EastEnders icon to return to soap

Rita Simons, who played Roxy Mitchel is set to make a stunning return to EastEnders this week.

Rita Simon’s character was known for being a feisty member of the Mitchell family and was in the BBC soap from 2007 until 2017 with a brief voiceover cameo role in 2019.

The role earned the actor a most popular newcomer award at the National Television Awards in 2008.

Roxy died on EastEnders alongside her sister Ronnie in 2017 but will now feature as “a figment of her daughter Amy Mitchell’s imagination” in the BBC show this week.

Chris Clenshaw, an executive producer at EastEnders, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome the fabulous Rita back to the iconic role of Roxy Mitchell for these special scenes.

“Although the character was last seen on-screen in January 2017, Roxy still remains a fan favourite. We know our audiences will be thrilled at her short return as Amy seeks some all-important answers from her mum at this point in the storyline.”

Since leaving EastEnders Simons has had a successful career, making regular appearances on the stage and has been cast in Legally Blonde: The Musical as Paulette Bonafonte, as Miss Hedge in the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and in Hairspray as Velma von Tussle.

She has also taken part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Celebrity Supermarket Sweep, Celebrity MasterChef and Pilgrimage.