Samantha Womack feels "humbled" after being inundated with well-wishes following the announcement she is to leave 'EastEnders'.
Samantha Womack
The 43-year-old actress will bow out of the BBC soap next year after almost 10 years playing Ronnie Mitchell, and she is pleased her alter ego has made such a lasting impression on fans.
She tweeted: "Thank you SO much for all your kind words about me leaving EE,It's so humbling to know you loved Ronnie as much as I did! Very grateful Xxx (sic)"
Samantha agreed it was time to leave the soap after new boss Sean O'Connor offered her an explosive exit.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "It was felt that with everything Ronnie has been through over the past nine years, it is now time to rest the character.
"She already has a few projects lined up so she won't be off screen for long."
An 'EastEnders' spokesperson confirmed the actress will leave the show in a "big storyline".
The representative said: "Samantha has created an iconic character in Ronnie Mitchell.
"However, she was recently offered a big storyline which she happily accepted that leads to Ronnie departing Walford. We wish Samantha all the best for the future."
Samantha's on-screen character has been at the centre of some of the programme's most memorable plots in recent years, such as the admission that she was raped by her father and the cot-death of her son that sparked the controversial 'baby swap' storyline.
She subsequently admitted that the cot death storyline had a dramatic impact on her general wellbeing.
Samantha said: "What Ronnie has been through is a such a crushingly awful thing to even pretend might happened to you.
"I actually felt ill having to portray it. It was the most horrific four weeks of my life."
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