Could Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell be returning to EastEnders this Christmas?
Let’s face it – probably not. New Year’s Day will mark the ten year anniversary of the legendary characters’ deaths, and yet soap fans are insistent that they could return one day.
For weeks, theories have been circulating on social media that actresses Samantha Womack and Rita Simons have reprised their roles and their apparent demises will be rewritten. Viewers are convinced that the return of Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) – who has mentioned Roxy on numerous occasions – and the absence of Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) are two huge clues to support a comeback.
Over on TikTok, one user even suggested that Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) purposely missed out the line “A little bit of Rita’s all I need” when singing Lou Bega’s song Mambo No. 5 in an episode that was broadcast in September.
Now we know that EastEnders producers love to drop a subtle clue or two from time to time, and they’re certainly not opposed to bringing back characters from the dead. First there was Dirty Den, then Kathy Beale, and most recently her former daughter-in-law Cindy.
It’s no surprise that these suppositions have now reached the actresses, who are frequently flooded with messages asking when we’ll see them back in Albert Square.
In fact, it’s got to a point where Simons’s own social media algorithms are showing the conspiracies to her.
Speaking on the No Parental Guidance podcast, presenter Louise Boyce joked: “Your public are writing to Parliament to get you back on EastEnders.”
Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.
Simons laughed back, admitting: “People always send me these crazy TikTok fan accounts and like, “This is how Ronnie and Roxy could come back”.
“So my algorithm has started showing me all this EastEnders conspiracy stuff.”
She also revealed that someone she knew personally suggested she’d be unavailable this Christmas because of filming commitments. While this isn’t strictly true, she is appearing in pantomime as the Fairy Godmother in a production of Cinderella at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre.
When asked whether she knew how bosses would facilitate such a return from the dead, Simons responded with a rather cryptic comment – suggesting that it has been discussed.
“There’s a whole story… but I can’t tell you that,” she said. “Because if we were to ever come back… I can’t.”
Consider us intrigued!
Read more:
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
