EastEnders stars Samantha Womack and Rita Simons reunite on the beach nine years after their characters died on show - as they insist they won't be making a return to the BBC soap

EastEnders stars Samantha Womack and Rita Simons have delighted fans by reuniting for a beach day, nine years after their characters died on the soap.

The pair played the iconic sisters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, who tragically died in 2017 when they drowned in a devastating New Year's Day episode.

In a post on Instagram, Rita shared two snaps with Samantha as they relaxed on the beach together, but were quick to rule out any theories that the meeting meant an EastEnders return was in the works.

She captioned the post: 'So… before anyone asks… we are just 2 mates hanging out. No secret signals we promise. Please don’t say it!

'We want to assure you…we are dead! We aren’t coming back…I am saying it now before the comments start.

'We loved every second of being R and R and we are still like sisters….but we are definitely [skull emoji].

'Working on some other exciting things together that we hope we will be able to tell you more about soon! Until then…it’s just me and @samzjanus being t**ts on the beach. Love you all.'

Earlier this month, Samantha pulled out of the By Royal Appointment theatre tour and will be replaced by a Call The Midwife star, Laura Main.

Samantha had been set to star alongside fellow lead Jane Asher in the new UK tour of Daisy Goodwin’s show. 

Laura joins Jane as The Queen, David Robb as The Designer and Matthew Cottle as The Milliner.

The play explores The Queen and her Dresser’s relationship and how the pair created the public image of the world’s longest reigning British monarch.

The press release reads: 'The late Queen Elizabeth II was famous for her discretion. She never said anything in public that could ruffle the lightest of feathers. But she had one way of expressing what she really thought – through her wardrobe.' 

By Royal Appointment is a co-production with Cambridge Arts Theatre. The play opened there on September 21 and will run until October 3.

It will then move to Nottingham Theatre Royal, Chelmsford Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Chichester Festival Theatre, Edinburgh King's Theatre and Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. 

Back in April, Samantha appeared to hint her relationship with partner Oliver Farnworth has ended.

She had taken to Instagram that week and uploaded a racy snap in an outdoor hot tub, with the cryptic caption: 'Alone again... naturally'. 

Adding further speculation that Samantha has parted ways from Oliver, 44, who plays Emmerdale villain John Sugden, Rita Simons, Sam's EastEnders onscreen sister, commented: 'Obv, love you' (sic). 

Samantha, who played Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders before leaving at the end of 2016, replied: 'I've got you though.' 

While the actress was flooded with sweet messages, Samantha's son Benjamin cheekily told her: 'There's still time to delete this mum.' 

To which she replied: 'I was going to say that about all your gym posts... what a coincidence.'

Oliver, who played Corrie's Andy Carver from 2014-2017, and Samantha began dating in 2019, after they grew close while working on the 2019 stage adaptation of The Girl On The Train.

Their relationship started a year after Samantha split from husband Mark after nineteen years of marriage. She has two children Lili-Rose, 21, and Benjamin, 25.

The actress moved to Spain with Oliver after her beloved dog died just weeks after she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022.

Samantha rescued her dog Lola from Goa, India, in 2019 after she and her daughter Lili-Rose fell in love with her over the course of their three-week trip.

The actress revealed Lola's death was one of the 'worst days' of her life as it made everything she was facing with her health real.

Samantha received the all clear five months later but it was a deeply emotional period for the star who ultimately decided to move to Valencia.

The actress told the Sunday Times: 'She died on the same day as the Queen. I was devastated. It was one of the worst days of my life.'