Sam Womack's EastEnders departure

i just wanted to say we are all going to miss seeing samantha AKA ronnie in eastenders! good luck at whatever you choose to do next! x

i just hope that ronnie will give kat back her baby before she exit's the show! not forgetting coming back at some point!

further more i just want to say i can see why people are upset about the recent storyline but your storyline's to touch everyone's heart and makes them more aware! take the bi-polar storyline, a lot more people are more understanding about the illness! i know for a factt it help me as i have a mother who has the condition im not saying it was easy to watch just that Eastenders opens eye to what happening in the world! x

i can't believe sam is quittin even though i can't blame her she is a fantastic actress who dosen't get enough credit.....

first lacey now sam who is next.....Roxy

by the way i think this story line is good,i dont know why every ones getting angrey, is it because the baby died which in my opinion isnt bad but in a way it can help people from preventing it happening or is it the baby swap which i think is just a little drama to keep us guessing what ronnie is going to do. i dont see the harm in this storyline.

NOT EVERYTHING IN SOAP IS SUPPOSE TO BE REAL!!!!!!

I am sad sam is leaving! however the recent storyline is not about cotdeath and about rainsing awareness for cotdeath! eastenders is my fav tv show but this storyline has really shocked me. no real mother would leave there baby that has just died on there own. i feel this storyline would be see in a different light had they been saying that ronnie is mentally ill, but shes not. as a mother i no if i was ronnie i wouldnt do that weather ive lost 2 or 20 babies grief doesn't come into it!!

ARRRRRRR i knew it would end like this. Sam you will be missed. BY ME FOR SURE!!!!!!!!

OMGSH sooo gutted Sam is leaving, Ronnie makes Eastenders for me. Prob not the best storyline BUT i can't help but thinking people are OVER-REACTING just a tad. It's been allover the news today!!!

"There is no truth in the recent reports that she is quitting over her current storyline..."



Oh yeah? That's a shameless lie.

I would not blame Sam for leaving due to the story line. Since the new writers came on board before Christmas, the story lines have become more and more ridiculous. They have spoilt the old eastenders that I used to love to watch, religiously, not ever missing one episode.

The story line with the baby was the last straw! I also felt Ronnie needed a 'happy break' for a change.

The show is becoming ridiculous and I have decided not to watch it anymore, even though I have been a faithfull follower since the start of it. So good luck to Sam in her next job!

Please Eastender's bosses, please change your writers,and let it go back to the way it was before.

PEOPLE ARE OVERREACTING!



THIS IS A SOAP! not real life.



i think it's a wonderful story line to be honest, in this world today there are things like this happening in reality! it's brilliant because it's showing how things like this can happen, cot death is natural and kills lots of unfortunate babies, as for the swapping this is what can happen!

i think people are whining for the hell of it! this storyline is helping us understand the feelings and thoughts of a mother who's lost her child due to cot death and is also showing how easily it is to kidnap a new born (they all nearly look the same. The film my sisters keeper, was showing us how a young girl felt with having cancer and you seen some pretty shocking things in that movie! just like cancer, cot death is an uncontrollable thing that happens to the best of us! no one really caused that much fuss over the scenes in the 'my sisters keeper' movie, if reckon that if it was Cameron diaz starring in eastenders, people wouldn't complain! so please calm down, it's a soap!

Just here to say we will miss ronnie in eastenders, but hopefully before she goes she takes back baby tommy! this was a sick headline no wonder she wnated to leave!

I hate the ambiguous phrase 'later this year' when referring to Ronnie leaving, does that mean we have to wait months for Kate to get Tommy back, or does she ever get her baby back!?!?! Why can't anyone else see that it isn't James - Kat could see that it wasn't Tommy. It is a shame that they have never been able to give Ronnie a happy ending - it would be a good storyline to show someone being able to overcome all those horrible experiences she suffered and ending up with a good, stable life. Well done to Sam Womack for playing the part so well - let's hope if/when she does come back they can give her a few more reasons to smile!

Im quiet sad sam is leaving but i just hope that she gives the baby back to Kat in the end because i dont want the CottDeath to go on for yearss :/ + I really dont get it. If an Baby from the hospital as given the all clear to go home and stay with his parents for most of his life how could he die the night after there must of clearly been something wrong with the baby.

I really feel sorry for Charlie ATM because he shouldnt get blame

Please give Kat And Alfie there baby back!

Now this story line is in i dont want to watch it no more because its to sad and my family agree and i have a big famiy

MuchLovee Rubypup x

I am outraged at the current storyline between "Ronnie" and "Kat" and Ronnie's experience with her baby James dying and kidnapping baby "Tommy". This is one storyline gone too far and if she leaves the square (Eastenders) taking "Tommy" with her, then I am afraid to say that I will never watch Eastenders again.

Hopefully this means Sharon can return in the near future! Can't say I will miss Ronnie as I never liked the character but good luck to Sam though! :)

Im not upset about the story line!!!

Just the timing...people who have experienced loosing a baby to cot death DO NOT need to be reminded of it

at the New Year when everyone is thinking about they're families.

