EastEnders' Rita Simons and Samantha Womack are set to leave together in the same dramatic storyline.
The blonde actresses have played double act Roxy and Ronnie Mitchell respectively for nine years and have now decided to bow out of the soap but bosses have teased that their joint departure will be an explosive one.
A soap insider told Digital Spy: "Rita and Samantha created the iconic Mitchell sisters and with their undeniable chemistry, they immediately created a double act that the viewers fell in love with. But when they all sat down to work out where to take them, they all felt it was the right time to rest them.
"When you look back over nearly a decade and realise what they have been through, it seems that most avenues have been exhausted. So when Sean proposed his idea to them, Rita jumped at the opportunity to do the storyline. She even stated that the sisters should go out the same way they arrived - together.
"Bosses desperately wanted to keep the news of their departures a secret, but once the news about Samantha leaked out, it was only a matter of time before people worked out Rita would be going too.
"It's a shame as it would have been a great surprise for the audience but there are still lots of twists to come before they leave our screens."
It's not yet known how the pair will bow out, when it'll happen or whether their departure will be permanent.
Samantha shocked fans over the weekend when she revealed she was walking away from her role as serial killer Ronnie after portraying her on and off since 2007.
A few days later, Rita decided to drop her bombshell as well but thanked her fans for their continued support.
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