| Roxy Mitchell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Rita Simons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Dominic Treadwell-Collins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Diederick Santer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2007— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 24 July 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | EastEnders: E20 (2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 March 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Barmaid (2007–10) Pub landlady (2010) Businesswoman (2010–11) Salon manager (since 2011) |
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Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell (previously Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons.[1] Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie (played by Samantha Womack) on 24 July 2007[2] and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together.[3] Roxy is the younger of the two sisters.[1] She is described as the fire, as opposed to Ronnie's ice.[1]
Roxy's major storylines have seen her break off her engagement with her fiancé, fall out with her sister on several occasions, and assume relationships with Jase Dyer and Sean Slater, as well as betraying Ronnie by sleeping with her on-off boyfriend, Jack Branning. The character has proved popular with viewers, with Simons winning 'Best Newcomer' award at the Digital Spy Soap Awards in 2008 for her role in the soap.
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Roxy arrives in Walford with her sister, Ronnie, from Ibiza, and they help run the family pub, The Queen Victoria. Roxy's philandering fiancé Damian (James Hillier) follows them to Walford, and Roxy seduces him for money so that she and Ronnie can buy the R&R nightclub. Damien leaves, and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) buys the club and goes into partnership with Ronnie, infuriating Roxy. Ronnie and Jack start dating, but break up after Jack has an affair. Roxy starts dating Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky), but Ronnie tries to break them up when she discovers Sean is a drug dealer. It later emerges that Roxy was once addicted to cocaine. After arguing with Ronnie, Roxy gets extremely drunk and has a one-night stand with Jack. She later discovers she is pregnant and tells Sean that he is the father, while she and Ronnie plan to return to Ibiza. They leave, but Ronnie soon returns looking for Roxy, revealing that after they argued in Ibiza, she disappeared. It transpires Roxy is staying with their father Archie (Larry Lamb) in Weymouth, to Ronnie's horror. Roxy is adamant she will live with Archie but Sean persuades her to return to Walford by telling her that he is in love with her. They move in together upon their return, and later marry.
Roxy goes into premature labour and gives birth to a girl, who she names Amy, after Ronnie's daughter who was adopted as a newborn. Roxy and Sean plan to move to Dagenham, and Roxy has a DNA test done to determine whether Sean or Jack is Amy's father. The results show that Jack is the father, and when Sean discovers this on Christmas Day, he snatches Amy and keeps her for several days, before returning her to Roxy via his sister, Stacey (Lacey Turner). On New Year's Day, Sean asks Roxy to leave Walford with him and Roxy agrees. He, Roxy and Amy drive to a frozen lake and Sean reveals that he intends to kill them all. Roxy gets Amy to safety, but she and Sean fall through the ice. They survive, but Roxy tells him to leave, so he walks away and is not seen again. Roxy and Ronnie try to patch up their relationship, but Archie continually attempts to ruins it. He marries his former sister-in-law Peggy (Barbara Windsor), but on their wedding day the Mitchells discover that Danielle Jones (Lauren Crace) is the daughter Ronnie gave up for adoption. Archie had told Ronnie that her baby was dead, but Danielle proves he is lying. She is run over and killed moments after reuniting with Ronnie. Ronnie leaves temporarily, and Roxy tries to seduce Jack while wearing Ronnie's clothes and perfume. Jack is horrified by her behaviour and tells her that he is still in love with Ronnie.
Roxy begins dating local GP Al Jenkins (Adam Croasdell), however their relationship later ends when someone complains about it, despite the fact Roxy is not his patient. Al quits his job and moves back to Cornwall. Archie is murdered on Christmas Day, and Ronnie and Roxy's estranged mother Glenda Mitchell (Glynis Barber) returns, to ensure that her daughters are recognised in Archie's will. Roxy inherits the majority of his estate, including The Queen Victoria, Mitchell's Executive Motors, his house, his Maserati sports car and £3 million. It transpires that Glenda has been lying about her life after leaving Archie, and she leaves again. After the funeral, Roxy and Ronnie meet their younger brother Danny (Liam Bergin) for the first time. They invite him to stay, against Glenda's wishes. When Roxy accuses Ronnie of murdering their father, Ronnie reveals that Archie raped Stacey, and did the same to her when she was a child. Stacey's husband Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) is posthumously found guilty of the murder. Roxy gives Danny a job at the pub, and he encourages her to buy the local beauty salon. He gains Roxy's trust, but she is unaware that he and Glenda are planning to steal her inheritance. Glenda then returns and the attempted con is revealed. Glenda reveals that Danny has been hitting her and that he is not Archie's son. Roxy tells Danny to leave, and asks Glenda to stay. Ronnie talks to Roxy again about how Archie raped her when she was 13. Glenda, Peggy and Jack overhear this. Roxy tries to convince Peggy that Ronnie is telling the truth, but she refuses to believe it, so Roxy decides to move out along with Glenda and Amy, and puts the pub up for sale, though she later agrees to hand it over to Peggy after going into partnership with Ronnie and Jack at the club. It soon emerges that Glenda knew Archie had abused Ronnie and Roxy disowns her. However, when a fire destroys The Queen Victoria, Glenda arrives to comfort her daughters. Roxy later helps her to get a present for Ronnie's baby and a job in the bookmaker's.
