It has been six long years since Ross Kemp last played Grant Mitchell on EastEnders but there are hopes he has filmed some new scenes as the character after being spotted leaving the BBC studios
Ross Kemp’s hotly anticipated return to EastEnders has effectively been confirmed – as he has been snapped leaving the set of the BBC show.
The 60-year-old actor joined the cast of the iconic soap in 1990 when he joined as Grant Mitchell – the younger brother of 65-year-old Steve McFadden’s Phil Mitchell. Ross has played the character in an impressive 1,090 but was last seen on the Square in 2016.
It was previously reported that show bosses had convinced the actor to return to the set of the BBC show once again – and now photos have shown him leaving the BBC studios after a day of work. However, it is yet unclear if he is going to be reprising his role as Phil or if he was there simply to film a special documentary.
Next year will see EastEnders turn 40 and a special documentary is being planned with Ross acting as the host of the special. He is expected to interview key cast members and explore the history of the long-running show – and some fans are hoping he might also pop back into the sets in character to reprise his role.
Ross was spied being driven away from BBC studios on Friday (Image: ISOIMAGES LTD)
A source told The Sun of the documentary plans: “He will interview stars past and present about why it is so good and how important it is. EastEnders will always have a special place in his heart and he’s really excited.” Ross had previously hinted he planned to make a return as Grant.
Asked if would make a comeback for the 40th anniversary in February, Ross told The Mirror: “You’re not going to let that pass, are you? Forty years is a very long time.” Refusing to be drawn on who exactly he is talking to at EastEnders, he says: “I’ve recently had a chat with a couple of them. I can’t tell you what I’m doing at the moment, but yes, I’m talking. I stay in contact with certain people, but I’m not going to mention any names.”
Ross’s last appearance on the Square was in 2016, when Grant returned to the fictional London neighbourhood to bid farewell to Peggy Mitchell – who was played Barbara Windsor. Heartbreaking scenes saw Peggy decide not to seek treatment for cancer and ultimately succumbing to the disease. Dame Barbara sadly passed away in 2020 at the age of 83 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Ross delivered an emotional eulogy at the late actresses’s funeral – and revealed it took him days to find the right words to celebrate her life and he felt it was a ‘sign’ when he found a pen and note while looking through his study while drafting his eulogy. He told the Evening Standard: “Barbara’s eulogy was very tough for me and it took me five days to write it and I hope I did her service. I use certain kinds of pens when I’m writing and I keep them out of reach of my children because they get destroyed so I reached up on top of the Welsh dresser in the kitchen to get some pens down, finish writing it and I’m fingering because I can’t reach the top of it and I’m (thinking) ‘what the hell’s that?’
“And it was a piece of card and I brought it down, and remember five days I’ve been sat in the office writing, and it was ‘To my darling Ross, love Barbara.’ … I don’t believe in mumbo jumbo I’ve done enough programmes about witchcraft around the world to think that it’s absolute rubbish, unless you want to believe in it, but there was just a real weird moment in your life and you go ‘you up there?’ Anyway, I’ve put it back it’s still there. She was an incredible influence on my life.”
