Actor Ross Kemp is returning to 'EastEnders' as hard man Grant Mitchell after a six-year absence.
Pundits have claimed that the 40-year-old's six-month contract is valued at £500,000, which would make him the highest paid soap star in British television history.
Commenting on his return, Kemp said: "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 continued: "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."
Kemp is set to return in what BBC executives promise will be an explosive new storyline in the autumn.
