'I'VE PUT MY KIDS OFF FOLLOWING IN MY FOOTSTEPS'

SOAP ICON ROSS KEMP ON HIS ACTING COMEBACK AND HIS YOUNG FAMILY'S LACK OF INTEREST IN HIS TV SHOWS

- EVE MACDONALD

After a seven-year break from acting, Ross Kemp returns to our screens in dramatic style – and in a costume his one-time alter-ego would never be caught dead in. Ross, 58, who made his last appearance as EastEnders hardman Grant Mitchell in 2016, dons a police uniform for his new role and tells OK! that a return to acting has been on his mind for a while.

The actor, author and presenter stars in new Channel 5 thriller Blindspot as disgraced detective Tony Warden. However Ross, who has children Leo, eight, and five-year-old twins, Ava and Kitty, with second wife Renee O’Brien, and a 12-year-old son with his ex-partner, Nicole Coleman, admits that being away from home is becoming more difficult.

Here, he spills the beans on acting, why he wouldn’t call himself a tough man, and his plans for the future.

Hi, Ross. Were you nervous about returning to TV screens after such a long hiatus?

It was nerve-racking to be honest. If I was asked to visit a prison or go on set, I’d choose the first.

What made you give acting another go?