Ross Kemp 'couldn't stay' on EastEnders as he reveals 'close relationship' with late co-star

While many soap stars often dismiss their roots when they leave a role and go on to bigger things, EastEnders’ Ross Kemp has never forgotten where he came from. In an exclusive chat, Ross, 61, reflects on his time playing Grant Mitchell on the BBC soap, how Barbara Windsor, who played his on-screen mum Peggy, remains a figurehead five years after her death, and what’s it like being a dad to young kids in his sixties.

He also opens up about returning to to Albert Square this year for the 40th anniversary documentary, saying: "I think it was a good look back on 40 years of British culture. I was very honoured to [be involved] in a number of really big Christmas Day episodes back in the day when we were getting 25 million viewers."

Hi Ross, how much have things changed in those 40 years of the show?

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It’s really showed a changing Britain, and how things which were considered outrageous in the 80s and 90s have become acceptable and commonplace, as they should be. Like gay and lesbian relationships, exposing sexual violence in the home – people wouldn’t show domestic violence on TV in the 60s, 70s, you know? I think EastEnders in particular was quite groundbreaking – it still is.

You worked really closely with the late Barbara Windsor, were you close?

Oh, Barbara’s never far away. I’ve got a picture of her in my office and I speak to Scott [Mitchell], her widower, on a pretty frequent basis. I had a very close relationship with her. I wrote her a eulogy and spoke it at her funeral. She was a very special person. And it’s interesting that there’s a lot of people who often fade away. She doesn’t seem to have faded away that much, does she? That’s testament to how many years that she was in the public eye – and she always had time for the public.

Nowadays, we’re more likely to see you hosting a gritty documentary – what made you take that leap?

I think looking back, I couldn’t have stayed at being an actor. I’d spent 10 years at Elstree Studios, and had a brilliant time, but I wanted to go and see the world. I didn’t want to necessarily go and see it in the way that I saw it, but be careful what you wish for! I think I’m a better person for, you know, seeing some of the things that go on around the world.

I’ve always been very open about the fact that I don’t think I’d have got a documentary commission if it hadn’t been for the popularity of Grant Mitchell. What happened after that was down to me as Ross Kemp, to make it as good a documentary as I possibly could. I’ve won more soap awards over anything else, but I’ve won a few documentary awards that I’m very proud of. I’m proud of the team that I work with – they’ve become close friends over the years.

What’s next for you then, career-wise?

I’d like to do a bit more acting, to be honest. It’s always the same, so last year I did two docs, a game show and I did EastEnders. You know, variety is the spice of life. I’m fortunate to be able to move between genres and make programmes about subjects that I find interesting.

I don’t rule out anything. I think there are some people who do soaps and then they leave them and want to pretend they were never in them because they find themselves successful in other places. That’s their decision and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. What
I will say is, if I’ve got the opportunity to act in something I think is good and they want me, I’ll take the job.

Strictly is back on our screens – could we ever see you in fake tan and sequins?!

No, not really. I don’t think you should ever say no. But right now no, because I’m really busy. I’m doing a five-part documentary. I’ve just done 14 days straight. So, I’ve got enough on my plate right now. I love watching Strictly – but whether I want to be in it, I don’t know…

You’re a busy parent of three these days – did you always see yourself as a dad?

I’ve got a young family, which wasn’t the way I was planning on spending my sixties – running around doing the school run! But that’s just the way life has crumbled for me. If you’d said to me at 30 that I’d have three kids under 11 in my early sixties, I’d have gone, “No, that’s not happening!”

You’re currently working with the Pay Your Pension Some Attention campaign – so have you been giving your children some financial advice?

I’m using a bit of my tax-free money from my pension to help support my kids, in education and to do the things they want to do. I’m actually not spending it on me – that’s not me laying on a beach on holiday in the Bahamas. It’s me getting up early, getting them in the car, getting the porridge inside them and getting them to school. So, I’m using a bit of my pension already to support them.

Ross Kemp is currently fronting the latest Pay Your Pension Some Attention campaign. The TV star is urging the nation to engage with their retirement plans with three simple steps. To get started, visit pensionattention.co.uk

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