I agree with your comment LibbyD. There are far too many characters in Eastenders that go through constant suffering, and we know life is just not like that for everyone, nobody is constantly experiencing adversity. I know its a soap and needs to pull in viewers but if Eastenders wants to portray real life events like the SIDS, then let there be more of a balance for the characters, i.e happy/sad. I wouldn't be surprised if Sam Womack has just had enough of playing such a depressing character.

I was never a soap fan but I got into eastenders a few years ago but the doom and gloom is getting to much there is never anylight heartedness in this show the state of the country at the moment we need a wee bit of laughter to cheer us up but Eastenders has reached the end of the line for me the Ronnie character has had nothing but heartache every story line she gets I wouldn't be surprised that a story comes out in the papers that she has been admitted to hospital suffering from deep depression.



The only natural and happy feeling I got from watching Eastenders was when they were playing cricket in the park everyone was enjoying themselves and having a laugh but obviously the script writers dont know what that feels like stuck behind a desk in an office 7 days a week more than likely they live there because the family won't let them in the house because listening to them is so damn boring and depressing.



Well at least when Samantha Womack leaves the show the way for her is up up and away and don't look back.



If only you could have had some happiness in the show once in a while it would have been more believable maybe if they had a little bit of real life in the show it could have been exceptable but unfortunately they have gone to the wall and there is no turning back its about time they gave it a decent burial I am sure that they would have a really big turnout for that good ridence Eastenders.

i really am not surprised that she is leaving!! i will miss her as she has been amazing in eastenders!! for some reason lots of the good ones are leaving! But this really was one sick story line, it was terrible!! Eastenders...dont be surprised at the amount of complaints your going to collect!

To everyone who has wrote a comment this is sad that sam is leaving but good on her in what ever she does in the future and hope we may see her again. this story line is very reasonable i think some people dont understand what does happen in real live this storyline is just showing you what some people go threw and what can happen to anyone. they have never understood why people die from cot death it can happen anytime and it doesnt just have to be babies people of all ages can die the same way there is another name for adults. i have a family member that this happened to her baby died of cot death and i told her about the storyline and asked her how she felt about it and how she reacted when it happened to her,she said she thinks it is good they are doing a story line like this and she told me that she saw this baby in a pram after she lost hers and she just wanted to push it out the shop and go home but she didnt. people have different views on this but people do go threw it so please just be reasonable with what you right but i dont think its wrong to right the storyline. i would give this my backing all the way 100 % thanks lisa

I think someone isn't telling the truth here...I guess she DID resign coz of that pathetic storyline and coz her character has just depressing storylines. This must get very very boring for an actor... Not good for eastendrs storywriters... so many are leaving!!

I really don't like this story line I think the baby switch was to much, doing the cot death story line raises awareness. They could have given Ronnie a happier story she deserves it, I know they do it for ratings. I just cant watch it. :) I think they should do a Dallas and have Ronnie stood there at the moment before switching the babies and someone comes in and saves the baby ......much better ;)not at all far etched lol and great viewing!!!!

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HATE this storyline!&HATE how it's driven Sam (ronnie)out of the show,she is an amazing acress and i will miss seein her on EE&hope she stays on our screens on another show!just wanna say i think it's SICK how a COTDEATH isnt a bad enough story that the writers had to bring stealing a baby into it!

Don't realy think i'm gonna bother following EE n e more and hope that this story comes to an end SOON!

I just want to lend my support & say what a great storyline this is. Whilst I'm sure it has revoked awful memories for a large number of people, I also feel that a lot of people are simply 'jumping on the bandwagon' when they are complaining.

Those people who have watched eastenders since it's beginning, will remember that they covered a cot death story in 1985, just a matter of weeks after my own son died of cot death. Within the last year a close gamily member also lost Johnny, who only lived q few hours. At the time of my sons death, I found it helpful & comforting to have the story running alongside my own story, as I felt it brought recognition to my own plight. In that

storyline, 'Ali & Sue' reacted & coped in a typical & 'normal' way. Anyone

who watches eastenders regularly will be aware that the character 'Ronnie' has been becoming increasingly emotionally unstable.

Child abduction does sadly happen, although very rarely. Women who abduct babies do not just do so out of the blue, but rather after increasing emotional strain. Exactly as 'Ronnie' has.

A brilliant but difficult storyline, brilliantly acted by Sam.

i think its really sad that sam will be leaving eastenders as ronnie whilst i think the story line was hard i think she played it really well and i felt sorry for her and kat

i think the story about ronnie and the babies is brilliant.if it upsets people they don't have to watch.it has really explored her fragile mental state. i think Sam is a top rate actor and wish her lots of luck in the future.

Just read in the London Evening Standard how upset EE viewers are over the cot death/baby swap story line.



Even tonights episode was PURE EVIL. Now Kat has lost her dad.



Then we get the message to call the helpline if we are affected. We,re all affected............ CHANGE IT!

please stay sam? dont let the few complaints push you out of your job. your work (and Jessie's) has been amazing in this storyline. the writers ahve done an excellent job and while there many well be more than 6000 compaints, millions of other fans of the show are NOT complaining. its a sad story, but no worse than many other issues dealt with in the fictional world of the soaps (and others programmes. and the cast and writers of eastenders have a huge amount of support. my thanks and congratulations to you all for your sensitivity with this story. in reading some of the posts in this blog, these seems to be some who are slightly detached from reality.. soap operas are FICTIONAL!

