After the 40th anniversary episode that brought the two actors back together, Ross Kemp has shed a big hints about his future on the soap.
As Queen Vic landlord Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, Ross Kemp was involved in gangster plots, murder whodunnits and love triangles that kept him on the front pages throughout his fulltime stint on the soap. And now he’s dropped a huge hint about his future on Albert Square.
Establishing himself as an gritty investigative talent with his docuseries Ross Kemp on Gangs, he made a couple of brief returns to the soap in 2005 and 2006 before establishing himself as a Bafta winning documentary presenter with programmes including Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, Ross Kemp Extreme World and even Ross Kemp in search of Pirates.
Due to his close bond with his Enders co star Barbara Windsor who played on screen mum Peggy Mitchell, he returned to Albert Square in 2016 to film her final scenes. Barbara, who had dementia, sadly passed away four years later, at the age of 83, on December 10, 2020.
It meant Ross’s shock return last month to the soap that made him a star, bittersweet. “It was very emotional to be back there without Bar,” Ross tells The Mirror in an exclusive interview. The 60 year old actor was involved in storylines to commmerate EastEnders 40th anniversary which saw Peggy’s beloved Queen Vic pub burnt down.
“There was a scene where, after the Vic went up in flames, I had to go around the back of the Vic to rescue Sharon (Letitia Dean) And it was a particular place where I used to stand with Bar and where we would sit on the stairs together between the scenes when they were readjusting cameras. Because I had spent a lot of time with Barbara on that particular set, I was at a loss for words.
Five years have passed since the beloved Enders and Carry On star’s passing in this year. “Sometimes it feels like so much longer Bar’s been gone and sometimes it feels like less. It was “devastating””. Ross and her husband Scott Mitchell also developed a close friendship through their close relationship.
“I speak to Scott all the time, we always manage to find time for each other when I’m in London”, he said. “Bar’s funeral eulogy was requested by Scott. That was a great honor. The shame for me was that it was during lockdown and not so many people could be there. Because of her popularity, I believe the populous British people would have lined up for her. I really miss her.
Ross’s return as Grant Mitchell before his character jetted off back to Portugal meant he was able to reconnect with another co- star who he worked closely with. His on-screen brother Phil Mitchell has been an integral part of the BBC soap ever since Grant and Phil first made their joint appearance 35 years ago. On screen, after Phil’s psychotic breakdown and telling his brother he was dead to him, the brothers eventually reconciled and resolved to stay in touch.
Ross and Steve are also in the same boat. Ross and Steve, 66, have previously been described as “colleagues” rather than friends, but as of right now, thanks to recent scenes of their relationship, Ross has come to understand their partnership better.
Of his return to the soap, Ross says: “When the producers first asked me last year I thought why not? It will make people happy, it will make me happy and it will pay for Christmas! Luckily Steve had the door open for me – he could have closed it. But we picked up where we left off. We had a couple of chats before I started filming.”
“My first day after not being on set for a number of years was, screaming and shouting and crying and wrestling a gun off him as he was about to shoot himself in the head. It starts like that. And it was like that for the next month. When I finished, we said we’d keep in touch and we have. I mean we are not phoning each other every day but I think we had a good ten years working virtually every day with each other and I think when you get older – that becomes more important than it was at the time.” Ross adds: “We both have families and we saw enough of each other for ten years, but I wouldn’t rule out a social catch up soon. We both love seafood so will probably go for a nice dinner.”
Working on the 40th anniversary episodes, he says reminded them both about how well they work together and what “fun we can have”. He states, “We’ve always been friends, but we’ve grown closer since I visited for the 40th anniversary. I don’t think soap actors are praised for their acting abilities because Steve is a good actor. Acclaim and recognition is reserved for people doing films and big one off dramas but Steve is absolutely fantastic. I respect him greatly for his ability to maintain that energy for 35 years. I don’t believe Rose jokes, which include “Steve says every time he looks at me”? “I said every time I look at you, I think lots of work”!
The actor teased the audience, saying, “I would love to work with him again, and it was really good working with Steve again.” There were certainly enough hints that Grant will be swapping Portugal for Walford on a more long-term basis. Grant had forgotten that Mark Fowler Jr. was aware that Grant was his father at Sharon’s, but he had already decided to stay in touch with him. She hoped it would be Michelle, the sister of Martin, as Sharon’s phone rang, before leaving the room. As she left, she had left her phone book open, as Grant glanced over at Mark’s number.
Fans have predicted the return of Mark Jr, who was originally played by Ned Porteous, who now plays Joe Tate in ITV soap Emmerdale. Earlier on in the episode, he was heard telling Nigel (Paul Bradley) his life in Portugal wasn’t as perfect as he thought, revealing he hadn’t spoken to his daughter Courtney in a while after a huge row. As for his love life, he described his romance with Marcia who lives in Portugal as an “on/off relationship.”
And Grant was determined to care for Nigel, a young on set dementia sufferer. The old love triangle between Grant, Sharon, and Phil is also back in sharp force after Grant had slept with Sharon before leaving.
In the meantime Ross, who will be appearing in BBC show Who Do You Think You Are later this year, has been busy filming video messages for fans. He has been inundated with requests to film Mother’s Day videos after advertising his services on his new website.
He describes his new side gig as “the first time I’ve done it,” and “someone suggested it and I thought why not.” I saw how much other people were charging and thought I’ll set up mu website so I did it. I’ll respond when people ask what they want to say in the video to their mother.
Ross will be spending the big day, this Sunday with his mum Jean. 87 . We’re visiting family members. My brother ‘ and his wife and their three kids, my wife and our three kids”. With their children Leo, nine and seven-year-old twins Ava and Kitty, Roses is married to lawyer Renee, and they reside in Berkshire. Additionally, he and former partner Nicole Coleman, a makeup artist, have a 13-year-old son.
“I’m an old dad, and I think that comes with its benefits, but also comes with its negatives”, he says. It keeps me on the straight and narrow as well, despite that. It made me more organized and self-careful in my old age.
Ross is currrently working with Smart Energy GB on encouraging everyone to look into getting a smart meter to help manage their energy use and where to get the most trustworthy reviews come from He says of the myth busting campaign: “I think its important to note your energy usage especially with a cost of living crisis. You realize when you’re wasting energy because it saves money and is environmentally friendly. In the summer, my kids accidentally put the towel rack on. It all adds up”.
Source: Mirror
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