Rita Simons may be best known to soap opera fans as EastEnders legend Roxy Mitchell, but now that she has started filming Hollyoaks, she is settling into her latest TV role.
She just received confirmation of her casting in the Channel 4 soap opera, and now that she has been spotted on site, she appears to be ready to start working.
With the part now being confirmed to be long-term, her character promises to deliver huge drama.
There is a lot of excitement about Rita joining the programme, and it’s a wonderful signing, a source told Metro.co.uk.
The character will be at the focus of some extremely significant tales and have a significant influence. The bosses have great plans for her.
To suggest she will cause a commotion would be an understatement.
The well-known actress, who is also well-known for her role on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, is seen in new pictures talking to casting director Peter Hunt while carrying many scripts.
Regarding Rita’s character and whether or not she is connected to any already existing characters, the programme itself maintains a high level of secrecy.
There is much speculation among fans, and some believe she may be related to Norma, the mobster character played by Glynis Barber.
It would be a very fascinating reunion indeed for them to play the same relation once more because, as many people will remember, Glynis portrayed Roxy’s mother Glenda in EastEnders.
Several characters from Hollyoaks have gone in recent weeks, including Imran Malik, who left his family to start a new life outside of the community.
Major figures Zara Morgan and Damon Kinsella also bid goodbye shortly after in different plots.
Additionally, it is almost certain that Grace Black will soon appear in her last moments as she accepts responsibility for the bank robbery’s consequences.
And just last week, DeMarcus left the show to pursue his education.
In a highly praised and extremely moving narrative, Juliet Nightingale lost her fight with terminal illness, and actress Niamh Blackshaw won plaudits for the role she played.
Recently, the plot arc for Eric Foster came to a conclusion as well. After being imprisoned for his misdeeds, the incel character made several farewell visits.
With new opening titles just aired to highlight the cast changes, Rita’s joining is one more new character that will usher Hollyoaks into its upcoming era.
Six years ago, Roxy and Ronnie drowned in a pool, and the actress and her co-star Samantha Womack were controversially fired from EastEnders.
The indignation it caused among viewers at the time hasn’t really subsided over the years.
Rita has had several requests from fans for a comeback from the dead following a recent cameo as a vision for Roxy’s daughter Amy, so she isn’t exactly ruling out a potential return to EastEnders either.
She reflected, “I could return since you didn’t see my body. The fans own this programme, so I did it for them. I did it for the fans because it’s their show.
Rita made an additional effort to keep the door just a little bit open as she left because she had, on advice, declined to film a scenario involving a coffin.
She said that the decision to fire the Mitchell sisters had angered numerous business executives.
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