I think this must of been a really hard story line to play because both actresses have children themselves,the have both played there characters really well. The story line about the cot death of ronnies baby is really said and im unsure whether they should of done it or not, however im sure the writers would of gone into much reserach before anything.

I'm also sad to see Sam leave but can't blame her at all. I have been watching EE for years but I can't watch this storyline so I'm giving it up. It's wrong on so many levels. And ridiculous too. I can just hear the self congratulatory tone of the writers talking about tackling issues and being controversial. This one's a step too far and one too many for me.

I'm gutted that the best actresses on the show are leaving. Sam always delivered with the most dramatic storylines ( besides Lacey who I have no doubt is headed to Oscar type fame! That girl has an amazing gift) given Ronnie being one of the most heartbreaking characters to portray. She made us feel her heartache and I wish they had never taken the storyline to such a level although I continue to say- it is a Soap and we have to get over it. The cotDeath part is sensitive and heartbreaking and I feel for anyone that has ever been affected but we have to remember Eastenders is a show, nothing more nothing less. I hope that Sams departure is not due to the controversy but given the storyline, the character is broken and beyond damaged I feel, forever so she can never be even slightly happy after the swap incident. It's so sad all around but I wish Sam well and hope she will return one day? perhaps they will bring back leticia now- Sharon is greatly missed on that square! Big sigh...

Why are people complaining about the cot death story? Eastenders is renowned for it's hard-hitting storylines which address issues where others fear to tread. I'm not a soap fan, but that's the reason I love Eastenders. I've heard so many people complain that the show is depressing - of course it's dramatic and gritty, but isn't that the point? Personally I would not watch it if it were just about people joking around in the local pub. If it were, I'd put the telly off and join them!



Well done Eastenders writers for your engrossing storylines once again!

Sam is one of my favourite actresses on enders. woud be sad to see her go. Hope she would have a good life when she returns cos no one deserves to lose a child, be abused by her dad, and loose another child. I am glad she is leaving cos of the storyline, didnt like it either.

I am a total Eastenders fan (not really a soap fan as such) but I think the current story line is very disturbing. I agree with all the other posts saying it is gone too far. Did ye really have to push the limits THAT far?

As for Ronnie -for heavens sake her character has been the epitomy of misery with one saga after the next that, in normal life, one person couldnt endure AND NOW THIS????? GIVE THE GIRL A BREAK!

Could she not have her baby & enjoy some well deserved happiness with Jack.

I will miss Ronnie from the show. I think she adds that touch of glamour & is a fab actor.

Please please let her leave on a positive, happy story. God knows she deserves it.

And yes, I know it's only a soap but hey-ho it bothers me at the moment.

Like alot of people I was sad to hear the news that Sam Womack has decided to leave the show, although I cant say I was surprised, due to the recent story line. It is hard to see where the character will go on from here. Why did the writers feel that Ronnie would have to go through with the baby swap, why not show her returning the baby before anyone found out, that way it would still be covering the lengths the character would be prepared to go through!

Sam is a great actress and has given great performances in the sad situations she has been in, she is one of the main reasons I tune in. Pitty she wasn't given more fun story lines like when her and Roxy first came to the square.



Am sure she will do well, and I wish her all the luck for the future.

Totally agree with Louises comment

This is such a shame Sam is a great actress and the show will not be the same without her!! Let's hope Scott and Rita don't follow!!

While I agree that it's sad Sam is leaving, realistically, what other outcome could there be after this storyline? Kat & Alfie are hardly likely to want to share the same continent, let alone the same square. It would be totally unbelievable if the rest of the residents were to be 'understanding' and forgive her. Jack has hardly shown himself to be the forgiving type either. In all honesty, if Walford is supposed to represent 'real life', we'd all be chasing her out of the square, screaming 'Burn the witch'. Mind you, after everything she's been through, she would have surely 'done away' with herself long before the baby swap story. Nobody could take everything she has in her stride. I'm afraid EE finally ventured into Dallas/Dynasty territory with this one and have turned a good character into (probably) the most villified one ever to walk the streets of Walford. Sam Womack will be missed, Ronnie Branning won't.

omg ronnie your leaving u have been a really good actor tbh n btw yhur the best one in eastenders lol xxxxx

will be sad to see you go , ronnie is one of my favourite characters in eastenders , you are a brilliant actress and unforunately eastenders is going down hill with you going and stacey leaving aswell.it wont be the same but wish you all the best and hopefully will see you back in eastenders in the future.

I am so upset that samantha is leaving; she is an amazing actress. I do hope she returns soon.

Can't blame Sam for leaving, given that she is a mother of two and told producers and writers that the baby swap storyline was insensitive to parents having lost a child to cot-death. This was dreamt up by people who do not have kids themselves and would find this suitable entertainment. Sam probably would have stayed if this issue was left alone and both Ronnie and Kat could have their babies, Ronnie was due some happiness after all she been through since she came into the show. does this new producer want to get rid of the characters he has cause if he keeps going that is what will happen. What will happen to Jack when she goes, at least scott will still see his best friend even if they are not working together. Good Luck Sam, hope you don't stay away too long.

