EastEnders legend Ross Kemp has revealed that his recent return storyline has left him “fried”.
The star is best known for his role as Grant Mitchell on the BBC soap, which he played
between 1990 to 1999. Since leaving EastEnders, Kemp has occasionally returned to Walford for key storylines, including Peggy Mitchell’s death in 2016.
Grant’s most recent appearance on the show saw him checking in on his brother, amid Phil’s ongoing mental health issues. The tragic storyline developed across multiple weeks, before the 40th anniversary episode saw Phil attempting to take his own life.
Meanwhile, Grant found himself romantically entangled with former flame Sharon Watts, despite her relationship with his newly-discovered cousin Teddy. He was also faced with the shocking news of his friend Nigel Bates’ dementia diagnosis.
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Speaking to RadioTimes, Kemp discussed the various emotional scenes during his return, sharing that they had ultimately taken a toll on him.
“It was wonderful, but you come away from it slightly fried,” he explained. “Grant comes back and within a minute he’s fighting, he’s crying, he’s making love, then he’s crying about it, then he’s fighting again. He’s never just sat in the launderette.”
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“The first scene in the anniversary was me breaking into the Arches and wrestling a Beretta 9mm off my brother, so it wasn’t like going to the cafe and saying, ‘Can I have a bacon roll, please?'”
Despite the intense storylines, the actor shared his delight at reprising the fan-favourite role for another short stint.
“I think a part of me is Grant, and part of Grant is me. It was great to put the leather jacket on again, and also a relief that I could still get in it,” he joked.
EastEnders airs on Mondays – Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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