EastEnders return for Rita Simons as Roxy Mitchell in "special scenes"

Following the collapse of Amy’s father Jack Branning’s (Scott Maslen) marriage to Denise Fox (Diane Parish), the family will attend a group therapy session, leading Amy to open up about the loss of her mum which has had a huge impact on her life.

When Amy zones out during the meeting, Roxy appears as a figment of Amy’s imagination. Will the version of Roxy living in the teen’s head be able to offer her the comfort she needs?

Roxy died in 2017 alongside her older sister Ronnie (Samantha Womack) when the pair drowned in a hotel swimming pool. Roxy had recently started taking drugs, and when she jumped into the pool and failed to resurface, Ronnie lost her life when she tried to save her.

EastEnders viewers have never recovered from the harrowing scenes, and star Simons recently told RadioTimes.com that she’s still being sent scripts by fans who want nothing more than to see Roxy and Ronnie come back from the dead.

We're right there with them in wishing this could be a reality! But Roxy's return to the BBC soap is temporary, as she appears as a vision for Amy. Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said of Simons's comeback: "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."

Although it's been six years since we last saw Roxy, the actress did previously record a voiceover in character. Back in 2019, when Roxy's ex-husband Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) returned to Walford, he was seen using the phone he had during their marriage and Roxy's voice could be heard leaving Sean an affectionate message.

Roxy's special scenes will air on Thursday 27th April from 7:30pm.

Read more:

• Rita Simons: 'Fans send me scripts for Roxy's EastEnders return'
• 7 EastEnders spoilers: Keanu's life is on the line as Jay struggles to cope
• EastEnders' Linda gets unwelcome blast from the past in Janine update

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