Harry Gold, played by Linal Haft, is Vanessa Gold's husband and stepfather to Jodie . The character was announced on 15 June 2010 and appears from 23 June. He was created by Simon Ashdown and was described by Kris Green from entertainment website Digital Spy as being controlling and similar to the character Archie Mitchell.
Storylines
Harry first appears when Vanessa returns home from seeing Max Branning. He asks her for a drink and then says he smells cigarette smoke on her. She lies that she was out with friends but he says one of her friends called earlier that day and has not seen Vanessa for weeks. Vanessa then says she went out on her own as she could not face being bored at home, and admits to smoking, which Harry dislikes. He wonders if she is seeing someone else, and after he watches Vanessa go upstairs to bed, he moves an ornament back to where it was before Vanessa moved it when she came home. He comes to Walford several weeks later, looking for Max. He asks Liam Butcher and his younger brother, Morgan if he knows Max. Liam tells him where he lives, and Harry gives them some money. However, he mistakes Darren Miller for him and knees him in the groin, telling him to keep off his property, leaving Darren in immense pain as he has just returned from having a circumcision operation. He takes Vanessa to Walford and dumps her bags outside Max's house, realises who Max really is, and asks Vanessa what Max has that he does not, to which she says he can manage sex more than once a week. Harry says they are welcome to each other and leaves, taking Vanessa's car.
However, when Jodie reveals to Vanessa that Harry is heartbroken, Vanessa ends her affair with Max and moves back to Chigwell. Harry then comes to Walford with Vanessa and Jodie to meet Darren. At Vanessa's birthday party, Max's ex-wife Tanya tells Vanessa that Max misses her and she should go back to him. Jodie sees that Harry is not very interested in celebrating Vanessa's birthday and tells her mother that she agrees with Tanya as Vanessa deserves better than Harry, so Vanessa goes back to Max again. Harry attempts to contact Vanessa but she continues to ignore him as it is Billie Jackson's funeral. He sends Vicky Saunders to issue Vanessa with some papers but she sends her away. Harry later turns up at Vanessa's house and hands her the papers, revealing that he wants Vanessa to get nothing in their divorce. He also threatens her with Jodie, saying he can get her to take his side, saying she has always been a daddy's girl, but Vanessa reveals he is not her father. In spite, Harry spray-paints the word "slapper" on Max's door, and plasters Walford with nude photos of Vanessa. When Darren catches Harry about to spray-paint a car, he stops him and Harry tells him that he is not Jodie's father. Later, Darren begs Harry not to tell Jodie but when Jodie says Harry phoned her, Darren assumes he told her and accidentally reveals the truth.
Vanessa meets Harry and he says he will do anything to hurt Vanessa, even keeping Jodie from her despite no longer feeling anything for her. He takes Vanessa's jewellery and calls her a prostitute, saying that he will let Jodie stay with her if they have sex. Harry takes revenge by throwing a brick through Max and Vanessa's window and slashing the tyres of the cars on Max's car lot. Jodie's cat goes missing and while everyone looks for it, Harry slashes Vanessa's clothes, and when she goes to throw them away, she finds the cat dead in the bin. Max and his brother Jack then decide to take revenge on Harry. They send Harry a text message from Vanessa's phone asking to meet, and when he turns up, they threaten him and tell him to never contact Vanessa again or next time it will be worse. After they all go their separate ways, Jack is grabbed by two men and bundled into a car. Jack is later released, but reveals to Max that Harry was behind the kidnapping.
Nine months later, Vanessa contacts Harry in need of money to pay for Jodie and Darren's wedding. Harry agrees so he can make amends with Jodie, as long as Vanessa does not attend. However, Darren overhears this and reveals it to Jodie. Darren tells Harry to leave and he does so telling Darren that he and Jodie will not make it down the aisle.