'Enders to revisit Archie, Ronnie secret

EastEnders star Rita Simons has revealed that forthcoming episodes of the soap will revisit the relationship between her screen sister Ronnie Mitchell and their late father Archie.

In the BBC soap's live instalment earlier this year, viewers learned that Ronnie (Samantha Womack) had been raped by Archie (Larry Lamb) when she was a teenager. The dark secret emerged as Ronnie had a heated argument with Simons's character Roxy.

Although the storyline has been put on the backburner since the revelation, viewers can expect it to be brought back to the forefront in the weeks to come.

Speaking on This Morning today, Simons confirmed: "It is being revisited and I'm very glad. We've actually filmed it already. Sam Womack was phenomenal. I think she's had to keep replaying - I don't think she gets enough credit for it - this tragic heroine over and over. Just when we think it's over, she's got another revelation, so she was just incredible."

She continued: "It was so important to me that when we shot it - and I'm not a diva and I never do this - I asked the director, 'Please can we do it again?' because I wasn't happy. It was just that important to Sam and I, and I hope we've nailed it."

Archie was written out of EastEnders last Christmas when he was murdered in the Queen Vic, sparking a 'whodunit' storyline.