Kemp to rejoin Eastenders as tough guy Grant Mitchell

TELEVISION chiefs have announced their delight at regaining “iconic” EastEnders tough guy Ross Kemp as they try to recapture millions of lost viewers.

The actor behind Grant Mitchell has confirmed he will be rejoining the cast, six years after he left Albert Square aboard a plane which was destined for Rio di Janeiro.

Pundits have claimed the return of Kemp, 40, was secured with a £500,000 (€725,000) contract lasting just six months - which would make him Britain’s highest paid soap star ever.

“I have been away from EastEnders for almost six years now and have enjoyed myself enormously working on other dramas but I have kept great memories of my time on the square,” he said.

“I think it will be enormous fun to return to a show that I love and respect for a while to do some more work with some fantastic acting and writing talent.”

BBC executives are promising an “explosive new storyline this autumn” in a bid to tempt back viewers who have stopped tuning in.

A staggering 25.3 million fans watched Grant land his brother Phil in hospital after learning that he was having an affair with his wife Sharon during the show’s heyday.

But viewing figures have dropped sharply since he left - reaching as low as 6.3 million die-hards earlier this year.

The return of Grant, together with on-screen mum Peggy (Barbara Windsor), brother Phil (Steve McFadden) and ex-wife Sharon (Letitia Dean) could help to elevate the show to its former glory.

“Yes, there are returning characters, certainly the Mitchell family. But they are being mixed in with new characters as well,” a BBC spokesman said.

“It is not just a question of bringing back old names - it is mixing up the old and the new to make the show as good as it can possibly be.”