At the club, she upsets her best friend Christian Clarke (John Partridge) by spiking his boyfriend Syed Masood's (Marc Elliott) drink with alcohol. However, they make up the next week. After beating Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) at poker, she pays two months' rent to Phil for Alfie's lease of The Queen Victoria. When the pub reopens, Roxy works behind the bar and when Alfie's wife Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) sees her and Alfie together, she attacks Roxy, and later sprays her with water, but Roxy says she is not interested in Alfie as he is too old. Roxy pays off Ronnie's wedding planning to give Ronnie an expensive wedding, but later discovers she has no money in her bank account as she has squandered her money on clothes, holidays, property and a new car amongst other things. She uses her last bit of cash to place a bet on a horse, which wins but Glenda, who works at the bookmakers, did not place to bet. Alfie helps out by lending her everything from his vow renewal ceremony, which is taking place on the same day. However, before the wedding, the manager of the hotel it is taking place asks for payment up front. Roxy hands over a bag but there is no money in it and Roxy then tells Ronnie the wedding will have to be cancelled and tells Ronnie she has no money left and her last £20,000 has been stolen. She accuses several people of stealing it. Glenda distracts the manager while Ronnie and Jack quickly marry without paying. Roxy also reveals she sold the sound system and alcohol from R&R. Later, Phil and his partner Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) stay in the hotel with Roxy's cash.
During a heart to heart with Ronnie, Roxy appologises for wasting all of the money. However she is surprised when Ronnie tells her that she is glad the money is gone as it was the last hold Archie had over them. Roxy is forced to put one of her properties on the market to free up some money, meaning Shirley and Phil are forced to move out and find somewhere else to live. Roxy learns that Stacey was really Archie's murderer and wants justice but Ronnie allows Stacey to flee the country. Roxy and Ronnie make up when Ronnie gives birth to James. Roxy agrees to be a surrogate mother for Christian and Syed and impregnates herself using Christian's sperm. She meets Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) and takes a liking to him. Glenda later tells Roxy that Phil stole her money at Ronnie's wedding. Roxy tells Ronnie that she and Michael may become a couple, so Ronnie falsely claims that Michael came onto her, in an attempt to drive him out of Walford. Believing Ronnie, Roxy tells Michael to stay away from her and later finds him with another blonde woman, which makes her jealous. Roxy sleeps with Michael, and later tells Christian and Syed that her period is nine days late. However, a pregnancy test shows she is not pregnant.
Glenda urges Roxy to steal back her money from Phil but they are caught taking cash from his safe. Phil convinces Roxy that Glenda stole the cash, and finds some that he planted in Glenda's wardrobe. Roxy refuses to believe Glenda's pleas, so Glenda publicly declares her affair with Phil to show Roxy that he has a reason to frame her.
Roxy is horrified when she finds out that Ronnie's newborn baby, James Branning died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and Ronnie swapped her baby with Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace)'s unattended son, Tommy Moon. Roxy initially refuses to believe it, but is mortified when it is revealed to be true. Roxy initially stands by Ronnie, but later disowns her after she accuses her boyfriend Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) of framing her for the Queen Vic break in, and sending her a text from Roxy's mobile phone, plus taking Tommy to the park and making it look although Ronnie tried to take him again. But unknown to Roxy, Michael tried to kiss Ronnie, but she rejected him saying that she is married to Jack, and he wanted revenge. The truth about Michael framing Ronnie comes out, and Roxy breaks up with him, saying she wants nothing more to do with him. On the day of Ronnie's trial for taking Tommy, she is sentenced to 3 years imprisonment, and Roxy shouts at Kat during the trial so is taken into the cells for the night. Kat, realising that Michael framed Ronnie, forgives her for taking her child, and tells Ronnie that she understands why she did what she did. Ronnie and Roxy meet upon being taken to their cells, and Roxy makes up with Ronnie, who tells her that she was the one looking after her all these years. Ronnie is then taken to her cell, holding Danielle's locket, having finally found peace.
