Ross Kemp is returning to Albert Sq. in celebration of EastEnders’ fortieth anniversary.
The 60-year-old first made his debut as Grant Mitchell in 1990 and has returned to the cleaning soap a variety of occasions over the previous 35 years.
He final appeared within the present in 2016 however will reprise his position this 12 months in what the BBC has described as an “explosive” storyline.
Kemp mentioned: “I’m delighted to be returning to EastEnders as the show heads towards its 40th anniversary.
“EastEnders has all the time meant a lot to me, so to return because the present is about to have a good time such a particular anniversary is an absolute honour.
“Grant has never been far from the action and, let’s just say, this time is no different as he certainly comes back with a bang.”
EastEnders first aired on 19 February 1985.
The character of Grant will return to the present as his brother Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) struggles with loneliness.
The pair’s childhood greatest pal Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) has additionally lately returned to the sq. after virtually three a long time away.
The return comes as Grant’s ex-wife Sharon (Letitia Dean), who had an affair together with his brother Phil within the early Nineteen Nineties and went on to marry him, is now relationship his long-lost cousin Teddy Mitchell.
Nicknamed “Sharongate”, the storyline is likely one of the most memorable within the Walford cleaning soap’s historical past.
Through the years, Grant has been concerned in a number of the cleaning soap’s basic storylines, together with his fraught marriage to Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon).
In 2016, the character returned for a heartbreaking household reunion to say goodbye to his mom Peggy Mitchell (Dame Barbara Windsor) as a part of the late star’s exit storyline.
Kemp initially appeared within the cleaning soap for 9 years from 1990 to 1999, additionally returning between 2005 and 2006.
Grant initially departed in 1999 after Phil fired a gun at a automobile he was driving inflicting it to slip into the River Thames when he came upon that his brother vengefully had intercourse together with his then-wife Kathy Mitchell (Gillian Taylforth), however the character was not killed and as a substitute left the sq. together with his daughter Courtney for a brand new life in Brazil.
His 2000s return noticed him concerned within the unveiling of the killer of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), have an affair with Jane Collins (Laurie Brett), the girlfriend of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), and a collection of episodes which noticed the Mitchell brothers embroiled in a vendetta towards gangland boss Johnny Allen (Billy Murray).
Throughout his time away from the cleaning soap, Kemp introduced the Bafta award-winning documentary collection Ross Kemp On Gangs between 2004 and 2009, which spawned a variety of related collection corresponding to Ross Kemp In Afghanistan and Ross Kemp In Search of Pirates.
Chris Clenshaw, EastEnders govt producer, mentioned: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Ross Kemp back to EastEnders as he reprises the legendary role of Grant Mitchell.
“While I am not presently revealing precisely what brings Grant again to Walford, I can say that his return will play a major half within the present’s fortieth anniversary and can make up many moments of really unmissable TV.”
