# Rita Simons

Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer. After beginning her career as a member of the short-lived girl group Girls@Play, she became best known for portraying the role of Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on-screen character's sister Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack). For her performance on the show Simons received many accolades, including the 2008 National Television Award for "Most Popular Newcomer".
Outside of EastEnders, Simons has appeared as contestant on the eighteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and has appeared in various theatre productions. In 2024, she joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Marie Fielding.

## Early life

Simons was born on 10 March 1977 at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Whipps Cross, Leytonstone, London to Susan (née Franks) and Mark Simons. Both of her parents are Jewish. She has an older brother, Ben. Through her paternal aunt's marriage, Simons is the niece of billionaire businessman Lord Sugar.

## Career
### Music career and early acting work

Before her acting career, Simons was in the group Girls@Play, who had a couple of hit singles before splitting up. Their songs included "Airhead" and a cover of Mel and Kim's "Respectable". Simons then joined a different group called Charli with three other members, including Shar from the Paradiso Girls, and released a single titled "Feel Me".
Simons made appearances in the Sky 1 dramas Dream Team (2002) and Mile High (2003; as Hannah), as well as the ITV drama London's Burning.

### EastEnders

On 11 May 2007, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of EastEnders as Roxy Mitchell, alongside Samantha Womack who played Roxy's sister Ronnie Mitchell. Of her role, Simons said: "I've always watched EastEnders and it's been my dream to become part of the Mitchell family." Simons temporarily departed from EastEnders in late 2015 (the character departed from screens from 1 January to 4 May 2016), allowing the actress to take part in a Snow White pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, over the 2015–2016 Christmas and New Year period. In August 2016, it was announced that Simons was leaving EastEnders along with Samantha Womack. Her on-screen character Roxy Mitchell drowned in a swimming pool in an episode broadcast on New Year's Day 2017, along with her sister Ronnie. Simons made a voiceover appearance in May 2019, during the return of Roxy's ex-husband Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky), which saw him listen to a voicemail from Roxy on an old mobile phone. She made a cameo reappearance on 27 April 2023, as Roxy imagined by her daughter Amy during a family counselling session.

### Other work

Simons appeared as Paulette Bonafonte in the 2017–2018 UK tour of Legally Blonde: the Musical in 2017.
On 12 November 2018, Simons was confirmed to be participating as a contestant on the eighteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was the fourth to be eliminated on 4 December 2018.
In 2019, Simons played the role of ‘Miss Hedge’ in the hit musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre. She was to take on the role of Velma von Tussle in the 2021 revival of Hairspray at the London Coliseum. In 2022, she joined the cast of TV show, Professor T.
She participated in Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal, aired in 2023, a BBC Two series dedicated to a pilgrimage to Fátima, Portugal, with six other celebrities. She was the only Jewish pilgrim and had the chance to visit a former synagogue in Tomar.
In 2023, it was announced that Simons would be joining the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. She is set to take over the role of Marie Fielding, the mother of established character Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed) and will make her debut in 2024.

## Charity work

In December 2009, Simons visited her old secondary school, Watford Grammar School for Girls, to open the Christmas fair.
In December 2010, Simons launched the RNID Christmas Concert where she announced that her five-year-old daughter is deaf.
In July 2011, Simons held an autograph session at the St Nicholas Primary School summer fair in Elstree.
In December 2011, Simons hosted the annual Action on Hearing Loss concert along with the Mayor of Camden, Councillor Abdul Quadir.
Simons appeared on an episode of Big Star's Little Star, broadcast on 1 April 2015, and won £13,000 for charity.

