EastEnders: Rita Simons’ new problem as she insists ‘I’m not Roxy!’ | Soaps

EastEnders icon Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) was identified for her partying methods – together with changing into a millionaire and managing to fritter all of it away, a number of romantic relationships and a little bit of an unhealthy relationship with medicine and booze.

All this can be a far cry from actress Rita’s subsequent enterprise, which is within the fifth collection of BBC 2’s Pilgrimage. Within the present seven well-known personalities with differing faiths and beliefs deal with a pilgrimage often called the Northern Approach, travelling to the town of Fatima in Portugal which is among the greatest Catholic pilgrimage locations on the planet.

Rita – who was raised as Jewish – is joined by celebrities together with actress Su Pollard, former Boyzone and Coronation Road star Shane Lynch and Paralympian skier Millie Knight. The celebrities, who’re from many alternative faiths and none, will discover what their religion means to them through the journey.

Rita instructed OK! Journal that this was her motive for becoming a member of the present.

‘It was refreshing to be requested to do one thing the place we’re speaking religious concepts and tradition,’ she mentioned. ‘You’re actually digging into somebody’s soul whenever you’re asking about their religion.’

The actress hopes her participation within the programme will present a deeper facet to her character. ‘I needed to indicate I’m not this get together lady from Ibiza within the East Finish, I’m really not Roxy, I’m Rita, I’m a mum, I’m middle-aged,’ she insisted.

Rita lately revealed that she’d been via some troublesome occasions along with her psychological well being following her departure from EastEnders in 2017. Each she and co-star Samantha Womack (Ronnie Mitchell) had been ‘gutted’ that their characters had been killed off in a dramatic double drowning incident, Rita instructed Good Morning Britain in January.

‘Clearly it’s no secret we had been gutted to go away, as a result of we liked our characters. I like Sam, she’s my greatest buddy, you grow to be a fake household. We did need to depart however we didn’t need to die. And to look at your “sister” die, and to willingly kill your individual character you’ve performed for 10 years and you’re keen on, is a bizarre dilemma to be in, as a result of it’s a must to do the filming…’

Whereas Rita has acknowledged that she’d find it irresistible if Roxy might return from the useless and go again to EastEnders, she’s been keeping track of the present and is completely happy that it’s doing nicely underneath producer Chris Clenshaw.

‘With somebody like Chris in cost, I feel EastEnders goes to be fantastic,’ she mentioned. ‘I don’t assume individuals will ever need rid of EastEnders. Possibly over time it would die out as there’s such an enormous vary of stuff to look at. However for the brief time period, for this technology and the following, I don’t see it going wherever.’

Pilgrimage: The Street By Portugal begins on BBC2 on April 7.

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