Samantha Janus 'predicted fan backlash'

EastEnders star Samantha Janus has admitted that she felt anxious after hearing that Danielle would be killed off.

The actress, who plays Ronnie Mitchell on the BBC One soap, expected a backlash from fans who were hoping for a happy ending to Danielle's (Lauren Crace) seven-month storyline.

Danielle was killed in a car accident last week, just moments after telling Ronnie that she was her daughter.

Speaking about her concerns in an interview with We Love Telly! magazine, Janus explained: "I wasn't sure how the audience would react. I thought if everyone was expecting a happy ending they'd be angry. But I still think it had a lot of impact."

In recent days, thousands of fans have signed an online petition to express their unhappiness over the plot's conclusion.

However, the soap's executive producer Diederick Santer has defended the twist, claiming that it was an "inevitable" storyline move.