EastEnders fans worldwide are celebrating as Grant Mitchell makes his long-awaited return to Walford. The iconic character reappeared in Monday's episode (27 April) as Nigel Bates' health deteriorated and Phil Mitchell's refusal to visit him caused growing concern among his family.
Mark Fowler's Plea Brings Grant Back
Last week, Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) grew increasingly worried about his Uncle Phil's (Steve McFadden) stubborn refusal to see Nigel (Paul Bradley) in his care home. Desperate to break through Phil's wall of silence, Mark reached out to his estranged father, Grant (Ross Kemp), hoping he could convince Phil to face reality.
In tonight's episode, Grant sped into Walford, nearly knocking over Max Branning (Jake Wood) in his haste. He and Mark had a heartfelt conversation, during which Grant was shocked to learn that Phil had allowed their mutual friend to be placed in a care home.
Hospital Visit Triggers Emotional Breakdown
Upon hearing that Nigel had collapsed and been rushed to hospital, Grant angrily drove there to see his old friend. He was confronted with the harsh reality of Nigel's declining health. At the hospital, Grant broke down upon seeing Nigel and tearfully confessed to his sister, Sam (Kim Medcalfe), that he felt terrible for not being there for Phil. The last time Grant was in Walford, Phil had been contemplating suicide while battling alcohol addiction.
When Grant and Phil finally came face to face, their confrontation was explosive. Grant furiously demanded to know why Phil had not visited Nigel, prompting Phil to scream at his family to leave his house. As Sam and Mark waited outside, Phil could be heard yelling gutturally as he charged at Grant and forced him off the property, before smashing up his kitchen in a rage.
Ross Kemp on Returning to Albert Square
Ross Kemp, who returns to EastEnders 27 years after leaving, admitted that being back in Albert Square was scarier than anything he encountered while reporting from war zones. 'Nothing I've done fills me with fear more than EastEnders - it is still the one that pushes me the most,' he said.
Since leaving Walford in 1999 after nearly a decade on the BBC1 soap, Kemp has dodged sniper fire in Afghanistan and Syria, challenged drug-traffickers in Colombia, and been forced to his knees by armed guerrillas in Papua New Guinea. He was once even recognised as Grant while running from gunshots in Karachi by a woman in a tuk-tuk with a Brummie accent.
Despite his fears, Kemp signed up to return because he wanted to work with Steve McFadden again. 'I think Steve is still brilliant when it comes to playing a guy who could hit you with a piece of wood, but could also break down in tears,' he explained.
Emotional Scenes Inspired by Real Life
Kemp also gave insight into his storyline, revealing that the script described Grant as 'heaving with tears' when he visits Nigel. He found it easy to weep freely because of a real-life upset involving his own mother. 'I won't go into detail, but something happened to my mum on the third day on set,' he told Radio Times. 'And so heaving tears wasn't difficult.'
As the Mitchell family drama intensifies, viewers are left wondering what awaits Grant in Walford and whether he can mend his fractured relationship with Phil before it's too late for Nigel.
