The recent 40th anniversary celebrations for EastEnders were notable for many reasons – but chief among them was the return of Ross Kemp as Grant Mitchell for the first time since a brief stint in 2016.

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Kemp appeared in eight episodes after Grant was persuaded to return to Walford to help his brother Phil (Steve McFadden) during his mental health struggles, but the character has since departed for his home in Portugal.

Of course, fans are already wondering if and when Kemp might reprise the role again in the future – perhaps on a more permanent basis – and the star has revealed one co-star who could convince him to return.

When asked by The Sun if McFadden could persuade him to come back, Kemp said: "I would if he asked me. He’s my friend, we’ve worked closely together."

However, he said that any return would have to depend on whether he was able to go on making his documentary series and presenting his BBC game show Bridge of Lies – which he has been fronting since 2022.

"Working on EastEnders, if you’re in the major storylines it’s a very long day, " he explained.

"You use a lot of energy. The hours are long. It’s a tough old gig and I have take my hat off to Steve for maintaining such a high level of performance for 35 years. It’s an incredible achievement.”

EastEnders,19-02-2025,7070-71,Phil Mitchell (STEVE MCFADDEN);Grant Mitchell (ROSS KEMP);Nigel (PAUL BRADLEY),***EMBARGOED UNTIL TUE 11th FEB 2025***,BBC PUBLIC SERVICE,Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell, Ross Kemp as Grant Mitchell and Paul Bradley as Nigel in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

But Kemp did add that he would "never say never" about a return to the soap, stating: "I’m not ever going to run from Grant."

Speaking ahead of his return earlier this year, Kemp spoke of how fondly he remembered his time on the BBC series.

"EastEnders has always meant so much to me, so to return as the show is about to celebrate such a special anniversary, is an absolute honour," he said.

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EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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