Barbara Windsor has slammed 'EastEnders' for killing off the Mitchell sisters.
Barbara Windsor
Barbara's onscreen nieces Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell (played by Samantha Womack and Rita Simons) are set to die as part of a shake-up of the soap by new boss Sean O'Connor, but the 79-year-old actress insists it is a mistake.
She told The Sun: "It wasn't the girls' choice. It's the new producer's decision.
"I'm sure he'll be good for the show, but that is a mistake. When I heard, I was shocked."
Samantha and Rita have played the siblings on the BBC show for 10 years and it was previously claimed they were upset by the news their characters are being killed off, because they'd hoped the door would be left open for them to return.
A source explained: "Everyone's in shock. The cast are really upset as it's come out of the blue."
The planned exits of Roxy and Ronnie have been instigated by O'Connor, who also recently killed off characters Margaret Midhurst and Paul Coker.
The insider said: "People are worried who's going to be next. The script for Roxy and Ronnie's deaths has been written, but none of the actors know what's going to happen."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the BBC has refused to comment on future plans, saying he does not wish to ruin the surprise element for fans of the show.
He said: "We know how much our audience hate to have any future storylines spoilt so we will not comment on speculative stories.
"At no point have we received any concerns from cast about any of our future storylines."
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