Martin Kemp says he still receives a confidence boost from playing Steve Owen on ‘EastEnders’ despite leaving the show 15 years ago.
The 55-year-old actor played one of Albert Square’s most memorable villains for four years from 1998 to 2002, and despite his character meeting a grizzly end 15 years ago when he was trapped in a car that exploded, he says if he ever needs a confidence boost he just thinks back to his time on the popular BBC soap.
He said: "He gave me so much confidence at the time, on that set. I think even today there’s a bit of Steve Owen I keep with me if I ever need a bit of confidence."
And the Spandau Ballet bassist admits he would love to return to the long-running soap, but says that might not be practical given the gruesome death of his character.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "The BBC blew me up, so going back into it is something that might be quite difficult. But if you said to me, over the years, the BBC never blew you up then yes, I’d have loved to have gone back into it. It was three and a half years of probably the best fun I’ve ever had in front of the camera, and I loved the character Steve Owen."
Meanwhile, Martin previously said he "wouldn’t say no" to returning to the soap, which saw him involved in unforgettable story lines including killing his partner Saskia Duncan and being a suspect in the shooting of Phil Mitchell.
Revealing how he could be making a sensational return to a TV show, he said: "I was just asked to be in one recently, but I can’t tell you which one!"
And when asked further which soap he would love to work on, he said: "I had a great time on ‘EastEnders’, I would never say no to anything. I would never sit here and say, ‘I would never do that.’"
Martin Kemp says EastEnders character gives him confidence
