EastEnders star Rita Simons drops telling hint that Roxy and Ronnie could return

EastEnders fans have been left speculating whether Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell could finally make a return after Rita Simons appeared to drop a subtle hint. The Mitchell sisters were firm favourites on Albert Square since their arrival in 2007, being part of some of the BBC soap's biggest storylines.

They both tragically met their demise in 2017 on Ronnie's wedding day when they both drowned in the swimming pool at the venue.

However, despite both dying, fans have long speculated that Roxy star Rita and Ronnie's Samantha Womack could make a return to the show.

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During an appearance on the No Parental Guidance podcast, Rita addressed long-standing speculation over whether the sisters could one day be back in Walford.

"People always send me these crazy TikTok fan accounts and like, 'This is how Ronnie and Roxy could come back'," she told co-host Louise Boyce.

"So my algorithm has started showing me all this EastEnders conspiracy stuff."

When asked directly if she knows something viewers don't, Rita said that there is someone in her life who said, "I’m doing something at Christmas, but I know you’re not free," insinuating she would be appearing in the EastEnders festive episodes.

"I'm like, I am, well no I'm not now, I'm doing panto," Rita responded, before sharing her own vague theory.

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When asked how they could return despite being dead, she said: "There's a whole story, but I can't tell you that because, if we were ever to come back, I can't tell you that.

"But, yeah, completely plausible," she continued, with the hosts discussing several other big returns from characters once thought to be deceased.

However, Rita previously seemed to rule out a return when she shared a series of photos alongside Samantha on her Instagram page.

"So… before anyone asks… we are just 2 mates hanging out," she began in the caption. "No secret signals we promise. Please don't say it! We want to assure you… we are dead! We aren't coming back… I am saying it now before the comments start."

"We loved every second of being R and R and we are still like sisters… but we are definitely [dead]," she continued, before teasing that the pair were "working on some other exciting things together".

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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