Former EastEnders star Ross Kemp has admitted that ‘it was difficult’ for him as he made an ‘alternate reality’ admission about the direction his life could have gone in.

Ross rose to fame through his first stint on the BBC soap between 1990 and 1999, playing the beloved role of Grant Mitchell. Prior to going on to focus on making documentaries, Ross’ time on Albert Square saw him involved in Sharongate and witnessing the death of his onscreen wife Tiffany Mitchell.

Only returning to EastEnders on a handful of occasions, including in 2016 for Peggy Mitchell’s death, fans were delighted to see Grant back in Walford earlier in the year as part of the programme’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Ross’ return saw Grant checking on his brother Phil Mitchell amid his mental health issues, stunned to learn that he was planning to take his own life. Thankfully, their old pal Nigel Bates and Linda Carter were there to talk him into leaving with a mental health professional.

Grant also got closure with Bianca Jackson, who was his wife Tiffany’s best friend, as they talked about what really happened on the night she got hit by a car. Bianca’s kind words inspired Grant to go visit Phil in the mental health unit in some of the soap’s most touching scenes of the year.

Additionally, Grant reignited his love with Sharon, in spite of her being in a relationship with his cousin Teddie Mitchell at the time. It appeared to be the wake up call Sharon needed as it was clear that Teddy wasn’t the Mitchell for her.

Despite fans already pleading with EastEnders bosses to bring back Grant, Ross has revealed that his dad informed him about how crazy his life was going to get as a result of landing a role on EastEnders.

Appearing on Pluto TV’s Yellow Couch with Jeremy Lynch, Ross recalled what his dad told him, saying: “You may not be paid like a footballer, but you’re treated like one.

“I went out and took my nan, mum, brother and girlfriend at the time, and I literally got about 50 people come up to me. It was before mobile phones and selfies, people wanted signatures in those days. I came back and thought, ‘That was freaky’.”

While his father John said ‘ir was what you always wanted’, Ross wasn’t sure what to make at the height of his fame when over 20 million people tuned in to watch the conclusion of Sharongate, where Grant learned his brother had an affair with his wife.

“He was teaching me to be careful what you wish for as it sometimes doesn’t turn up in the way you wanted it… I would be on the M25 or the A41, and people would draw up against me and either give me the finger or blow kisses at me.

“That’s a difficult thing to deal with. It was bizarre. You spent more time with your fake family than your real family. They’re not fakes – they’re friends, you hope. It’s an alternate reality,” he said.

Last month saw Ross announce the news that his father had sadly died aged 88-years-old in a heartbreaking tribute on social media, where he shared black and white picture of John in his army uniform

“John Kemp 1937 – 2025. Served his country, served his community served his family. My hero. Love you always Dad. Burying my Dad, tomorrow. My hero, my role model and a great dancer,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Ross previously revealed that filming some of the more intense scenes for his brief trip down memory lane took a toll on him. He told the Radio Times magazine: “It was wonderful, but you come away from it slightly fried.

“Grant comes back and within a minute he’s fighting, he’s crying, he’s making love, then he’s crying about it, then he’s fighting again. He’s never just sat in the launderette.

“The first scene in the anniversary was me breaking into the Arches and wrestling a Beretta 9mm off my brother, so it wasn’t like going to the cafe and saying, ‘Can I have a bacon roll, please?’.”