Congratulations are in order!

She’s gone!

EastEnders viewers have dealt with many an injustice over the years, but one that ranks high amongst long-time fans of the show was the decision to kill off two of its best ever characters, the Mitchell sisters Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy (Rita Simons).

In a controversial exit for the beloved duo, Ronnie jumped into a swimming pool to save her drowning sister, but was weighed down by her wedding dress. The two drowned in each others arms.

But this is soap land, where death isn’t always the permanent end it is in the real world. EastEnders alone has resurrected numerous characters. ‘Dirty’ Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) survived a gangland hit with a spot of chicanery, while both Cindy (Michelle Collins) and Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) have cheated the grim reaper with their own fake demises.

So would fans be willing to suspend disbelief in order to regain the iconic femme fatales that were Ronnie and Roxy?

According to Ronnie actress, Samantha Womack, the answer is yes.

‘Enders super fan and podcast host, Amy Hart, interviewed Samantha on the latest episode of Mum’s Club, asking: ‘Is it flattering that everyone is willing to let the plot go to the side? We’ve seen Ronnie in her coffin, but they’re willing to let that go?’

‘I am [flattered]’ Samantha responded.

Samantha now lives in Spain, but commented that she’s still ‘amazed’ that people call out to her by her alter-ego’s name when she returns home to the UK.

‘I’m always amazed – I still get stopped probably about eight, nine times a day when I’m here in the UK – not just with someone like grabbing me, you know, just like, ‘Ronnie!’ – there was a guy on the South Bank yesterday, he was on one of those Lime bikes, and he’s screeched to a stop.

He had his earphones in, and he’s like, ‘oh, my God, Ronnie. I can’t believe it, you’re my favourite character ever. Oh man, they’ve got to bring you back, they’ve got to.’

‘And he’s got have been like 19, 20. I was like, ‘Hey, when were you watching it? Because you must have been young!’

Ronnie was involved in a number of high profile storylines on the Square. Her first big arc involved a baby she birthed aged 14, who her wicked father Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) gave up for adoption.

Danielle Jones (Lauren Crace), a recent addition to the Square, revealed herself to be Ronnie’s daughter. Disbelieving at first, Ronnie finally accepted Danielle, only seconds before Danielle was fatally hit by a car driven by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).

Danielle died in Ronnie’s arms in what was truly one of soaps most heart breaking moments.

Next came the incredibly controversial ‘baby swap’. Following the birth of her and Jack Branning’s (Scott Maslen) son, James, the baby died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In a moment of heartbreak and utter despair, Ronnie swapped her child with her friend Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon’s (Shane Richie) baby boy, Tommy.

Utterly sickened with guilt, Ronnie’s mental health continued to deteriorate and she spiralled. Although the storyline was planned to run long-term, following 13,000 complaints from viewers, it was brought to an early conclusion when Ronnie returned Tommy to his rightful parents.

Confessing to what she’d done, Ronnie was given a prison sentence to pay penance for her crime.

She later turned ‘villain’ and embraced her families growing connection to major crime when she found herself tangled up with Carl White (Daniel Coonan).

Following a brief war between the duo, Ronnie killed Carl brutally by crushing him with a car boot, later covering up the crime and chillingly despatching Carl’s family, who sought revenge against her.

Just as it seemed Ronnie would finally get her happy ending with her marriage to long-time love, Jack, tragedy struck and both Ronnie and her sister died in the aforementioned swimming pool accident.

In the immediate aftermath of their death, fans were utterly heart broken. ‘Ronnie’s whole story has to be the saddest story of any soap character. They’ve never given her a happy ending.’ Samantha Aindow tweeted at the time.

‘Genuinely refuse to believe the Mitchell sisters aka the most iconic duo ever have just been killed off, 2017 is cancelled’ Molly Matthews added.

Though, perhaps most devastated of all, Samantha herself tweeted: ‘I’m sorry I can’t respond to any comments. I’m honestly broken. An appropriate end to the darkest year ever’

The star has also appeared in Hollyoaks.

The star has also appeared in Hollyoaks.

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