'I was terrified and had to start again' - Ex-EastEnder Samantha Womack reveals reality of rebuilding a career in her 40s

Actress Samantha Womack has shared the difficulties of rebuilding her career as a woman in her forties, following her exit from EastEnders in 2017.

Now aged 52, after spending nine years portraying Ronnie Mitchell in the long-running soap, the actress reveals the shock she felt at finding herself axed from the show and having to look for work again.

During an appearance on Loose Women, Samantha shared that after feeling so "blessed" to be in a job she loved for nearly a decade, she was then "terrified to have to start again" when the job came to an end.

"I was so scared," she continued, adding, "But I learned a lot."

Describing her time on the soap, Samantha appeared to have nothing but fond memories and had been really affected by being asked to leave.

"When you're in a place for nine years and you're embedded in that family structure, you believe that those people really are your uncles, brothers, cousins, because you see them every day," she said of how close she was to her co-stars.

Samantha Womack: From Albert Square to The Theatre Stage | Loose Women - YouTube

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She added, "You go through all kinds of emotional things together - the birth of your children, funerals, and this is with the crew too. You get to know a wonderful group of people for such a long time."

The actress joked that when she was handed the script letting her know that she and her on-screen sister, Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) were set to drown, they laughingly conspired to just keep swimming to the top of the pool during takes, in a bid to prevent their characters from actually leaving the show.

Although shocked to leave, the actress did reveal that on reflection, it was a good thing to be pushed out of her comfort zone.

"In retrospect, it's very easy to hold onto safety, isn't it?" she said, continuing, "Especially in our game - being self-employed is terrifying."

After a breast cancer diagnosis two years ago (she is now in remission), Samantha shares that, along with being forced to leave Eastenders, the two life events have dramatically altered her outlook on life.

"The beauty of all of it, the ups, the downs, the beautiful chaos of it all. I look back on that time and think I was absolutely blessed to be in a space with gorgeous people for nine years," she mused

Samantha has successfully managed to rebuild her career as a midlife woman, despite the setbacks. Following her EastEnders exit, she's appeared in the likes of Silent Witness, Buffering, and The Marlow Murder Club.

The actress is currently appearing in the award-winning play, Dear England. The play, currently touring, is about Gareth Southgate's time as the England football manager.

Samantha portrays the England team's performance psychologist, Pippa Grange. Speaking about her character, a real person, Samantha shared that Pippa's role in the play is to teach the team to "confront those thoughts and fears about what it feels like to miss a penalty".

This comes in the wake of the culture surrounding football that players let their country down if they don't score during penalties or don't win a game.