Former EastEnders star Rita Simons, who played Roxy Mitchell in the soap, has revealed why she decided to have a 'Cinderella' facelift.
Talking to OK! magazine, Rita explained that she had the non-invasive procedure as she had become self-conscious about the signs of ageing, which made a childhood scar become more noticeable. Now, since having the cosmetic work, Rita has said that it has significantly boosted her self-confidence.
She explained: “I’m going public with it because it’s helped my confidence so much. I wasn’t ready to age and my jowls highlighted my scar even more. But I’ve done this for myself, it was purely personal.”
The procedure only took 30 minutes and Rita was amazed by the results.
"It’s minimal invasion, quick, and no downtime. I said, ‘Sod it, I’m doing it!’ In less than an hour it was done and I was sat with a mirror going, ‘My jawline is back.’ There was no pain, no scar, no swelling, no bandages, nothing. It’s amazing.”
Rita also added that she didn't want to make major changes to her face and wanted to have a natural look.
She said: “It’s about ageing for me, too. I don’t like it when I feel like I’m starting to get old. I’m not trying to achieve something that isn’t me, I just wanted to turn back a little bit of time.
"And in photos, I’m not thinking about having to hide my jowls anymore. Nobody likes getting papped, but now I’m like, ‘OK, come at me then!’”
Rita famously played Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders for ten years, alongside Samantha Womack who played her sister, Ronnie Mitchell.
The pair were killed off in 2017 after drowning in a swimming pool on Ronnie’s wedding day.
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
