Ross Kemp says EastEnders anniversary stint left him "slightly fried"
Kemp returned as Grant for the soap's 40th anniversary earlier this year.
Ross Kemp may have only returned to EastEnders for a two-week period this year to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary, but it certainly wasn't a stretch shy of drama.
Not only did his character Grant finding himself having to help his brother Phil during a mental health crisis, but he also had a brief romantic reunion with Sharon and tried to help Nigel with his struggles with dementia.
Now, speaking with Radio Times magazine, Kemp has admitted the whole experience left him feeling "slightly fried" – even if it was "great to return".
He said: "It was wonderful, but you come away from it slightly fried. 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."
Kemp continued: "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 café and saying, ‘Can I have a bacon roll, please?’.
"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!"
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Kemp recently said that he could still see himself returning to the soap for another stint in future, saying that he would come back if Phil star Steve McFadden asked him.
"He’s my friend, we’ve worked closely together," Kemp said.
He added: "Working on EastEnders, if you’re in the major storylines it’s a very long day. 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.”
Kemp will soon be seen starring on the new season of Who Do You Think You Are?, while he continues to present the BBC One gameshow Bridge of Lies.
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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
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
