As Hollyoaks gears up for a week of explosive anniversary episodes, actress Rita Simons has spoken out exclusively about her upcoming exit — and the ever-persistent fan theories that she could soon be heading back to EastEnders as the iconic Roxy Mitchell.

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“It Wasn’t an Easy Choice”

Rita, who joined Hollyoaks in March 2024 as the fiery Marie Fielding, confirmed earlier this year that she would be leaving the Channel 4 soap. Speaking to Digital Spy at Hollyoaks’ 30th birthday celebration at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, the actress opened up about her decision to move on.

“It wasn’t an easy choice to make,” she explained. “I thought that because my kids are older and at uni, it would be easier to do jobs away. But my heart was still in London. I spent so much time up and down the motorway and realised I needed to go home. I’m a girl from London — it just felt right.”

Rita’s comments confirm that her upcoming departure was driven by personal reasons rather than creative differences, though she hinted that Marie’s final storyline will deliver major drama before she leaves the village for good.

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Could Roxy Mitchell Rise from the Dead?

Naturally, fans were quick to connect Rita’s return to London with the possibility of a comeback to EastEnders. Her character Roxy Mitchell, along with sister Ronnie (Samantha Womack), was famously killed off in 2017 when the pair drowned on Ronnie’s wedding day.

But as EastEnders viewers know, “dead” doesn’t always mean gone forever.

Laughing off the constant speculation, Rita told Digital Spy:

“Do you know what? If I go to the toilet, everyone says I’m going back to EastEnders. If I blink, everyone says I’m going back to EastEnders. So, I’ll say what I always say — never say never. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. People have risen from the dead, so you never know.”

Her playful response has reignited hope among fans that Roxy could one day return — perhaps in a flashback, a ghostly vision, or even a shock soap resurrection.

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Marie Fielding’s Final Chapter

Before leaving Hollyoaks, Rita’s character Marie remains at the heart of the village’s chaos. The 30th anniversary episodes promise high drama as secrets explode during Tony and Diane’s wedding.

In true soap fashion, Marie uses the tension to her advantage, revealing that she is pregnant with Tony’s child, just as Darren exposes that Tony is the biological father of Morgan.

And that’s not all — a damaged plane carrying Clare and Jez is plummeting toward the village, setting up what’s expected to be one of Hollyoaks’ most dramatic episodes to date.

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“Never Say Never”

Rita’s exit from Hollyoaks may be bittersweet, but her comments have left the door wide open for a possible EastEnders return. With Walford embracing bold, nostalgia-driven storylines in recent years, fans are convinced that Roxy Mitchell’s story might not be over just yet.

For now, though, viewers can expect Rita to go out with a bang — literally — as Marie’s final moments in Hollyoaks collide with the show’s milestone anniversary chaos.