EastEnders icon reveals the emotional toll of soap fame, shocking fan encounters, and the powerful words from his father that still haunt him today

A Mitchell Always Comes Back – But This Time, It’s Different

Ross Kemp’s explosive return to EastEnders for the 40th anniversary special brought more than just nostalgia. Reprising his legendary role as Grant Mitchell, Kemp stepped back into Walford during a crisis – his on-screen brother Phil (Steve McFadden) was battling suicidal thoughts, and it was Grant who intervened just in time.

But it didn’t end there.

In a twist that shocked fans, Grant rekindled his relationship with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) — even though she was seeing Phil’s cousin Teddy Mitchell at the time. The fallout was brutal. The betrayal pushed Phil further into emotional chaos, and though Grant vanished before the dust could settle, EastEnders fans know: he never leaves without consequences.

“Be Careful What You Wish For”: The Advice That Changed Everything

In a rare and revealing interview with Jeremy Lynch on Pluto TV’s Yellow Couch, Kemp opened up about the surreal experience of becoming a household name overnight. Reflecting on his first appearances in Albert Square in 1990, Kemp recalled the moment the world shifted — and the warning from his father that suddenly made sense.

“You may not be paid like a footballer, but you’re treated like one,” Kemp said.

One evening, after taking his nan, mum, brother, and then-girlfriend out for dinner, Kemp was swarmed by fans. “About 50 people came up to me,” he recalled. “It was before mobile phones — people wanted autographs.”

Visibly shaken by the encounter, Kemp returned home to his father’s sobering comment:
“It was what you always wanted.”

But for Kemp, fame didn’t come wrapped in glory.

“He was teaching me to be careful what you wish for. It sometimes doesn’t turn up in the way you wanted it.”

“They Were My Fake Family – But Also Real”: Living in a Soap Opera Bubble

At the height of EastEnders’ popularity, over eight million viewers tuned in nightly. And for Kemp, the line between fiction and reality began to blur. He described bizarre moments on the motorway — drivers blowing kisses or flipping him off just for being Grant Mitchell.

“It was bizarre… You spent more time with your fake family than your real one.”

Despite the fame, Kemp described his time on the soap as an alternate reality, where work-life balance didn’t exist, and the emotional investment in fictional lives often overshadowed real ones.

Will Grant return again to face the chaos he left behind in Walford? Or will his alternate reality remain forever off-screen?