EastEnders legend Rita Simons breaks silence on huge new soap role as she reunites with former co-star

EASTENDERS legend Rita Simons has confirmed she's set to join Hollyoaks and will reunite with Richard Blackwood - her former Walford co-star.

The Sun first exclusively revealed that the actress - known to millions as Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders - was returning to soapland.

Rita, 46, has now announced the news on Instagram and shared her new promo photo, which she captioned it: "So the news is out!

"I’m coming to the oaks @hollyoaksofficial to cause some trouble!

"Here…have a picture of me looking serious and pensive! Can’t tell you who I’m playing but I THINK you’re gonna like!"

Her former EastEnders co-star Richard Blackwood, who now appears in Hollyoaks as mechanic Felix Westwood, was among the first to reply to her post.

He said: "Love it! Bringing the old Gang back! Congratulations hun."

The Sun revealed that Rita is joining the soap full time and will be a regular character.

New pictures show Rita catching up with award-winning Hollyoaks casting boss Peter Hunt and picking up her scripts for her new role.

She will make her debut this autumn when she begins filming and it’s set to be an explosive debut.

A source said: “Rita’s casting is a stroke of genius.

“She’s got the acting chops to pull off anything the writers throw at her and she’s hugely popular with fans.

“Details of who she’s playing are a closely guarded secret but she’s set to cause chaos when she arrives in the village.”

Rita’s EastEnders character Roxy was killed off by soap bosses back in 2017, but earlier this year she made a shock return in a vision to daughter Amy Mitchell.

Actress Rita also revealed how she had refused to film her on-screen death, and simply held her breath in the hopes of returning to the soap full time later.

Rita told The Sun previously: “I got pulled aside a couple of days before filming the final scene by an exec, who I cannot name for legal reasons, who said to me, ‘There are a lot of people upstairs who don’t agree with this’.

“And you have to let a producer do what they do and you have to let them find their way.

“They said, ‘If you want any chance at ever bringing Roxy back, you have to refuse to die’. So I have sat on this for six years and said nothing."