EastEnders’ Mitchell sisters set to leave soap with a splash as Ronnie drowns in bridal dress in shocking New Year storyline

EASTENDERS’ Ronnie Mitchell will meet a grisly death by being drowned by her own wedding dress, The Sun can reveal.

Ronnie, played by Samantha Womack, 43, and her sister Roxy, played by Rita Simons, 39, will die in the same episode of the BBC1 soap in a New Year storyline.

The scenes, being shot this week, will see Ronnie tie the knot for a second time with Jack Branning, played by Scott Maslen, 45.

But things go pear-shaped when jealous Roxy, who previously slept with Jack on the soap, gets drunk and begins to cause mayhem.

At the reception she falls into a swimming pool, drowns, and is found face down by her sister.

Ronnie jumps into try and save her but the weight of her wedding dress drags her under and she drowns next to her dead sister.

A show source said: “It’s a slightly ridiculous way to go.

“It must be the first time in soap history anyone has been killed by an item of their clothing.

“Ronnie has been through some grim storylines in her time in Walford, it’s only fitting that she goes in a similar fashion. The scenes are going to be hard to watch.”

The horrendous exit sums up Ronnie’s time in Walford after being involved in a series of heartbreaking storylines.

She lost one baby after being pushed into the Queen Vic’s bar by her dad Archie, played by Larry Lamb.

Her character then married Jack — who had a daughter with her sister — and had their own child but he died of suddent infant death syndrome. Ronnie was later jailed for snatching Kat Slater’s baby and served two years in prison.

A daughter she thought she’d lost called Amy returned to the square as Danielle — but she was hit by a car and killed.

She was also accused of her own father Archie’s death when it emerged he had raped her and Stacey Branning as kids.

Ronnie and Roxy have been members of the cast since 2007 when they were introduced as the cousins of Phil and Grant Mitchell.

The Sun’s Bizarre TV column revealed earlier this month how bosses were trying to keep their “gruesome” exit under wraps.

The pair, popular with viewers, told bosses they were leaving within days of each other earlier this year.

The Sun first revealed Samantha Womack had agreed with show chiefs to walk away after being offered an exit.

Then just days later Rita also confirmed she was leaving, in what bosses described as a “big storyline”.

Their on screen auntie Dame Barbara Windsor, who played show stalwart Peggy Mitchell, blasted the decision to kill them off.

She claimed that the pair did not want to leave the soap and were forced out by the show’s new producer.
She told The Sun: “It wasn’t the girl’s choice. It’s the new producer’s decision.
“I’m sure he’ll be good for the show, but that is a mistake. When I heard I was shocked.”