It’s been over two years since Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell perished at the bottom of a swimming pool in EastEnders, and actress Rita Simons finally feels like life is good again.
Appearing on This Morning on Monday (January 21) to promote her new play The House on Cold Hill alongside former Strictly champ Joe McFadden, Rita admitted to hosts Holly Willoughby and John Barrowman that “life is amazing”.
Read more: EastEnders recast Ben Mitchell and fans are outraged
Following the Mitchell sisters’ demise on New Year’s Day, Rita made no secret of the fact it was not her decision to leave the show.
In fact, just last summer she told the Daily Star Sunday: “I wish they hadn’t killed us off.
“I don’t feel bitter but I haven’t quite made peace with the fact we are dead.
“Both Sam [Womack, Ronnie] and I were gutted. That decision was made by one person and we had no choice in the matter.”
But it seems Rita has finally come to terms with it and is really enjoying the number of jobs coming her way as a result of her freedom.
She told Holly and John: “When you’re there, you think it’s the be all and end all security wise, especially for me who lived really near the set.
“But once you do spread your wings and you do go out of a longstanding bubble like that, life is amazing, so I’m having a brilliant time.”
Joe, who starred in Holby City for three years as Raf di Lucca before he was killed off in 2017, agreed with Rita that “it’s good not to have a safety net”.
Rita and Joe will play husband and wife in the touring production of The House on Cold Hill which begins next month.
Former EastEnders star Charlie Clememts (Bradley Brannning) and ex-Hollyoaks actress Persephone Swales-Dawson will join them.
Read more: Fans beg John Barrowman to replace Schofe on This Morning
Rita’s previous project saw her enter the jungle as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in November 2018. She was the fourth star to be voted off.
Last week it was announced Rita’s former on-screen husband, Rob Kazinsky, aka Sean Slater, was returning to EastEnders for a short stint.
Fans were outraged that Roxy wouldn’t be there to greet him as they were once each other’s great loves.
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