Roxy is angry at Syed Masood (Marc Elliot) when he tells his boyfriend, Roxy's friend, Christian Clarke (John Partridge) that he doesn't want to adopt. Roxy tells Syed that Christian is devastated, and that Christian deserves a better boyfriend than him. Syed, feeling guilty, asks Roxy to be left alone with Christian, and the two get back together when Syed agrees to the adoption, much to Christian's delight. When Roxy feels ousted by her cousin and business partner, Phil, she decides to annoy him by selling her share of R&R to Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). Janine becomes Roxy's landlady, and increases Roxy's rent, which she is unable to afford. Janine attempts to evict Roxy, so she locks herself in the flat. Roxy goes on a night out with friends, leaving Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) babysitting Amy. When he leaves Amy alone for a while to get a DVD from Jack's flat, Amy runs herself a bath, gets in and almost drowns. When Ben discovers her, Dr Yusef Khan (Ace Bhatti) is called and he revives her. Amy is then taken to hospital. Roxy does not discover what happened until the next day. When she arrives at the hospital, Jack accuses her of being neglectful. Jack then tells a social worker about Roxy's past and her family. After interviewing Roxy, the social worker awards temporary custody of Amy to Jack, but she vows to fight.
Roxy hires Phil's solicitor, Jimmie Broome (Samuel James), who suggests that she digs up as much dirt as she can on Jack and his family. She finds out about Jack's brother, Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman), who has arrived to stay with Jack, and has a criminal past, and decides that she should use this. However, the court decides that Jack should have custody of Amy. A feud reignites between Phil and Jack, and Jack prevents Roxy from seeing Amy as punishment.
Both Mitchell sisters were featured heavily in a BBC marketing campaign. Several promos aired on the BBC network in summer 2007. Using the slogan "The square, under new management", one promo depicted both sisters as party girls, dancing, serving tequila in The Queen Victoria public house (The Vic), shocking the older residents with their raunchy antics and squirting men with a soda syphon to the tune of "The Girls" by Calvin Harris.[4]
Two other trailers featured Ronnie and Roxy (Samantha Womack and Rita Simons) speaking individually. To the instrumental sound of "Little Green Bag" by George Baker (famously used in the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs), each sister discussed their sibling, giving snippets of information on their personality and the dynamics of their relationship. Discussing Ronnie, Roxy said "My big sister Ronnie, she'd do anything to stop me getting hurt, including getting hurt herself. Boy she means business. We mean business. We're the Mitchell sisters after all... and you don't wanna find that out the hard way." Discussing Roxy, Ronnie said "Roxy will always be my kid sister. Fights, broken hearts, over the years we've had them all. She can be quite a handful, and she's definitely gonna stir things up around here. But remember, wherever Roxy Mitchell is... I'm right behind."
The promotion was received favourably by Leigh Holmwood, television journalist for The Guardian newspaper and MediaGuardian.co.uk. He commented, "now there's more to the long running BBC1 soap, apparently...Yes, it's the new sexed-up, soft focus, raunchy EastEnders trailer and it's hitting your TV screens now. In a bid to welcome the Mitchell sisters to Albert Square, the beeb have pulled out all the stops and come up with a very slick marketing campaign indeed." Referencing to the soap's reputation for being miserable and depressing, Holmwood said that the upbeat trailers were "about as un-EastEnders as you can get...Maybe the arrival of Roxy and Ronnie will herald a new golden age for the soap? Or maybe the BBC marketing department is just very good at putting a trailer together..."[4]
In addition to the trailers, the BBC also planned a "glitzy" EastEnders BBC Radio 1 competition to promote the arrival on the Mitchell sisters, called "I love R&R" (Ronnie and Roxy).[5] It ran from the end of June 2007, and included online promotion and video via the website iloverandr.com. The prize consisted of VIP tickets to a special party, which was to be attended by EastEnders actors and Radio 1 DJ Dave Pearce.[5] Despite inviting the winners to attend, Radio 1 cancelled the event due to orders from BBC director general Mark Thompson, who called a halt to all BBC radio, TV and online competitions following a review of its programming, which uncovered scores of editorial breaches.[5][6] Radio 1 reportedly decided to cancel the promotion as a "precautionary measure", though it is unknown whether the competition breached the BBC ban. Winners were instead told that they would be getting a tour of the EastEnders set, and the website was closed down on 26 July 2007.[5]
Both sisters have been described as glamorous, and have been compared to the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie. Womack has noted that it is no coincidence that the sisters are named Ronnie and Roxy. She also describes the sisters as "co-dependent and dysfunctional", as well as "chilling, dark and absolutely in touch with what the other is doing".[7] Simons has described Roxy's insecurities, commenting: "whatever insecurities she's got, she has a shag".[8][9] Simons also stated in a 2009 interview following the departure of her on screen husband Sean Slater that Roxy would only ever love him and no man would ever match up to Sean again.
