Hollyoaks and EastEnders Actress Rita Simons has disclosed the rationale for her decision to undergo a hysterectomy two years ago at 45.
The actress, who currently plays Marie Fielding in the show and previously portrayed party animal Roxy Mitchell on the soap, has clarified that her worsening OCD during periods prompted her to opt for the life-altering procedure. Channel 4 At the time, doctors advised the actress that the only option was to 'remove everything,' leading her to undergo a total radical hysterectomy. According to Rita, 'It was the best thing I ever did. I’d never change it… It’s the best for my state of mind. A lot of my issues were hormone driven. I had the hysterectomy because of stress. It was causing me so much anxiety. And that mental load has gone.' in the BBC ‘That’s been the most amazing thing. I’m a lifelong anxiety sufferer. Every two weeks it was. So, I joined up the dots, and did the procedure. It took a while to get my hormones and HRT correct but I feel 100 times better than I ever have. Because I’m so busy I try not to stress. I’m protective of my boundaries.’ Anxiety Rita recently joined the cast of Hollyoaks – and is also set to star in the upcoming reality show Drama Queens on ITVBe.
She has joined other soap stars – including Coronation Street’s Lucy Fallon and Brooke Vincent – for the program, which delves into the daily lives of actresses in continuing drama. ‘There are nine of us girls, ladies, women who work on soaps up north – so Corrie, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale,’ Rita exclusively explained to Metro.co.uk‘It’s basically about the eight of us and how we navigate being a mum, being a mum of youngsters or – like me – two 18 year olds.'
Speaking to The MirrorRita’s character arrived in Hollyoaks earlier this year (Picture: Lime Pictures)
‘Relationships, life – just how we navigate everything doing what we do, which is not a particularly normal job.’
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Rita is excited about learning about the lives of her fellow soap stars through the project.
‘I’ll probably find out a lot of them are living the life I was living when I was at EastEnders because they’re younger!’ she smiled. She went on to describe how her life has evolved since she first joined the London-based soap back in 2007. ‘I love my quiet life these days. I love my job, I love going into work – but I really like just sitting on my sofa at the end of the day and relaxing, going to the beach, walking the dog, going to the woods, going for dinner.
‘Whereas back in the day when I was at EastEnders, you’d regularly see paparazzi photos of me drunk outside a club and that just couldn’t be further from where I’m at now. It’s kind of nice to show people that I have moved with age and I’m not still young little Roxy the princess!’ ‘Best thing I ever did!’.
‘It’s basically about the eight of us and how we navigate being a mum, being a mum of youngsters or – like me – two 18 year olds.
‘Relationships, life – just how we navigate everything doing what we do, which is not a particularly normal job.’
One thing that Rita is looking forward to about the project is learning about the lives of her fellow soap stars.
‘I’ll probably find out a lot of them are living the life I was living when I was at EastEnders because they’re younger!’ she smiled.
She went on to reveal that life has changed a lot since she first joined the London based soap back in 2007.
‘I love my quiet life these days. I love my job, I love going into work – but I really like just sitting on my sofa a the end of the day and chilling, going to the beach, walking the dog, going to the woods, going for dinner.
‘Whereas back in the day when I was at EastEnders, you’d regularly see pap shots of me drunk outside a club and that just couldn’t be further from where I’m at now. It’s kind of nice to show people that I have moved with age and I’m not still young little Roxy the princess!’