## Personal life

In August 2004, she married hairdresser Theo Silveston. They have twin daughters. The couple separated in 2018.
Simons is best friends with co-star Samantha Womack, who played her on-screen sister Ronnie Mitchell. She is also good friends with Danniella Westbrook, who played her on-screen cousin Sam Mitchell.
Simons has been diagnosed with scoliosis.
In July 2018, Simons revealed that she has been diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, anxiety and insomnia.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Dream Team | Prostitute | Episode: "Danny and Peggsy Go Large" |
| 2003 | Mile High | Hannah | 1 episode #1.4 |
| 2007–2017, 2019, 2023 | EastEnders | Roxy Mitchell | 974 episodes |
| 2007–2013 | BBC Children in Need | Roxy Mitchell / Herself | |
| 2009 | All Star Mr & Mrs | | |
| 2009, 2022 | The Weakest Link | Herself | Contestant |
| 2009–2011 | EastEnders Revealed | Herself | Including clips of Simons' portrayal as Roxy |
| 2011 | All Star Family Fortunes | Herself | |
| 2011 | Epic Win! | Herself | |
| 2012–2013 | Celebrity Juice | Herself | |
| 2012 | My Daughter, Deafness and Me | Herself | |
| 2012, 2019 | Celebrity Chase | Herself | |
| 2013 | I Love My Country | Herself | Panelist |
| 2013 | Pointless Celebrities | Herself | Contestant |
| 2015 | EastEnders: Back to Ours | Herself | Including clips of Simons' portrayal as Roxy |
| 2015 | Big Star's Little Star | Herself | Contestant |
| 2016 | The One Show | Herself / Roxy Mitchell | Peggy Mitchell's final episode |
| 2017 | Tipping Point: Lucky Stars | Herself | Contestant |
| 2018 | I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! | Herself | Contestant; eliminated fourth |
| 2018–2021 | Lorraine | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Stages of My Life | Herself | |
| 2019 | Piers Morgan's Life Stories | Herself | Guest; Alan Sugar's niece |
| 2019 | Loose Women | Herself | Guest |
| 2020 | Richard Osman's House of Games | Herself | Contestant |
| 2020 | Harry Redknapp's Sandbanks Summer | Herself | |
| 2020 | Hey Tracey! | Herself | Special guest |
| 2020 | Celebrity Supermarket Sweep | Herself | |
| 2021 | Britain's Brightest Celebrity Family | Herself | Contestant; semi-finalist |
| 2021 | Celebrity MasterChef | Herself | Contestant |
| 2022 | Professor T | Debbie Sanderson | Episode: "DNA of a Murderer" |
| 2024 | Hollyoaks | Marie Fielding | Regular role |
| 2024 | Drama Queens | Herself |

### Film

| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 2018 | The Krays: Dead Man Walking | Lisa Prescott | |

### Theatre

| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 2015 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Queen Ivannah | Marlowe Theatre |
| 2017 | Aladdin | Scheherazade | Beck Theatre |
| 2017 | Legally Blonde: The Musical | Paulette Bonafonte | Tour |
| 2018 | Sleeping Beauty | Carabosse | Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth |
| 2019 | Sleeping Beauty | Carabosse | Alban Arena |
| 2019 | The House on Cold Hill | Caro Harcourt | Tour |
| 2019 | Everybody's Talking About Jamie | Miss Hedge | Apollo Theatre |
| 2021 | Hairspray | Velma von Tussle | London Coliseum |
| 2021 | Sleeping Beauty | Carabosse | Derby Arena |
| 2022 | Peter Pan | Captain Hook | Hawth Theatre |
| 2023 | Beauty and the Beast | Enchantress | Assembly Hall Theatre |

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 2008 | 2008 National Television Awards | Most Popular Newcomer | Won |
| 2008 | 2008 Inside Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | Won |
| 2008 | 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | Won |
| 2008 | 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards | Best On-Screen Partnership (with Samantha Janus) | Won |
| 2008 | 2008 TV Now Awards | Favourite Newcomer to Irish (with Samantha Janus) | Won |
| 2008 | 2008 British Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated |
| 2008 | 2008 British Soap Awards | Best On-Screen Partnership (with Samantha Janus) | Nominated |
| 2008 | 2008 British Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated |
| 2008 | 2008 TV Quick and TV Choice Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated |
| 2009 | 2009 All About Soap Bubble Awards | Fatal Attraction (with Robert Kazinsky) | Nominated |
| 2009 | 2009 TV Now Awards | Favourite Female Soap Star | Nominated |
| 2011 | 2011 British Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Shortlisted |