Rita: It’s not the Enders of me ... I’m off to LA Star lands movie role after Roxy is axed

ACTRESS Rita Simons has bounced back from her shock EastEnders exit by lining up a Hollywood film role.

She played Roxy Mitchell for 10 years before her character was killed off by drowning in a swimming pool with sister Ronnie – played by pal Samantha Womack.

In her first interview since the grisly New Year’s Day episode, Rita, 39, revealed she had set her sights on a film career.

And she said hairdresser husband Theo Silveston, 39, was keen to head across the pond. Rita said: “I’m hoping to do a couple of movies over the coming months, so they should keep me busy. One of them is UK-based and one is in LA.

“If I said to my husband tomorrow, ‘ We’re moving to LA’, he’d pack up his stuff in far behind. She’s my best friend.”

And Dame Barbara Windsor, 79, who played their TV aunt Peggy Mitchell, called Rita after the episode aired.

She has branded the decision to axe the sisters a “mistake”. But Rita added: “Whatever has gone on, I’ll always support and love that show.”

The mum-of-two is starting her post-Enders life by helping charity the Children’s Trust. She is launching a “Cash or Kind” pop-up store at Westfield Stratford, East London, with gift card marketplace, Zeek.

People can give unwanted gift cards to the charity and Zeek will match the donations.