Roxy star Rita Simons 'doesn't know' if she wants to return to EastEnders
The Eastenders icon may have returned for a special appearance, but has now said she may be joining another soap instead.
EastEnders fans have had an exciting week, with the surprise appearance of Rita Simons as Roxy Mitchell in a special scene that aired last night (Thursday 27th April).
The emotional scenes saw Roxy's daughter Amy (Ellie Dadd) attend a group therapy session with her family and opening up about the impact of losing her mum. Roxy then appears as a figment of Amy's imagination, talking gently to her daughter.
It's safe to say that the scene garnered a very emotional reaction from fans who have been clamouring for Simons's return to the soap for some time now – but could Simons be returning to EastEnders for further scenes?
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Speaking to Good Morning Britain this morning (Friday 28th April), the actress appeared to dispel rumours of a return to Albert Square, saying: "I could come back because you didn't see my body, I didn't get a coffin scene."
But when asked whether she would come back as Roxy, Simons smiled, stating: "I don't know. And do you know what? It's awful because the fans are like 'Ah!' and I did this for the fans. The fans of this show, they own this show. It's the fan's show and I did it for them and I love them and they've blown me away last night."
She continued: "Would I?"
Responding to rumours that Simons is set to join another soap, the actor stated that "they have" approached her to join the cast but that she can't say anything about it. The presenters hinted that it could be a Manchester-based soap, which of course has led many to believe that it very well could be Coronation Street.
Simons then joked and put on a Manchester accent, stating: "When I have something to tell you, I will tell you. All I will say for now is I've left it so that the public finally understand Roxy may not be dead so in the future. Who knows but right now I'm really having a lovely time not there and potentially going somewhere else."
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Simons was last seen on our screens as Roxy in the 2017 New Year's Day episode that saw her tragically drown alongside sister Ronnie Mitchell. But in a recent interview, Simons revealed that she didn't want her character to be killed off either, so took certain measures to ensure a possible future return.
She said in an interview with The Sun: "Now is the time to say I played that scene as if I was holding my breath. Go back and watch it online and you will see next to nothing of me at all.
"I also refused to do the coffin scene. I was asked directly to my face and I refused point blank. It was really difficult because I was never a difficult actress or a diva, but I had to do this thing to have any chance to protect me because I cared about Roxy."
Although fans are positively chomping at the bit for more news of Roxy's potential return to the Square, it seems more than likely that Simons could be returning to the world of soaps – just in a different role and drama. As for which one? We'll have to collect up the hints so far and see.
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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