Those who can not understand why people may be enraged by this storyline are, I feel, being slightly naive about the priorities of the production crew. They wanted viewers. SIDS is tragic. Tragic. The event itself holds enough dramatic (and indeed educational) potential without the need to sensationalise it further by adding a TOTALLY unrealistic (and patronising) baby swap storyline. This would not happen in my opinion. When a parent loses a child they want THEIR child - no replacement is ever ever possible and they certainly wouldn't want to cause anguish to another parent by taking theirs. It's incredulous to think that any writer felt this to be a realistic response by a grieving parent. I'm a parent and a doctor and this had real potential as a plotline. Now the soap looks ridiculous and parents who have very sadly lost children through SIDS are angry and upset. Who exactly are the beneficiaries?

I am so sad Sam is leaving, I was hoping with roni getting married and having a baby she will at least be happy for once in her life. We all have adversities sometimes but her life is just not real. I am waiting for this storyline to finish so I can g back to watching my favourite soap.

well as so many of u keep saying IT IS A SOAP well we know this but we are on about a STORYLINE and the way it was portrayed . as a mother who lost her son to cotdeath i feel that this was an insult to all mothers who have lost babies through cotdeath ,and for them to have the CHARACTER ronnie to swap babies was just plain stupid anyone who has lost a baby knows that would be the last thought of a grieving parent and if u havent lost a child you will not know how insulting this was for parents and famlies who have suffered such a loss

so yes it is a SOAP but a soap trying to touch on REAL ISSUES which in this case wasnt done very well hence all the complaints !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well i don't really care about sam leaving i never liked her i was always a stacey fan. i think that this story isn't too bad i mean i cryed when the baby died and the kat n alfie scenes but i wouldn't go to the lengths that somepeople are going to like on some of the comments above. But maybe because i have not had a baby die...

As a new mum I found Sam's acting out of this world but I think eastenders have pushed this storyline one step too fair. New mothers dealing with cot death is bad enough to relate to but to then have a baby swop is a bridge to far. Since watching the cot death episode I have been more and more worried about my new born and even wake and have to put my hand on my baby to check if he's still breathing! It has made me more aware of cot death and I do agree that it's a good storyline to cover but the bosses have really gone too far here! I would like to see Kat and Alfie get their little boy back where he belongs!

I personally think I am really sad that Sam is leaving, and even more so if it is because of this storyline. Ronnie was by far my favourite character in the show, and Sam is a fantastic actress who really brought some quality to the show, on the same level as Barbara Windsor. I read yesterday that Sam was so upset during filming that she went home and cried every night. Apparently she also told the producers that she was not happy with the plot and felt it went too far. If it is true, it is a shame that they did not listen to her! That the whole story was not that believable, even though it was brilliantly acted. I know the producers said that they wanted to raise issues about cot death, but the story in the end didn't really become about cot death, and it just sensationalised something that is sad enough anyway. I agree with Ann Diamond who said here that cot death is tragic enough on its own and this actually demeans the tragedy https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12129846

For her, and anyone else who has experienced this tragedy themselves, I am sure it is immensely distressing and as Ann says, life changing. I think Eastenders could have done a fantastic and sensitive storyline with Kat and Ronnie and one of them experiencing cot death, without the baby swap part. I am interested to see what will happen next with the storyline?

i think that the story line for ronny and kat were upsetting and they should make sure that ronny confesses and gives baby tommy back before she leaves the soap and do her last story line as she going for help so that she may come back in the future lets hope that they do this to get viewers back and i also hope kat gets her relationship back with her dad and affie as its a shame when they not long come back to the soap to have them seperate now and she needs them i know its only a soap but this is something people watch and it does have effects else people would not comment at all or be affected thanks

Ohh =( very upsetting... Gud luck for the future x

What a shame that Samantha is leaving EastEnder's, she's a terrific actress and has had played her character, Ronnie, with such professionalism. The storylines she's had have been very tough and it can't have been easy to be constantly playing this role, the victim a lot of the time. Sometimes life is like this for some, but not always, and life throws allsorts at us but Ronnie deserved a break and that's where the writers went wrong. Don't let Samantha go, or go under terrible circumstances, that wouldn't be fair.



EastEnders has a lot going on, storyline-wise just now and it really didn't need to add a terrible thing such as this to it. Yes, you've got yourselves into the news, but for no good reason and what damage have you done to the suffers of SID? New scriptwriters me-thinks.................

:( Sam, you will be greatly missed. Not only because you are so good at your job, (playing Ronnie was a tough one at that!) but also due to the fact that viewers like me(!) get so drawn into what is happening to the character. As it is so often and over the period of time that we do watch the show, we wonder how life went on.



More importantly, it's so awful that you personally are having to go through everything that's negative about this latest storyline, you were just doing your job like you always are. If out and about people see you as the made-up character Ronnie Mitchell-turned-Branning(!) then, obviously, they are the ones that need to wake up to reality. Perhaps, many good things could come out of it now and I sincerely hope that those involved with it can all come to some agreement with those affected and now troubled by these scenes in Eastenders because it is personal to them and I don't want to hear that they have become scarred by this. It's one character's reaction to the loss. like when a story is written about one person, even in the real world, although it doesn't make us all like that, that image is around us because it has been created in people's minds and it hurts so much even though we understand this. The same applies to the families and especially the mothers within our communities that have experienced such an undescribable loss. Each one being a their own personal difficulty and should not be put in any kind of class or grouping as such. The show cannot do all that for us, we need to work things out for the betterment.



