EXCLUSIVE: An EastEnders star, who played one of the show’s most recognisable characters, has weighed in on Michelle Ryan’s return to the soap after two decades
An EastEnders icon has broken their silence on Michelle Ryan’s return as Zoe Slater.
In an exclusive chat with Daily Star, former EastEnders star Samantha Womack, who played the unforgettable Ronnie Mitchell, weighed in on Michelle’s return to the soap after she left the BBC show back in 2005.
She told us: “I did see a little clip of it and I thought: ‘Well, that’s really exciting!’ because one of the most iconic [EastEnders scenes is]: ‘You’re not my mother!’ ‘Yes I am!”
“That’s kind of cool to have that back. Maybe that means they’re looking to the past? Maybe, who knows….nice!”
Samantha’s character Ronnie died in a swimming pool alongside her sister Roxy back in 2017 and fans of the show have been demanding the pair make a big return ever since.
Womack opened up about the acting work she has lined up and spilled: “I’m just about to do a play – I’m still negotiating the contract so I can’t fully commit, but I’m excited about it.”
“I’ve been turning down a lot of what I used to do, a lot of musicals. I just wasn’t ready […] We were saying that you wouldn’t be able to rise, like tits and teeth and glitter. I wasn’t ready to go quite into that world yet, but plays feel a little more gentle.”
“I’m a control freak, so I love theatre more than TV. I like telling the story from, like, beginning to end, and no one telling me where to stand.”
Samantha Womack is a breast cancer survivor and iscampaigning for women to ask about their breast density following a mammogram, because getting the all clear does not necessarily mean you are cancer free if you have dense breasts as cancer can be harder to spot and potentially missed.
Women in the UK are not currently informed about their breast density following a mammogram, and currently no further additional imaging is offered for women with dense breasts. GenesisCare is committing to proactively inform all women who undergo a mammogram what their breast density score is.
Samantha says: “It seems totally crazy that all women aren’t being provided with this information as standard – well done GenesisCare on taking the lead on something so critical.”
She says: “I want women to understand the risks of dense breast and feel confident to speak up following their mammogram so they can make an informed decision whether they want to proceed with further investigative treatment. Don’t be afraid to speak up – It could save your life.
The Keep Abreast of your Breast Density campaign doesn’t just educate about the risks, but also encourages and empowers women to speak up and ask the right questions that could save their lives. Information is power and without it, tumours are being missed.”
GenesisCare has also launched a new screening service where patients who have dense breast tissue can benefit from a rapid breast MRI scan for early detection of cancer. These scans, which aren’t widely available as standard screening unless you have a very high risk of breast cancer, are now available privately at GenesisCare centres in Oxford and Windsor.
Samantha Womack is partnering with private cancer care provider GensisCare to encourage women to Keep Abreast of their Breast Density. For more information on Dense Breast and Rapid Breast MRI scans, please click here.
Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
