EastEnders' Ross Kemp is this week's Radio Times cover star
Ross Kemp reveals his softer side - and why nothing scares him more than returning to Albert Square.
Few characters are as firmly woven into British television as Grant Mitchell, which is why Ross Kemp's return to EastEnders still feels like an event. Grant made a fleeting visit for the 40th anniversary last year, but he's back for longer this time as he comes to terms with the deterioration in health of his old friend Nigel.
Over a cup of tea in a north-London cafe, Kemp admits what drew him in was the chance to play the character at 61, "with all the life you've experienced in the intervening years". It's a candid interview in which he reflects on how his career has changed: from Walford enforcer to TV quizmaster.
We also catch up with Tony Schumacher, the writer of the hit drama The Responder, as he returns with a new BBC drama The Cage, starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. He speaks movingly about the origins of the story: "My brother Philip was an alcoholic who passed away last year".
When he came up with the idea, he started thinking about addiction, but alcoholism felt too close to home. "I used to work on cruise ships and everyone who worked in those casinos would gamble like mad the minute they weren't working... which fascinated me."
And finally, inside this week's issue there is a delightful conversation with Michaela Strachan. She looks back on her 40 years in the business and reminds us just why she's still on our screens. As always with Radio Times it's an eclectic mix that we bring you this week.
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Also in this week's Radio Times:
- Tony Schumacher brought us The Responder, now he's back with The Cage, a drama set in the world of casinos.
- News at Ten presenter and writer Tom Bradby lays out the plot of his thriller, Secret Service.
- Three stars of the drama Unchosen weigh up the pros and cons of living in a cult.
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Authors
Shem Law is the brand editor of Radio Times, and the 20th person to hold that esteemed position in over 100 years. He wasn't allowed a television growing up, but over the years he has rather overcompensated for that fact.