I have not, myself watched the last episodes after Kat's baby is in Ronnie's arms and although I would like to (and will in the end because you're so good covering difficult issues, Sam). Being a mother and fearing the loss scares me so much, even when writing this - cannot imagine what mums that have actually lost a baby must be going through. Nevertheless, I want to watch it now that its out there and because its a huge issue. As i'd like to be more involved in community work and writing, I see it as all part of the learning for a viewer, especially when bad things are happening around us all the time.



All the best for the future, your hard work will stay with me!

Sorry to see sam go, i think the storyline was a brilliant bit of acting from Ronnie and Kat, things like this do happen in real life also some people suffering grief do behave irrationally and i am so fed up with all the controversy over it it's Eastenders watch it if you like it or switch over your choice.

Again Eastenders have lost another great acress. First Lacey & now Sam.

Very gutted you are leaving the show. You have been brilliant & will be missed a lot.

Its a massive blow to lose you. You & Lacey were my favourites so gutted you both wont be on our screens anymore.

Look luck in everything you do. I do hope you will return with a happy storyline.

I totally agree with the comments made by yummymummyem87, I have always been a fan of eastenders but this storyline has gone too far. Soaps are supposed to beentertaining but where is the entertainment in seeing such a painful storyline. Im sure any mother would agree with me that any kind of storyline involving children in danger is very distressing to watch. After janine stealing staceys baby a few weeks ago and now this storyline, eastenders is getting unbearable to watch and im not enjoying the soap much at the moment. I am sorry that Sam is leaving the soap but i think its awful the way the character has been planned out. As if it wasnt enough us seeing ronnie go through the pain of losing her daughter but we have to watch a completely ridiculous baby swap storyline. Is it not just as good to see two mothers with completely healthy babies enjoying their lives on albert square????

I just want to say people seem to walk into that pub queen vic very easily. Also Ronnie did not try to revive her baby - I know it is only a soap but this story line has loads of loop holes and I know Kat said that it was not her baby why did she not stick to her guns instead of being side roped by Alfie. It really is full of loopholes.

I can't believe Sam is leaving :( She's an incredible actress and as soon as Ronnie and Roxy hit Eastenders, it was bever the sam, it took a new twist with fun & laughter as well as hard-hitting drama & not to mention amazing performances!

I'm going to miss Sam and equally Ronnie, as she is my favourite character! I hope Ronnie makes a return to walford and comes back with happier storylines for Sam :) Don't stay away too long! x

i think those that get narky about people not liking this storyline need to realise everyone is entitled to an opinion! and from a mothers view i think this has gone too far with the baby swapping! ronnie will never get to have that opitunity to say goodbye to her baby and have that final cuddle! kat said goodbye to ronnies baby. and ronnie will have to live with that for the rest of her life. some of these comments saying get a grip etc are prob from those that dont have children. its a soap peoplw know that and i agree with others when saying its the storyline thats gone too far. cot death isnt a soap its real swapping babies too much!!!!!! think its disgusting!

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From Charlie

I would just like to say that I shall not be watching Eastenders any longer. A few years ago my husband and I stopped watching Coronation St but carried on with Eastenders. My husband then stopped watching it but I have been recording it. This story with Ronnie is just too ridiculous and for once I would like to have seen a happy ending for her character. I am sorry she is leaving, and maybe when this storyline is finished I will try to get back into Eastenders. I wish Sam good luck and hope she returns sometime.

I have found the recent episodes of Eastenders really difficult to watch, its been like watching a horror film - peeping out from behind my hands! I know these happen, I myself have lost a child, but to have both a cot death and a kidnap in one go is unbelievable. I have watched Eastenders ever since the first episode but if this continues much longer I shall not be watching it again. Please please let Kat have Tommy back, the writers obviously have no idea how this effects the lives of parents who have lost children!!!!!!

I hope she will come back.

I am absolutely gutted that Sam is leaving. Sam is the most talented actress in EE and Ronnie is my most favourite character. Sam has made Ronnie a much loved character, endearing and sympathetic. EE can cover this up all they like, but they have driven her out with this sick storyline. Throwing tragedy over tragedy on this character is beyond a joke. It must be so draining for Sam to play Ronnie. She has been fantastic and has delivered great performances despite the ridiculous death and despair they have given her. I have stopped watching EE as I find this storyline sick, but I watched the first two episodes of this storyline and Sam’s performance was stellar.

She must have been through such a terrible ordeal not just filming this but as I read today, to also being verbally abused on the street over this plot. I wish EE could have given her a happy ending but that is unlikely now. I am really sad that they have used Ronnie as a plot device to justify this crazy and improbable baby swap. Ronnie would never do such thing and I can’t believe the producers have ruined the best character EE has had in a long time. Sam deserves better than that.

