EastEnders airs Grant Mitchell’s return and emotional scenes for Phil in early BBC iPlayer release

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Grant Mitchell, played by Ross Kemp, is back on EastEnders, but his return coincides with a difficult and sad time for his brother, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).

EastEnders’ original tough guy was called back to Walford by his son, Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), who wanted him to know that his close friend, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), was very ill.

Mark went against his aunt Sam’s (Kim Medcalf) wishes by reaching out to Grant, even though she’d asked him not to, believing Grant wouldn’t want to hear from him. Sam had repeatedly tried to share her breast cancer diagnosis with Mark, but he ignored her calls and didn’t respond.

A car raced into the square, instantly grabbing Sam and Mark’s attention. They were surprised to see Grant, who mistakenly believed Mark had asked him to come because of concerns about Phil’s mental health.

As viewers may remember, Grant’s previous visit to London coincided with a very difficult time for Phil, who was struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Before meeting his brother, Grant went to the cafe for breakfast, but Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) seemed cold towards him. They hadn’t seen each other in over 30 years, and he clearly didn’t remember who she was.

She angrily set his plate down and fiercely scolded him for how he’d treated her mother, Michelle. Their argument was interrupted when Sam and Mark arrived. He then started asking about Phil, but it quickly became clear that he was actually worried about Nigel.

Grant was shocked to discover he hadn’t been living with the Mitchells at all, but in a care home for months. He rushed out and accidentally bumped into Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn), who told him Nigel had been taken to the hospital after a fall from his bed.

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It was an emotional reunion as Grant headed to the ward, and saw just how bad Nigel really was.

Mark found Phil at the pub and strongly encouraged him to go to the hospital too. He told Phil he’d just be a hindrance, but it was obvious Mark was upset that he couldn’t be with Nigel during his final moments.

When Grant came back, he asked to speak privately with his family. After ten years of separation, they finally revealed everything that had been happening. Grant was stunned to learn about Sam’s cancer diagnosis, and a major fight broke out.

Feeling overwhelmed, Phil asked Grant, Sam, and Mark to leave his house, then proceeded to destroy the kitchen. Standing outside, Sam thought Grant was the only one who could reach Phil and help him.

Will Grant be able to make a breakthrough?

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Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

As a dedicated soap opera fan and reviewer, let me tell you, Michael Adams knows his stuff. He’s the Soaps Editor over at TopMob, which means he’s your go-to guy for all the latest buzz and spoilers from every major show – think Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, you name it. Before joining TopMob, he spent two years reporting on soaps at Metro, and even got some on-set experience working on the productions of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale. He’s clearly immersed in the world of British soaps, and it shows!

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2026-04-27 12:05