EastEnders’ Ross Kemp looks unrecognisable as he’s seen with full head of hair on Good Morning Britain

Ross Kemp looked unrecognisable on Good Morning Britain as he revealed unseen pictures of himself with a head of hair.

The shots from his younger years were taken when he was a young adult, first playing rugby with short hair, and also sporting a 1980s style bouffant shortly after leaving drama school.

The former EastEnders actor was on ITV’s morning programme to promote his new book, Take Nothing For Granted: Tales From An Unexpected Life.

In opening up about career secrets, the 59-year-old also showed off some never-before seen pictures from his younger years which are barely identifiable as the TV hardman.

Kemp’s dark hair in the picture of him during a rugby game stood out to give him a totally different look from his iconic bald appearance which became legendary in his soap career.

Unrecognisable: The actor looked most different in a photo of him after he finished drama school (above)

Younger years: Kemp was pictured with short dark hair while playing rugby as a young man

He also discussed how he sneakily upped his earnings while performing as Grant Mitchell on the BBC show.

He told presenters Ben Shepherd and Susanna Reid:  ‘If you were doing three days in the Vic, which you would normally do, I would normally be standing back.

‘I’d work out that I was not in the middle episode that they were shooting that day and obviously cameras like the one pointing at me now has a red light on top of it when it’s recording. 

‘So I got on very well with the camera guys and I’d say: “Is this episode 235 and not episode 234 or 233?” 

‘They’d go “Yes”, I’m not in that one, well I am now. 

‘”Big Ron, er pint and pork scratchings was it? Ok, mate, I’ll be back in a second.” Episode fee.’

Despite the actor’s brawn becoming his defining characteristic, with shows like Ross Kemp On Gangs and Ross Kemp: Extreme World adding to his CV, he clearly had plenty of brains too working out he could boost his appearance numbers.

However, he could not get away with it forever.

He added: ‘They soon cottoned on to me I’ll have to say.’

Infamous: Kemp (pictured with the late Barbara Windsor – who played his mother Peggy), became known for his hardman role in the iconic BBC soap as Grant Mitchell

Tell-all: Kemp was on ITV promoting his new book Take Nothing For Granted: Tales From An Unexpected Life in discussion with Ben Shepherd and Susanna Reid

Despite filming documentaries in harsh and unique environments such as wartime Afghanistan and Belmarsh Prison, Kemp describes the most difficult part of his job being how he spent so much time away from his four children.

He said: ‘I don’t expect sympathy. You can’t come back and moan about the conditions in a prison when she [his wife Renee O’Brien] has been doing two jobs – one being a mum and the other being a lawyer.

‘If I wanted sympathy and looked for it I don’t think I would get very much – so there is no point in asking. 

‘I say it in the book, you think my job is hard but the hardest job you will ever do is being a parent.’

Hardman: Kemp filmed in locations such as Afghanistan and Belmarsh Prison, but said the toughest part of his career was being away from his  children