I wish you all the best Sam! You are one classy lady, a beautiful and talented actress and I hope we will see you again in other projects. You will be greatly missed and for me personally the day Ronnie exits will be the end of my viewing Eastenders.

I agree with those that say calm down! it is just a soap! if the lives of the cast in eastenders was not dramatic then nobody would watch it. theyve had rape scenes and murders and people in real life have had to go through some of that stuff and they dont make a big deal out of that so i think all the bad credit eastenders are gettin now is pointless. ive always watched eastenders and enjoyed the storylines, however crazy it keeps me talking about it. so people chill out.

Love EE and SOOOOO sad to see Sam going!!! Hope she does come back she IS my favourite character!!!!!!

Im so sad Sam is leaving!! I think she played the part so well shame she never got to do anything that was happy.

I've been watching eastendes all my life and never missed once..and i cant believe the storyline i've been watching...u dont mind a storyline about a cot death but not 'swapping the babies' is horrible and disgust me...i dont blame any of the characters, they doing their jobs but i blame whoever wrote the storyline they should be gone not sam...she is a brilliant,outstanding actress and also jessie wow both were amazing!!! and she does not deserved this it not her fault...i hope she doesnt leave the show i like the 'mitchell'family and we already lost one...anyway i hope the storyline where they give kat's her baby back please hurry cuz im kept crying and crying over it it too emotional...

I cannot watch Eastenders at the moment. I haven't lost a baby, I do have a 17 month grandson. But the horror of one's baby dying is one I cannot cope with. The addition of this awful plot of Cat's baby being taken is insupportable.

i think all the veiwers of eastenders will be devistated to see ronnie mitchal leave the show. she is a much loved charater and she played the current storyline very very well but i wouldn't blame her if i was part of eastenders and i was forced to do that storyline i would leave to.

I will, along with many people, miss Samantha Womack (Ronnie Mitchel) as she Is A great actress and plays her role well. She has a large role in the show and her exit will mean a lot for the "Mitchell's" and the "Brannings" also... It's a good lead-on from the current storyline and it's good to know that, in a way, the whole thing gets resolved. I wouldn't blame her if it WAS to do with the storyline, especially being a mother, it's a very dramatic and yes, TRAUMATIC, subject to be focusing on... Though, I suspect, she'll want to be with her family, this is probably a reason for her departure.

OMG! cried most of tonight's episode!

it's getting beyond sad now!

people watch telly to get away from their own lives for 30 mins but no matter how bad you'r life get's i'm sure most peple would rather get bac to their own than wach this!

AWRITEY IF USE DONT WHAT SAMANTHA WOMACK TO LEAVEE :(TYPE IN DONT LET SAM WOMACK LEAVEE BECOZ SHEE IS AN POWERFUL ACTRESS AND ONE OF THE BEST CHARACTERS IN EE ND SHE HAS BEEN IN EE OVER 3 YEARS ND SHE HAS BROUGHT POWERFUL PERFOMANCES TO ALL THE DARK STORYLINES SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN AND HAs DONE THEM JUSTICE ND I DONT THINK BECOZ OF 1 STORYLINE THT NEVER WENT DOWN WITH SOME OF THE VIEWERS DOESNT MEAN SHE HAS TO LEAVEE BECOZ I THOUGHT SHE DONE GREAT WITH THE STORYLINE ND I LOVED ITT PLEASEEEE MAKE HER CHANGEHER MIND NDD GETT ADDEDD TAHH !!!

I AM SOOOOO GUTTED ANOTHER FANTASTIC ND POWERFUL ACTRESS LEAVING IF EE CARRYING ON DOING THIS THERE WONT BE ANY LEFTT :( I WONDER WHAT ROXY ND JACK R GOIN TO DOO ??

Will be sorry to see you go Sam as you are such a brilliant actress, I feel really sorry for you having to act out such a SICK AND DISGUSTING STORYLINE. This storyline has hurt and disgusted thousand's of viewers, I just hope the sick person who wrote this storyline takes the time to read the comments people have made and ends the storyline NOW and not in the SPRING otherwise I think the BBC will find the ratings dropping by the thousand's.

Sorry to see you Leave EE Samantha but I wish you all the luck with your future and I hope you do come back to EE sometime.



Samantha is a great actress and her character Ronnie will be missed.

It is such a shame that Sam is leaving and she will be missed, she is a great actress and her character has shown some great depth and strength whilst also balancing nicely against her 'sister' Roxie. However what she is leaving behind is, in my opinion, the most depressing show on British telly. As i write this i cannot think of one family on the square that has any happiness or joy. there is no light hearted humour....bring back the days of Frank in his spinning bow tie!!

I'm a big fan of eastenders, however, this storyline with ronnie and kat is ridiculous.

As a mum I find it very hard to watch. Kat's distress is killing me cos her baby is there all along, it's just stupid.

I just want to say that i think that Jessie wallace is a fantastic actress but I find do myself

shouting at the tv, especially when Alfie said he was holding him when he died, I mean come on.



