Very EMOTIONAL News!!! EastEnders star Ross Kemp reveals emotional connection to Grant’s return plot

Ross Kemp makes his return to EastEnders next week, as Grant Mitchell arrives back on the Square for a heartbreaking reason. Following a phone call from his son Mark, Grant arrives in Walford to support his brother Phil as their childhood friend Nigel Bates comes to the end of his life.

Nigel (played by Paul Bradley) returned to Eastenders in December 2024, after over 26 years away from Albert Square.

He soon revealed he had been diagnosed with dementia, with Phil caring for him alongside Nigel’s wife Julie.

But with his condition deteriorating, Nigel was moved to a care home and since then, Phil has been unable to bring himself to visit his friend.

Speaking about his return for the conclusion of Nigel’s story, Kemp shared how important the storyline was to him, as his father died with Alzheimer’s, as did his friend and former co-star Dame Barbara Windsor.

Kemp said: “Returning came with a mixture of excitement and emotional pressure. I was nervous about letting people down, and I thought about Barbara a great deal while being back on set – particularly in The Vic, where we spent so much time together.

“The storyline was the main reason I wanted to come back, and I was delighted when Ben Wadey asked me to return. I felt honoured to be part of something that has been handled so beautifully by EastEnders, alongside Steve McFadden, Paul Bradley, Karen Henthorn, and the rest of the cast.”

Kemp previously returned to Eastenders in 2025, as part of the show’s 40th anniversary episodes.

This time will see him, not just reunited with brother Phil (Steve McFadden), but also sister Sam, played by Kim Medcalf.

“It’s been incredibly special to have the Mitchells reunited – the first time in ten years that Sam, Phil, and Grant have been on set together,” Kemp said.

“I’ve loved working with Steve McFadden again, and to be reunited with Kim Medcalf and to work alongside Stephen Aaron‑Sipple (Mark Fowler) for the first time. It’s also been great to see so many members of the production team and crew again, some of whom started on the show at the same time I did.”

Asked why Grant returned so quickly after receiving Mark’s voicemail on Friday, Kemp explained: “I think Grant is desperate to see his son. They’ve never had a relationship, and he may see this as the first step towards potentially building one.

“He’s also shocked to hear from him in general and probably feels that, if Mark has reached out after all this time, then whatever is happening must be significant enough, and important enough, for him to come back to Walford immediately.”

As for the reception Grant will get from his family and friends upon his return, Kemp said he was expecting to be received as a “returning hero.”

“Instead he’s met with quite the complete opposite reaction and is given quite a cold reception,” the actor added.