchell. It’s a far cry from the family drama and high-stakes secrets of the Vic, and the change of scenery suits him. He throws himself into the job, determined to make a strong impression—and he does.

Kojo’s work ethic, quiet focus, and sharp instincts shine through, earning him more than just praise. By the end of the shift, he’s offered a permanent position. It’s validation, freedom, and a spark of pride all rolled into one. He’s even invited to Nicola Mitchell’s upcoming birthday party—a sign that he’s slowly being welcomed into a new circle, on his own terms.