EastEnders actress Rita Simons says filming her final scenes was the “most exhilarating and upsetting experience” and she spent days crying on set
The famous Mitchell sister will be killed off in a heartbreaking plotline alongside sister Ronnie, played by Samantha Womack
EASTENDERS actress Rita Simons felt like she was “being given a kick” when she was axed from the soap after almost a decade – and admitted she spent whole days crying on set during her final few weeks of filming.
She was given her marching orders by new executive producer Sean O’Connor in one of the biggest shake-ups on the soap in years, which will see her character Roxy Mitchell and sister Ronnie drown in a swimming pool in a dramatic ordeal at New Year.
In her first interview since it was announced their much-loved characters were being killed off, Rita said she feels like the move is a sign from the “universe” telling her to move on.
She explained: “When Sean brought the idea to me, it was like I knew I was being given a kick, I knew I needed to do it, and I’m a big believer in the universe guiding you to where you need to go.
“Obviously I knew that I couldn’t stay there forever, and I didn’t want to stay there forever. The problem is, because I love everyone so much there and it’s such a family environment, you get very used to being there.
“I know in my heart of hearts it’s the right thing to do. I needed to get out. I needed to spread my wings. But because they’re like my family there, you don’t want to leave them.”
Rita, 39, joined the soap in 2007 and has been married twice, engaged three times, and had one-night stands with both of Ronnie’s husbands.
But it’s her on-screen sister, played by Samantha Womack, 44, who she feels most upset about leaving.
She said: “I’ve spent more time with Sam than I have with my husband and my kids. The thought of leaving her breaks my heart.”
On filming their traumatic final scenes together, Rita continued: “She’d have a day where she couldn’t stop crying and I would be really cold and strong and I would look after her. Then the next day it would be me who’d be set off by a packet of coffee or whatever and she would be strong.
“We’ve taken it in turns to be upset because one of us needs to be strong for the other.
“It was tiring. Emotionally tiring. I finished on Wednesday night. We were on location and then I came home on Thursday.
“Me and Sam spent a lovely two days, when we weren’t filming, we sat in bed together, we had breakfast together, we went shopping around Woodstock. We were like a couple of old ladies. Then we went and did our final scenes, got back into bed, had a couple of gins, and it was such mixed emotions.
“I can only explain it as the most exhilarating and upsetting experience - it kind of goes hand in hand.
“I’m so exhilarated to be moving on and doing other stuff, but I left probably 150 crew that I adore - every single one of them, make-up, lighting, costume. I love them all, I’ve known them all for 10 years, day in, day out.
“It was that that kind of broke my heart, leaving them.”
The end of their on-screen sisterhood doesn’t mean Rita won’t work with Sam again in the future though.
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She said: “I can’t imagine life without her. She’s my sister. I talk about her like she’s my sister. She’s one of my best friends and she will be until the end now, whether she likes it or not.
“But I do have a feeling we will work together again. I don’t know when or where but my feelings are generally right, so yeah I’m sure that’s going to happen.”
Last month EastEnders icon Dame Barbara Windsor, 79, criticised producer Sean for getting rid of her on-screen nieces.
Barbara 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.”
But Rita was coy on her own comments about Barbara’s views.
She carefully said: “All I will say is whatever Barbara wants to say, she has my full blessing. I love her like a family member and I respect any opinion of hers. She is like a real aunty and I love her with all of my heart.”
Thankfully she has been overcome with offers for new acting roles since it was announced she would be leaving the soap, and she could now be heading to Hollywood.
Speaking from a beach house in Sussex where she escaped to for the weekend with her closest friends after filming her final scenes, she explained: “I’ve got a couple of films lined up.
“I’m discussing two films at the moment - potentially filming early next year. I can’t say too much about them because things are still in early days, but two films which I’m very much looking forward to. One is in LA if I do it, and one is in London.
“My ultimate acting is TV, it’s film, it’s drama, it’s gritty, gangster, horror. I love anything slightly twisted. And comedy because I’ve always known that I should be in comedy as well.
“I’m really lucky because I can do the theatre because I can sing, which lets me fulfil my musical dreams.”
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Her first confirmed role following EastEnders will be playing Paulette in a touring production of Legally Blonde, her musical theatre debut, which will begin in Bristol next September.
Rita said: “It’s funny because although it’s a major departure from Roxy, it’s not hideously major because what I love about the role is that it’s comedy.
“She’s quite out there, and the music for Paulette is rocky and soulful so I’m happy with that.”
And two people who will be first in line to see her will be her twin daughters Maiya and Jaimee.
She gushed: “My daughters love it. They’re just like, they’re only 10, but they think mummy is the coolest person on earth at the moment I’m sure when they’re 14 they’ll hate me.
“But one of my daughters, the deaf daughter of mine, Maiya, has just got into drama school for secondary school, which is amazing. Even with her hearing, she sang her heart out in her audition and because of her cochlear implant she’s amazing, you wouldn’t know she had any problems hearing.
“She is obviously really impressed because this is what she wants to do when she grows up.
“She reminds me so much as me as a child, and to be honest I should never have been at school, I just should have always gone to drama school. What I’m doing with her is what my parents didn’t do with me.
“If drama makes her happy then that is what she will do.”
Looking ahead past the musical theatre and films she already has in the pipeline, it looks unlikely Rita will ever enter a different soap.
She said: “I don’t know if I would. Also if I did another soap I can’t imagine falling in love with the place like I fell in love with EastEnders.
“My dad’s side of the family are all East end, and I grew up around Elstree.
"I started in Essex but I ended up in Elstree, so for me, EastEnders is very close to my heart, and I’m not saying I wouldn’t but at the moment it’s highly unlikely I’d do another soap. I know the investment that’s involved.
“EastEnders will always be number one in my heart.”
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RITA’S first role after Eastenders will be playing Paulette in a touring production of musical Legally Blonde.
But she said: “I’m discussing two films at the moment – potentially filming early next year.
“One is in LA if I do it, and one is in London.
“My ultimate acting is TV, it’s film, it’s drama, it’s gritty, gangster, horror. I love anything slightly twisted. And comedy because I’ve always known I should be in comedy as well.”
Rita won’t be short of offers.
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