Former EastEnders star Rita Simons has suggested a reunion with Samantha Womack for sisters Roxy and Ronnie Mitchell – but with a twist. The two stars exited the BBC soap as the respective characters nearly nine years ago, but despite being killed off, fans have been clamouring for a comeback.

Simons has been busy over the past couple of years as she portrayed Marie Fielding on Hollyoaks, though she left the Channel 4 soap earlier this year. This, along with several other comebacks in East London, has renewed speculation over an EastEnders return.

While nothing has been confirmed (and given they are both dead, it would present some challenges), Simons has used her and Womack’s respective pantomime season commitments as an excuse to propose a unique way to work together again.

Sharing an Instagram picture from a call they recently shared, the star wrote: “Tech rehearsals this is what we do on our breaks @samzjanus. We need to play the ugly sisters together?! #r&r.”

Ronnie and Roxy died at the start of 2017 when the latter suffered a heart attack in a swimming pool during her sister’s wedding, after which Ronnie dived in to save her only to drown due to her wedding dress.

Speaking recently about a potential comeback, Womack told MailOnline: “The fanbase for Ronnie and Roxy is extraordinary. They still to this day go loopy when they hear there’s any sort of chance we could come back.

“I don’t know [how we’d come back]. The only way is that they could possibly say that we didn’t actually die. I don’t know. It’s a big commitment. I know only too well what those working days are like.”

“But I have a strong affection for the show, I love everyone there and I miss everyone there,” she continued. “I loved working with Rita. It felt silly, it felt fun, we were controversial, we were naughty.”

The star, who debuted as Ronnie in 2007, admitted she would “never say never” to returning, adding: “I’m old enough and ugly enough to realise you never close the door on anything.”