Former EastEnders star Samantha Womack has said she would still love to go back to the BBC soap, despite her character Ronnie Mitchell having been killed off.
Womack played Ronnie since 2007, forming an iconic partnership with Rita Simons who played Ronnie’s beloved little sister Roxy. The pair enjoyed one final perfect day together as they celebrated Ronnie’s second marriage to Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) at a posh hotel.
But Roxy’s cocaine habit led to tragedy when she jumped into the pool, with a panicked Ronnie diving in to save her before ultimately being weighed down by her wedding dress. Fans were heartbroken when the siblings drowned together, and they (and we) have never got over it!
As she appeared on ITV’s Loose Women, Womack was of course asked about her memorable character, and she had this to say: “You get old enough, you [never] say never to anything don’t you. You never have an opinion on anything because you’re always proved wrong at some stage.”
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Speaking further about her time on EastEnders, Womack added: “It was an amazing time, she was an amazing character, great storylines. Some of the best work I think I did back in the early days, the baby swap and working with Barbara Windsor and Larry Lamb.”
Host Charlene White then revealed some wild fan theories as to just how the late Ronnie could return, including an idea that Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), who worked in the funeral parlour at the time of her death, could have helped her fake her death.
Warming to the theme, Womack joked, “Maybe I could come back as a poisonous twin!”
She has previously spoken of her feelings on Ronnie’s death, telling OK! Magazine: “I understand they have to regenerate and constantly recast, but my complaint was when you have two characters who are embedded within the fabric of that community, by killing them completely you’re removing them from any future producer.
“It’s short-sighted. There was a period of mourning. Rita Simons was my pretend sister for nine years so when I got my next job and worked away from home, my real family and my fake family had been taken away. All my foundation and emotional stability had gone. I’d have loved to go back at some point.
“The Mitchell family are such a huge part of that show’s culture – Peggy had gone and then the two Mitchell sisters. It’s a shame to rip out the roots of such a long-serving family. The last year and a half has been so exciting and a bit like a rebirth, but I hate the idea that I can’t go back – unless I come back as some weird Australian twin sister!”
Read more:
- When did Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell die in EastEnders?
- EastEnders needs to stop killing all their fan-favourites
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