Rita Simons joked that the ‘tears’ she cried on her return to EastEnders were real as she was recovering from an hysterectomy.
The actress, 46, returned from the dead as iconic character Roxy Mitchell on Thursday’s episode as a figment of her daughter Amy’s imagination.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Rita revealed that the scene was filmed weeks after her surgery and that she was suffering from ‘brain fog’.
She said, “Coincidentally, that scene was filmed, you would believe, five to six weeks after I just had a total hysterectomy, which I’ve made no secret of.
“But of course I got the call to come and do the scene and I knew it would be during my recovery time. But I was like ‘I have to do it!’
Rita Simons joked that the ‘tears’ she cried on her return to EastEnders were real as she was recovering from a hysterectomy
The actress, 46, returned from the dead as iconic character Roxy Mitchell on Thursday’s episode as a figment of her daughter Amy’s imagination.
“Full menopause, and I had these hormone pellets stuck in my buttocks and they hadn’t started yet, so the tears were real! I had brain fog, I looked a little on the puffy side. So I felt a bit spooky!’
Rita would not have returned to the soap had her character been a ghost, but felt Roxy was a figment of Amy’s imagination, a good way to raise awareness for mental health issues.
She said, “Very clearly, I was asked to go back… not as a ghost. Not as a ghost. And I said, ‘Okay, if I’m a ghost, I won’t!’
“But because it was Amy’s fabrication — anything to do with mental health issues, I’m in there like a rat in a drainpipe because I’m a lawyer — she has these mental health issues and it’s almost like she’s doing this inner struggle. – children’s work that you do together with a therapist. So it’s her imagination.’
Rita starred in the BBC soap opera as Roxy Mitchell from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed on screen along with her sister Ronnie (Samantha Womack).
The soap star reminded fans that because viewers haven’t seen her character’s body after she and her sister both drowned in a swimming pool, there’s a possibility that Roxy isn’t dead after all and could potentially reappear “for the fans.” .
She added, “I could come back because you didn’t see my body. I don’t know if I could come back. It’s awful because the fans are saying ‘Please come back!’ I did this for the fans, I did this for them and they blew me away last night. Would I go back..?’
Rita was then questioned by presenter Adil Ray if there was any truth to her joining a rival soap on ITV1 and hinted it could be the Manchester soap ‘Coronation Street’ but she remained reluctant to confirm something.
Interview: Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Rita revealed that the scene was filmed weeks after her surgery and that she was suffering from ‘brain fog’
She said: ‘Coincidentally, that scene was filmed, you would believe, five to six weeks after I just had a total hysterectomy, which I’ve made no secret of’
When asked how good her Manchester accent is, she replied in a northern accent, “I’m not telling you!” If I have something to tell you, I’ll tell you!’
Rita then teased, “All I want to say now is I left that behind so the audience can finally understand that maybe Roxy isn’t dead in the future, who knows?”
‘Right now I’m having a really lovely time not there and possibly going somewhere else!’
Roxy’s reappearance was a figment of daughter Amy’s imagination during a group therapy session with her family.
The therapist asked Amy what she would like to say to her mother Roxy when she was in the room, to which Amy asked, “Did you ever really love me?”
Roxy then appeared on BBC viewers’ screens saying, ‘Yes, my baby. [I love you] with all my heart.’
Amy started off angry, holding her mother’s necklace and telling her, “You should have been stronger, you didn’t have to drink or do drugs, wasn’t I enough for you”
Emotional: Roxy’s return was a figment of daughter Amy’s imagination during a group therapy session with her family
Hit the rocks: But while Jack (Scott Maslen) is now dealing with relationship issues with his new wife Denise, it looks like Roxy, who is the mother of his daughter Amy, will swoop in
Roxy reassured Amy by saying, “You were the only good thing I had, I fought for you”
She added: ‘I’m not a bad person, I promise you’
Amy admitted that she couldn’t quite remember her mother, who died when she was young, so Roxy reminded her of a time when they wrote a poem about Henry VIII for her homework.
She said, “The memories are in there, they’re all in there. You just have to find them, baby’
“You don’t have to hurt yourself, not because of me. I am part of you, we are the same. It will be hard and you will have to fight for what you want in life, but never give up.’
EastEnders Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said of Rita’s return: ‘I’m thrilled to welcome back the fantastic Rita to the iconic role of Roxy Mitchell for these special scenes.
In Her Head: Roxy’s return will come as a figment of daughter Amy’s imagination during a group therapy session with her family (Amy and Dad Jack pictured)
Although the character was last seen on screen in January 2017, Roxy remains a fan favorite. We know our audience will be excited about her brief return, as Amy is seeking some very important answers from her mother at this point in the storyline.”
Six years ago, some ten million people watched sisters Ronnie and Roxy drown on screen – in a shocking storyline that fans still talk about.
Despite Jack having an on-again, off-again relationship with Ronnie before her passing, he also once slept with her sister Roxy while drunk.
This led to her pregnancy with Amy, which caused conflict between the sisters and the new father as they struggled with the unusual situation.
But before leaving the soap, Ronnie was finally ready to get her happy ending with Jack on their wedding day.
During the episode, a drunken Roxy decided to go for a swim, but ran into trouble as she struggled to stay afloat.
Iconic: Six years ago, about ten million people watched sisters Ronnie and Roxy drown on screen – in a shocking storyline that fans are still talking about
Ronnie jumped into the pool to save her, still in her wedding dress, which ended up weighing her down – leading to the sisters drowning together.
EastEnders boss Sean O’Connor explained at the time that he wanted to give the characters an ‘operatic ending’.
He shared: ‘[Ronnie and Roxy] weren’t the kind of characters who would leave in the back of a cab. We wanted to give them an operatic ending.’
If you are affected by the issues raised in this story, organizations that can provide support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk ).
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show is also streamed on BBC iPlayer.