'Barbara Windsor showed me the ropes!' Why Rita Simons will always be grateful to EastEnders

Rita Simons will "always be grateful" for her time on 'EastEnders'.

The 46-year-old actress played Roxy Mitchell on the BBC One soap opera from 2007 until 2017 and worked alongside the likes of the late Dame Barbara Windsor - who played her aunt Peggy Mitchell - before taking on roles in musicals such as 'Legally Blonde' and 'Hairspray' and is accepting of the fact that she could be "typecast" after spending such a long time in the same role.

She told The Daily Mirror newspaper: "I had Barbara Windsor showing me the ropes, Larry Lamb, Steve McFadden, people who are so good at what they do. Of course you’re going to get typecast when you’ve done 10 years on a soap but I would take that negative because it’s worth it for everything I was taught.

"And of course I wouldn’t have got the theatre jobs I have if it hadn’t been for EastEnders, so I’m eternally grateful."

Meanwhile, Rita has joined fellow celebrities like 'Hi-De-Hi' actress Su Pollard, 'Geordie Shore' legend Vicky Pattison and Boyzone singer Shane Lynch on a trek through Portugal to the ­Catholic shrine of Fatima as part of BBC show 'Pilgrimage' and recalled bumping into a naked Su in the bathroom one morning, as she mused she would love to be more like the sitcom icon herself.

She said: "One morning I went into to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and Su was there naked blow-drying her hair so I had to climb underneath her. And I was brushing my teeth thinking, Su Pollard is naked behind me, blow- drying her hair, like, what alternative universe am I in?

"But I love Su to death, she’s amazing, 100 miles an hour all the time. I didn’t once see her get down or angry or disappointed, or say anything bad behind anyone’s back, she has a heart of gold. I only wish to be like Su!"

'Pilgrimage' is on Friday at 9pm on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer.