EastEnders fans looking forward to the brief return of Grant Mitchell have more reasons to celebrate: actor Ross Kemp is returning for ANOTHER batch of episodes following Peggy's death.
Viewers will see Kemp back with screen mum Barbara Windsor and sibling Steve McFadden in the very near future, but there'll be more to come following this much-anticipated reunion.
Speaking to Radio Times in the new issue about whether there's a muscle memory when it comes to playing Grant, Kemp says:
"Well, if there is, I've lost it. I've been too busy dodgy bullets in real life. So, to start with, learning lines was like pouring treacle into my head. I'm going back for another three weeks, so God knows what I'll do then."
Teasing Barbara Windsor's final scenes, the actor and documentary maker adds: "We're very close. Both Steve [McFadden] and I love her, so it was emotional. She's saying goodbye to Peggy, who - apart from her roles in the Carry Ons - will be the definitive character that she plays in her lifetime.
"So, ultimately, it's about paying tribute to Barbara, who's an iconic human being, both on and off screen."
EastEnders devotees will get their first glimpse of Grant at some point this week, while the BBC plans to mark Barbara Windsor's final episode of EastEnders with a night of specials, including a live edition of The One Show from the set of the BBC1 soap.
You can watch a 60-second rundown of next week's episodes of EastEnders below.
And visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
