EastEnders 40th Anniversary: Ross Kemp will not be featuring in live episode despite Grant Mitchell's return

The cast and crew of the BBC soap are set to stage a live episode on Thursday evening (February 20) as part of the show 40th anniversary celebrations.

Ross Kemp, who played Grant Mitchell on the square in the 1990s and again in brief appearance throughout the 2000s and 2010s, returned to the show for the short stint but has now confirmed that he will not be involved in the show’s live elements.

The actor was asked about the upcoming episode during an appearance on This Morning, telling hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary: “I’m not doing the live, I’m no longer there, I’ve departed – not in a hearse, I hasten to add.”

A clip from tonight’s episode (February 19) showed Grant and Bianca teaming up in the aftermath of the huge explosion at the Queen Vic, which was sparked after runaway killer Reiss crashed his car the back door of the famous pub. Kemp told Alison and Dermot that viewers will watch as Bianca and Grant “pal up” in an “unlikely coupling”, with the pair previously at war with each other during his marriage to Bianca’s best pal Tiffany.

Kemp also hosted a documentary show, EastEnders: 40 Years On The Square, which aired during the weekend. The show looked back at the soap’s most iconic character and storylines over the past four decades.

The 40th anniversary celebrations are continuing this, with a special hour-long episode tonight (February 19) and the live episode airing on Thursday evening. In a landmark moment for EastEnders, viewers will also be able to vote on the storyline of the show.

Fans will be able to vote on whether Denise chooses to be with Jack or Ravi, with scenes to be played out during Thursday’s live event. Another storyline will also be voted on by fans, but bosses have kept their card close to their chest on this revelation.