Samantha Womack feels jealous when she watches 'EastEnders'.
The 40-year-old actress - who will return to the show this autumn as baby snatcher Ronnie Mitchell after her alter-ego is released from prison - can't bear to watch the BBC One soap following her departure because she feels envious of her former co-stars.
She said: "I've missed her and fans have too. Every day since I left I've had messages saying, 'We miss Ronnie'. I also love thought-provoking drama and 'EastEnders' gave me the chance to do that.
"It was only after that I realised you don't get that anywhere else. It felt like unfinished business. I even got jealous not seeing her on screen."
The blonde beauty bowed out of the show in 2011 after she found herself "emotionally and physically" drained due to the strenuous plot that saw her character steal Kat Slater's (Jessie Wallace) newborn baby.
Speaking to HELLO! magazine, she added: "It was a brilliant plot but very difficult to play. It was draining emotionally and physically and I was shattered with the crying and weeping. My contract was coming to an end and Ronnie was also at her journey's end. It was exactly the right time to leave."
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