EastEnders: Roxy Mitchell to return to BBC soap six years after heartbreaking exit

Rita Simons, who played Roxy Mitchell, will return to BBC soap EastEnders six years after her character died in heartbreaking scenes. The feisty character tragically drowned on New Year’s Day alongside sister, Ronnie.

Now, Roxy will return to Albert Square in a surprise twist which will air on Thursday (April 27). Fans of the soap have recently watched as Jack Branning (played by Scott Maslen) faced heartache following his daughter’s mental health struggle.

Amy Mitchell, the daughter of Jack and Roxy, has seen her mental state spiral over the past few weeks after she discovered her dad’s wife, Denise Fox (Diane Parish), had an affair with Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).

As Jack and Denise’s relationship continues to fall apart, the family attend a group therapy session in Thursday’s episode and Amy is encouraged to open up about the loss of her mum.

During the session, Amy zones out and Roxy appears as a figment of her imagination.

Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said of Simons’s return to Albert Square: "I’m thrilled to welcome the fabulous Rita back to the iconic role of Roxy Mitchell for these special scenes.

"Although the character was last seen on screen in January 2017, Roxy still remains a fan favourite. We know our audiences will be thrilled at her short return as Amy seeks some all-important answers from her mum at this point in the storyline."

In 2017, fans of the show were left devastated when Roxy and Ronnie were killed off after a decade in Albert Square. The pair came to their untimely death on the day Ronnie tied the knot to Jack.Roxy, who had recently turned to substance abuse, decided to take a late-night dip in a swimming pool at the wedding venue. Ronnie scrambled to save her sister, jumping into the water while wearing her wedding dress.

Viewers then heard a haunting scream as she began to drown.The emotional scene ended with the sisters motionless in the water, floating side by side.