Rita Simons to make sensational soap return six years after Roxy Mitchell was killed off six years ago

Rita Simons is set to join Hollyoaks, just months after her posthumous EastEnders cameo sparked return rumours

Rita Simons is set to make a sensational soap return as she will be joining the Hollyoaks cast. This comes just months after the 44-year-old shocked fans as she made a brief cameo appearance in EastEnders.

Her appearance came as a massive surprise as her character, Roxy Mitchell, was killed off six years ago in 2017 in tragic scenes where she and her sister, Ronnie Mitchell, both drowned to death in scenes that devastated fans and reportedly angered some bosses.

Her return, a second posthumous in four years, sparked rumours that she may return full time despite her convincing death scenes. But those rumours, and a chance of a return, have been put to bed.

Not much is known regarding how she will slot into the current Hollyoaks cast. However, a soap source told The Sun on Sunday: “Rita’s new character will certainly ruffle feathers and is set to stir the pot. Hollyoaks fans can expect plenty of fireworks.”

Her 2017 death ended a 10 year association with the popular BBC One soap. She first joined in 2007 and quickly became one of the most popular characters. She made a return of sorts in 2019 via a voice message cameo.

Speaking on her most recent return, she said: “I got pulled aside a couple of days before filming the final scene by an exec, who I cannot name for legal reasons, who said to me, ‘There are a lot of people upstairs who don’t agree with this’ ”.