Samantha Womack has opened about leaving EastEnders, revealing she was forced out of the show after being ‘rejected’ by its directors.
The actress, 52, became a fan favourite as the fiery Ronnie Mitchell on the BBC soap opera, having bagged the part in 2007.
But after a decade in Walford, Samantha’s time on the show came to an abrupt and brutal end in 2017 as Ronnie and her sister Roxy (Rita Simons) were killed off together on Christmas Day.
The move was a widely unpopular one, with some EastEnders die-hard fans even choosing to boycott the prime-time soap over the death of the much-loved Mitchell sisters.
Now, Samantha has opened up on her EastEnders exit in an interview with MailOnline, revealing she still ‘doesn’t understand’ why her and Rita’s characters were killed off.
Samantha Womack, 52, (left) has opened about leaving EastEnders, claiming she was forced out of the show after being ‘rejected’ by its directors (Pictured alongside her onscreen sister Rita Simons)
The much-loved siblings were brutally killed off on Christmas Day in 2017 after an accident in a swimming pool (pictured) – Samantha still ‘doesn’t understand’ why fan-favourites Ronnie and Roxy were killed off by BBC producers
The mother-of-two said: ‘It was really hard for us because it wasn’t in our hands.
‘We didn’t make the decision to go. I don’t really understand what happened, one producer was leaving and another was coming in, I don’t know what went on.
‘At the time it felt like bereavement, it felt like losing a family member. It was like losing family and losing stability.
‘But the thing that was the most painful – and it really was painful – was that me and Rita loved feeling like we belonged there, and then to be rejected, and I know that’s emotional but that’s what it was, it hit us both so hard.
‘I do look back now and think, “God, I could still be there”, I would never have moved to Valencia, I would never have done half the things I’ve done. I was like getting a barnacle off a rock, I probably needed to be forced off at that time.’
Since leaving EastEnders, Samantha – who shot to fame on EuroVision aged 18 – has made her way into the world of theatre, appearing in a West End production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 2022.
But it was during her time playing the White Witch that she was diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of breast cancer.
‘I didn’t have any lumps or feel ill,’ she said, ‘I’ve never been a doctor person so in the middle of two shows I went for a check-up not expecting to find anything.
Samantha – who didn’t want to leave EastEnders at the time of her exit – said that leaving the show hit her and Rita Simons (Roxy) ‘really hard’ (Pictured: their final scene in 2017)
‘I loved working with Rita, it felt silly, it felt fun, we were controversial, we were naughty,’ Samantha (right) said of acting with Rita (left)
‘So I went for the ultrasound and there was a little screen on the wall in the doctors’ room, looking at it afterwards we saw this little black shadow that wasn’t a circle. My step-dad is doctor and I knew that most things natural are circular. Everyone just went quiet.
‘In my brain, I did think, “there you are”. I do feel like somewhere in our brains, our intuition is important. I’ve learnt to listen to that voice in my head as it basically saved my life.’
Samantha was back in the theatre just hours after her scan, and recalls giving a hectic performance on-stage as the reality of the situation sunk in.
‘I hadn’t thought the whole thing through, I think we all knew that it was cancer but it hadn’t been confirmed yet,’ she said.
‘I didn’t have any time to think about going back to the theatre to do a second show. I was playing the White Witch, and the play’s all about life and death and how close those two things are.
‘For my entrance, I was lifted into the sky on this machine and all of this snow is coming down, there’s cello music playing. I just remember having this moment of floating in all this snow, looking out into all this black space – I couldn’t process what was happening.
‘It was sinking in on-stage in front of everybody. I was mad that evening, I was doing all kinds of crazy things. In a way I was letting go of everything.’
Samantha has made her way into the world of theatre, appearing in a West End production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 2022 – But it was during her time playing the White Witch that she was diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of breast cancer
Samantha was later diagnosed with a high grade three form of breast cancer and required chemotherapy in order to recover.
The EastEnders star – who was diagnosed in her late 40s – called the treatment ‘terrifying’ and remembers the ‘awful’ smell of chemotherapy on her skin, but went on to announce she was cancer-free five months later.
Three years on from her recovery and the actress is now working with GenesisCare on their Keep Abreast of your Breast Density campaign to educate women about breast cancer diagnosis.
In particular, they’re encouraging women to ask vital questions during mammograms about issues such as their breast density.
Women with extremely dense breasts are shockingly six times more likely than those with fatty breasts to get breast cancer.
‘Cancer-free’s a weird term,’ Samantha said, ‘we all have cancer in our cells all the time, so there’s always a chance it can come back.
‘To get a proper diagnosis you need proper information. There are four types of breast density, A, B C and D, but if you’re extremely dense it’s really difficult to spot a tumour.
‘There are options though, if there’s anything bothering you at any time, you can instigate these investigations on your own. GenesisCare are empowering women to ask the right questions, and they will tell you what your breast density is.
Samantha didn’t close the door on the a possible return to the BBC soap however, saying: ‘You never say never’
‘Early diagnosis is the difference between cancer sounding like a death sentence and like something you can work through.’
Samantha says that she’s now feeling ‘better, calmer and happier’ than ever as she enjoys life at her home in Valencia, Spain.
She’s more picky and ‘willing to say no’ to opportunities now, but didn’t close the door on a possible return to soap television in the UK.
‘The fanbase for Ronnie and Roxy is extraordinary,’ the actress said.
‘They still to this day go loopy when they hear there’s any sort of chance we could come back.
‘I don’t know (how we could come back), the only way is that they could possibly say that we didn’t actually die. I don’t know.
‘It’s a big commitment, I know only too well what those working days are like. But I have a strong affection for the show, I love everyone there and I miss everyone there.
‘I loved working with Rita, it felt silly, it felt fun, we were controversial, we were naughty.
‘I’m old enough and ugly enough to realise you never close the door on anything. Never say never.’
