| Rita Joanne Simons | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rita Simons 10 March 1977 Essex, England |
| Occupation | Actress, Singer, Model |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Television | Mile High Dream Team London's Burning EastEnders |
| Spouse | Theo Silveston (2006–present); 2 children |
| Children | Jaimee Leah Silveston[1] Maiya Sammy Silveston |
Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress, singer, and model. She is currently known for playing the role of Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders.[2]
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She has made appearances in the British television shows Mile High, Dream Team and London's Burning.[3]
On 11 May 2007, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of EastEnders as Roxy Mitchell, alongside Samantha Womack who played Roxy's sister Ronnie Mitchell. Of her role, Simons said: "I've always watched EastEnders and it's been my dream to become part of the Mitchell family."[2][4]
In December 2009 she visited her old secondary school in Watford, Watford Grammar School for Girls to open the Christmas Fair.[5]
In December 2010, Rita launched the RNID Christmas Concert where she announced that her five year old daughter, Maiya is deaf.[6]
In July 2011, Simons held an autograph session at the St Nicholas Primary School summer fair in Elstree.[7]
Before her acting career, Rita was in the band Girls@Play, who had a couple of songs before splitting up. Their songs included Airhead and they covered Mel and Kim's "Respectable". She was also in a different group with three other members, including Shar from the Paradiso Girls, and released a single titled "Free Me"[8]
Her portrayal of Roxy Mitchell won her Best Newcomer at the Digital Spy Soap Awards along with Best Onscreen Partnership for her character partnership with Ronnie Mitchell played by Samantha Womack. She also won Best Newcomer at the TV Now awards and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2008 British Soap Awards, but lost to Coronation Street's Michelle Keegan. She also won the award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Inside Soap Awards and won the award for Most Popular Newcomer at National Television Awards 2008.
| Original air date | TV Show |
|---|---|
| 25 October 2010 | Ask Rhod Gilbert |
| 27 August 2011 | Epic Win |
Simons is the niece of multi-millionaire businessman Lord Sugar,[3] who is best known in the UK for the TV show The Apprentice. Rita is the daughter of businessman Derek Shaw. She has an older brother, Ben Simons. In August 2006[9] she married hairdresser Theo Silveston, whom she met through a friend when she was 19, and with whom she has twin daughters, Jaimee Leah Silveston and Maiya Sammy Silveston (born April 2006).[10] Rita is best friends with co-star Samantha Womack, who played her on-screen sister Ronnie Mitchell.[11]
In March 2008, The Sun reported that Rita was diagnosed with scoliosis disorder which causes the spine to bend side to side and is the reason why Rita is two inches shorter than she should be.[12]
Prior to appearing in EastEnders, Simons frequently snorted cocaine at wild parties and smoked cannabis to help her sleep. Of her drug habit, one of the actress' friends said: "If EastEnders wanted to cast a wild child who knew all about crazy living in real life, they couldn't have picked better than Rita." Whilst with the band girls@Play, Simons claimed that she snorted coke every time she went partying but one of her friends claims that nobody saw her doing this.[13]