EastEnders star Samantha Womack wiped away tears as she heard how her father committed suicide. The actress, 37, who plays Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC1 soap, wept as she heard of her father's death at an inquest at Brighton County Court. Supported by her husband Mark Womack, the actress listened as the inquest was told that 60-year-old Noel Janus had appeared 'distant' and 'reflective' during the days before his death on August 22 last year. He was found hanged in his one-bedroom flat in Mimosa Court, Burstead Close, Brighton, East Sussex. His mother, Dolly Gordon, said that she had become increasingly concerned for his well-being when she had been unable to contact him by telephone on the day before he was found dead. Describing his manner when she last spoke to him on August 20, she said: "He was dreadful, absolutely awful. He was very low for three months before but on the week before he died he was in a dreadful state, very detached." Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said that although no suicide note had been found she was satisfied that Mr Janus had intended to take his own life and there were no suspicious circumstances. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