Discussing the storyline which saw Roxy sleep with Ronnie's boyfriend, Jack Branning, Simons has said: "This is by far the worst Roxy has ever felt in her entire life. The guilt is absolutely killing her. I really hope the viewers sympathise with her Filming was hard and it got to the stage where she couldn't even look at Sam without crying. What she's done to Ronnie is so out of order, but if she could take it back, she would."[10] Making it clear that what happened between Roxy and Jack was a one-off, she stated: "There's no lingering attraction between them [...] He makes Roxy's skin crawl."[10] Simons also considered the outcome were Ronnie to find out about the betrayal, speculating: "One thing the Mitchells are good at is sweeping things under the carpet. And these girls have been through so much together. Perhaps in time, Ronnie could find it in her heart to forgive Roxy..."[10] She mentioned the character's relationship with friend Christian Clarke, assessing that Roxy would be "really lost without him. He's her rock".[10]
With the introduction of Roxy and Ronnie's mother, Glenda Mitchell (Glynis Barber) in 2010, Simons stated that Roxy had Archie's genes while Ronnie had Glenda's.[11] Before Glenda's introduction, Archie is murdered by an unseen person, and Simons stated that she did not think Roxy was the killer, but said that in the last few days of Archie's life, she saw what he was really like, though she believed that Roxy would still forgive Archie regardless.[12]
In December 2010, Simons stated she hoped that Roxy would have a new romance, saying "She's supposed to be the slapper of the Square—but hardly. Okay, she slept with Jack Branning once, was married to Sean and had a thing with Dr Al for about five minutes. But she hasn't had a bit of stuff for ages, so I think she's due some romance. Not that there's anyone on the Square she fancies. [...] She wants nothing more than a ring on her finger and to settle down, but she's a loose cannon, so I don't think she's going to get that anytime soon."[13]
Discussing Roxy's friendship with Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), Simons told Soaplife that although Roxy flirts with Alfie, she would not steal him from his wife Kat (Jessie Wallace). Roxy is the only person to ask Alfie how he feels after the death of his son Tommy Moon, which Simons said showed how close Roxy and Alfie have become as friends. The actress commented, "She cares about Alfie and can see that a lot of what he's feeling is hidden behind his sparky exterior. She's a bit like that too."[14]
In 2011, Roxy agrees to become a surrogate mother for Christian and his boyfriend Syed Masood. Simons explained that although Roxy would do anything for Christian out of love for him, she probably agrees for selfish reasons as well, as she is a single mother and wants what her friends have. She expressed a wish for Roxy to grow up and be less moody.[15] Simons also said she wanted Roxy to be successful in a forthcoming revenge storyline following Roxy's discovery that Phil and Shirley stole her money, telling Soaplife magazine, "[The plan is] to steal back the money [Phil] stole from her. Glenda's in on it with Roxy and they plan to rob the club for what's rightfully Roxy's."[16]
In April 2011, Roxy discovers that Ronnie swapped her dead baby, James, with Kat Moon's healthy son, Tommy. Speaking to Digital Spy, Simons discussed Roxy and Ronnie's relationship and how Ronnie's crime affects them. She stated that Roxy is loyal to Ronnie, despite Ronnie's mistakes, and would stand by her, but has conflicting feels as she finds it hard to come to terms with what Ronnie did. She called Roxy "quite a moral person", but her loyalty to her sister would most likely win. She said it is hard on their relationship, comparing it to when Roxy discovered that Ronnie was raped by their father as a child. Roxy tries to help release Ronnie from prison, and Simons said the storyline marks a transition for Roxy as she starts to grow up and stand on her own feet with Ronnie out of her every-day life.[17]
Roxy appears in episode 9 of the second series of the Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, as the landlady of Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes) who lives in the flat above Roxy's salon. Stevie is due to move out but asks Roxy if she can stay. Roxy says no as there have been complaints and she caused a blackout across the entire Square. However, Stevie has made a list of safety violations in the flat and threatens to go to the council, so Roxy agrees to let her stay.
Rita Simons won the 'Best Newcomer' award at the Digital Spy Soap Awards in 2008 for the part of Roxy and also collected an award at the Dublin awards and the TV Now awards. She also won the National Television Award 2008 for Best Newcomer.[18]
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