Last month ‘Eastenders’ stars Samantha Womack and Rita Simons confirmed they would be leaving the BBC soap after 10 years playing sisters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell. Fans had hoped that the twosome would be saying a ‘see you later’ rather than a ‘goodbye forever’, but according to The Sun, the Mitchell sisters are set to be gone for good.

Rita Simons and Samantha WomackRita Simons and soap sister Samantha Womack

A source told the newspaper that the sisters are to die in an explosive storyline during the soap’s New Year’s Eve special. The decision is said to have infuriated the cast, who are complaining that they were not consulted.

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The source said: “Everyone’s in shock. The cast are really upset as it’s come out of the blue. People are worried who’s going to be next. The script for Roxy and Ronnie’s deaths has been written, but none of the actors know what’s going to happen.”

Stars Womack and Simons are said to be devastated as they hoped the door would be left open for them to return.

An ‘Eastenders’ spokesperson would not confirm the reports, simply saying: “We know how much our audience hate to have any future storylines spoilt so we will not comment on speculative stories. At no point have we received any concerns from cast about any of our future storylines.”

More: Rita Simons To Leave 'Eastenders' With Soap Sister Samantha Womack

Roxy and Ronnie arrived on Albert Square in 2007 as the cousins of Grant and Phil Mitchell. The sisters’ exit comes as part of a cull of characters by new producer Sean O’Connor, who has already killed off Margaret Midhurst and Paul Coker.