Samantha Womack portrayed troubled Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders until 2017, when her character was killed off in the soap's dramatic New Year's Eve show. And while the star very much enjoyed her time there, she has reflected on the one thing that made it "hellish". Writing in Fabulous magazine's 24 Hours With segment, Samantha said: "While on EastEnders, I had to get up at 5am to get to work, which was hellish. I don’t miss those early starts!" Samantha added that she hasn’t seen the show since she left as she finds it too weird. "I've not watched EastEnders for two years. Ever since I left the show in 2017, I can't tune in – it's too weird because I know all the characters in real life so well," she explained.
Samantha Womack doesn't miss the early starts in EastEnders!
The much-loved actress first appeared as Ronnie in EastEnders back in 2007, along with her on-screen sister, Roxy Mitchell, played by Rita Simons. The pair were introduced as the cousins of Phil Mitchell, and went on to become popular members of the show in the decade they were there. After leaving the show, their former co-star and EastEnders star Barbara Windsor publicly criticised the decision to write the characters out of show. "It wasn't the girls' choice," the actress told The Sun. "It's the new producer's decision. I'm sure he will be good for the show, but that is a mistake. When I heard I was shocked." In response, Samantha later tweeted: "Feeling loved and supported by my Auntie P. Love her forever."
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The star keeps in regular contact with Roxy Mitchell actress Rita Simons
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Samantha has gone on to appear in a number of stage shows and TV dramas since leaving the soap, including theatre show Girl on the Train, and Silent Witness alongside Emilia Fox. She also worked alongside Les Dennis and Tom Fletcher's younger sister Carrie in The Addams Family in 2018, where she starred as Morticia Addams. Samantha also stays in regular contact with her former co-star Rita, who recently appeared on I'm A Celebrity. During an appearance on This Morning following her exit, she said: "I speak to Rita about six times a day. You can't give up something like that. We were together for such a long time, and she feels like my sister still, so I am grateful actually. I came away with the most amazing friend ever."
EastEnders in 60 seconds
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