Please sort it out eastenders don't leave it till the spring to resolve do it now before you loose

even more viewers. Ronnie has had enough sadness in her life why could she not get a happy ending for once????????(I no it's eastenders so happy endings are not usually on the agenda but come on)

im soooooooo upset to hear that sam aka ronnie is leaving, i loved her wen she came in EE and stil do now i feel for ronnie but i dont think it was the best way for ronnie to go as most of the street will hate her when she comes back but all i know is that i will be watching when she comes back and lets hope when she comes back she has all the luck. she deserves a good life and i think that a new male should come into EE just before the return of ronnie and he should be a doctor or something along those lines and they should get pregnant 'with twins'! i havnt seen anyone have twins yet???? it would be a good way to show viewers that coping with twins is hard but rewarding, well im off now but just think about it, if anyone deserves to be happy and have a fourth chance its definatly ronnie.

Well done everyone is talking about your show BUT FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS. So many more are appalled at the baby swap storyline but can't be bothered to complain about it. I applaud the actors for doing a great job but the fault lies with the producers and if left until spring to conclude this awful story, then not many viewers will be left. The character of Alfie Moon made such a difference to the atmosphere of the show the 1st time around (not so depressing) and now the producers have done this. I was under the impression that people from the Eastend knew how to have a laugh, perhaps do some more research closer to home and get your facts right, it would certainly be more pleasant to watch.

re: We received enormous help from charities, health professionals and bereaved parents themselves, who went out of their way to advise the story-liners, writers and actors!!!!

Sorry but don't believe anyone would say yes to this story line!

It should have been stopped at the time Kat said 'this is not my baby'!!!!

It's disturbing...very disturbing & the people who watch it should be ashamed that they feel this is entertainment, fictional or otherwise. It's pretty obvious you have nothing better to do! Yes it's only soap but it's our real life...real life that has been taken too far!!!!

I for one and speak for a very very large majority of people who are fans of the show want to know when this story line is ending cause until then i'm not tuning in!!!!!! There rant over!!

Where's my comment??? oh let me guess? It's being checked......got to keep a balance with the positives and negatives? Mine was definately the latter!

Eastenders is not going to be the same again without Ronnie!

Hate to see Samantha Womack leave the show...

Fantastic actress!!!

dont want her to leave but i dont like her character. i hope she isnt getting too much abuse from people. we love you sam but we all hate ronnie

I can understand the views being poured out in the press, but wait a minute! There are some people who suffer cot-death, who, like 'Ronnie', would have had other traumatic experiences recently. A traumatised person is not immune to further traumatic experience. It seems selfish to me, that those who are affected by this storyline, (and after all, that is all it is!), can, for their own selfish reasons, wish to stop a storyline which clearly is showing how one traumatic experience after another, can cause a momentary unthinking response in a 'sane' individual. This does not serve to legitimise the act, but does serve to illustrate that life is a dynamic, it is not avoidable, and some of us actually DO experience tragedy upon tragedy in real life.



All who wish to cut this storyline short, have stolen from others the opportunity to see how complex trauma's can be resolved without your kind of prejudice. You are too narrow-minded yet to see that your prejudice has failed others. I hope someone with sense is listening, and that the need for this to be addressed will be noted and acted upon. I would like to end by saying, I sympathise with those who have lost any child in any way, and even more so for those who have gone through this 'hell' and then suffered another in this world of 'passers by'!

I hope that people will begin to see the wood from the trees here; i.e. that this is NOT, first and foremost, a story about cot-death. The story of 'Ronnie's' baby's cot-death was to illustrate a very valid reason and trigger for 'Ronnie's' hidden grief to surface, and how easy it is for a traumatised person, when suffering unbearable pain alone and completely without support, can, when circumstances present, make a spilt second uncharacteristic decision, which, although soon regreted, can be difficult to undo when 'the rest of the world' re-enters your scene from their unreachable 'normality', with expectations and demands!



The British are SO bad at empathising with traumatised people, that they fall like domino's around them, leaving them to face their trauma alone, and without any understanding or support. Take it from one who knows! Remember, YOUR culture is responsible for the suicide of a woman who only a few months ago first took the life of her own child in order to stop the hell of the harrassment and bullying her disabled child experienced because others simply 'turned a blind eye'. That mother and child did not live in isolation, but had 'neighbours', and people all around her in society!



Shame on all those capable of such self-centredness that they walk on by. Eastenders began to show how grief can isolate a person, how the British 'stiff upper lip' and false pride can be a mere excuse to ostracise those that cause us to feel 'uncomfortable'! Shame on all who think 'inaction' is not a crime. Oh, bury the discomfort you have felt about 'Ronnie's act' and carry on turning away! Nobody needs YOU!

I wondered why my posts were taking so long being 'moderated' as I had said nothing to offend the BBC and only exercised my right to 'freedom of speach' as others have! I clicked on my username to see my posts, and they were nowhere to be seen, even though they have previously been noted as 'being moderated'. I wish to know what has been done with my posts, and to have copies sent to me at my email address so I can challenge why they have been taken off the site.



Please advise me on who I contact to make a complaint about this. Or will this disappear too?

There must have been some kind of glitch in the system, because my posts had disappeared, yet now they have been put on view. Thank you so much!

I would like to ask blogger who 'hate Ronnie', how they can 'hate' a charactor who depicts someone who was systematically raped as a child by her father, who forced her to give her baby away, and lied to her saying her baby had died; was prevented from experiencing free unabused emotional development, had no choice but to internalise that trauma and grief, and then faced the shock of realising the truth too late!



Why not get in touch with your 'real' emotion? Is is hard to admit that 'Ronnie's' charactor makes you feel uncomfortable, makes you wish distressing situations didn't exist, maybe? I have met real people like 'Ronnie', alone out there! Only when others can accept them for who they are, will they be able to find there place again in society, a place they are as entitled to as all who haven't experienced abuse and crime against them. Please don't injure them further! If you can't 'look' don't turn your inadequacy to 'hate'. You are so much stronger than they, and have so much more support. Please listen to what I am asking. It will not cost you very much. Ask yourself, how would you be if these things had happened to you? Would you not need understanding and acceptance? I have worked on a crisis line, and know that these traumatic events are not uncommon in our society. Sadly, our society prefers to 'gag' victims and label them 'weak' if they show signs of their suffering! Take care, for none of us have immunity and one day it could be you.

It is difficult to find the words to make my point to the decision makers of East Enders. You say that you want to inform and educate the public and I think in many cases you are in a position to do that effectively. But to screen the loss of a baby early in the evening defies belief. The loss of a baby is one of the most devastating things that can happen to a family leaving a long term scar. In your wisdom you decide to trivialise it further by the mother replacing her dead baby with a live one.

I seriously question whose decision it was to screen such tradegy in the name of entertainment.

Shame on you.

Leave such serious subjects to serious programmes - Panorama springs to mind.

Ronnie is a great character who will be very missed, tremendously acted, but my does she have some truly awful story lines.Not just this one.No happy endings for Ronnie, which is such a shame..

I quite like the Ronnie/Kat storyline. But I am very frustrated. I will not hang around watching for it to conclude in Spring. It reminds me of the Danielle story which just dragged on and on! Realistically the story should have begun to conclude when Kat saw the dead baby and knew it was not hers. Then what happened? Did I miss an episiode cos the next I saw, she was grieving again? Ah well. No more Eastenders for me.

i really liked this storyline its different not only does it outline the dreaded issue of cot death but the switch is really good. As this does happen in real life. i dont understand why everyone is getting frustrated about it. Ronnie will be sadly missed but there is always time to come back later on. Ronnie has to have sad endings as she won't be Ronnie. Kat and Ronnie play an amazing part in this storyline!!!!!!!!!

i am going to really miss ronnie / Sam.. i just hope she will come back in a few months or go for a wee holiday with Jack or something.!!

But when she does leave in the spring i hope its a happy exit..(like staceys, it was sad but it was happy because she did kill archie but she isnt going to jail or anything) - come back soon...xxxxxx

Sam is probably the best actress in eastenders I cant belive shes leaving but Im just glad there not making the mistake of killing her off im glad she will be back at some point in the future

First Lacey now Sam! The only reason I watched EE was for these two.

Bryan Kirkwood should be ashamed of himself his completely destroyed Ronnie's character and has ruined Sam's life. It wasn't that long ago that Sam and her kids were being verbally abuses because of the Kat and Ronnie storyline.



I for one am extremely glad that this storyline has backfired on EE.

Im gutted that sam is leaving eastenders (for whatever reason) be it the story line or just her contracts up but i think that people took the storyline too serious.it was good how they brought up cot death coz now people understand and the bit people do not get the swapping...its a soap the character ronnie has wanted a baby for ages thats the reason why she did it and thats wat people are not seeing.soaps are about murder,affairs ect so if u dont like it dont watch it.but a great soap is loseing an AMAZING actress...she will be missed and hopefully she might right(i hope so)anyway...:)

I think Sam's acting is terrific. I hope her absence is a short one- we need characters like hers on the show. I'm bit sad that so many of the young actors are leaving or have left, e.g. Ga-Ga and Lucy and Peter etc. We need to keep them and watch them grow. I love the Kat and Alfie partnership. A huge welcome back to them- what fantastic actors they are!

i think what she did to kat is bang of order it makes me sick

The Kat & Ronnie storyline is portrayed extremely realistically and acted brilliantlly. In fact all the main eastenders cast's acting leaves us crying, laughing and all the other emotions which they evoke in us.



only mothers who've lost their babies or are desperate for a baby would know, understand and sympathize with what Ronnie did in the spur of the moment. As to whether a new mother would know her baby after only being with the baby for a few hours, I can say I could not tell the difference between my baby and another one in the nursery and had to be shown my baby by looking at the tag on his little leg. when you've been through the trauma of the birthing process you see a wonderful bundle but do not study its form and features that comes later. besides most babies look about the same.



yes superb storyline, script and acting, Ronnie's and Kat's performances leaves me in tears.

Thank you BBC.



Why is Ronnie leaving? please don't leave.

Samantha Womack shouldn't leave straight after the Baby-Swap storyline as the show could of been a blast once Kat found out Ronnie had her baby. I don't find the Baby-Swap much of a storyline, it's sad about the Cot Death though i do think EastEnders could of portrayed it well without swapping babies.

I will miss sam very much i lover her charecter and she is one of me best actors at eastenders....i hope she comes back after her break and maybe the writers will give her some happy scenes hopefully....will miss u very much sam please come back soon and good luck what you do next xx