Really gutted Sam is leaving :cry: I just heard the news :o I shall miss her

WHAT? :(

Too many amazing characters leaving!

Im not overly gutted she is leaving, i like and enjoy her but she isnt one of my fave charactors, interesting to see what will happen with roxy now ronnie is going. I can see more mitchells been drafted in again as she short on numbers now.

A bit of an update:

 

In a statement Samantha’s agent Michael Wiggs said, "There’s no truth whatsoever in any suggestion that Sam is ’quitting’ Eastenders over the current storyline. Sam’s contract comes to a natural end later this year and she will be taking a break from the show; this has been agreed with the producers for several months. Sam has had an incredibly happy and fulfilling time on EastEnders over the last few years. She has huge respect for the show, writers and producers and has thoroughly enjoyed playing such a complex role and being involved in so many tough and challenging storylines".

 

John Yorke, controller of BBC Drama added, "Sam is a much loved member of the cast, who has consistently given truthful and brilliant performances as Ronnie Branning. When she leaves at the end of this storyline, she’ll be much missed; and the door will be open for her return."

 

So there we go. No big exit drama and no death. I guess she'll be sectioned at the end of this story.

You never know, she could get away with it - play it off as a mix-up at the hospital perhaps?

Agreed with Shoat regarding the storyline, genuenly amazed at such a fuss being made. I mean, clearly was never going to go down well but it's suprising how so many people who I've always assumed to be reaonsably sensible people are against this so much that they're refusing to watch it.

I do hope this isnt permanent though, press release does say Sam's 'taking a break' after all.

Kat's baby (the one currently with Ronnie) has never even seen the inside of a hospital, so she couldn't play it off as a mix-up on their part, and besides it's not in the show's nature to have their characters never receive any comeuppance. She'll have to take responsibility but if she's the one to own up to what she did and Tommy is returned unharmed then she could feasibly be let off with a light psychiatric evaluation and a restraining order preventing her from living on the Square whilst Kat and Alfie are there (which could be overturned by Kat and Alfie if they didn't want it, but I can't imagine them being quite so forgiving somehow).

I have a feeling that it could be an extremely moving reveal and will be executed pretty well. Ronnie tells everyone that she switched them and then gets taken away to the psychiatric ward or something. I can imagine it in my head now, but it never turns out like that so I'll just keep thinking of it this way :lol:

It will be more kats storyline though when the reveal comes so again i can see ronnie been sectioned, i never believed the rubbisgh about sam quitting due to the storyline. As much as people have complained about the storyline its doing eastenders no harm, everyone in the press etc is talking about the show and the ratings are up so im sure eastenders are happy in that respect. I dont get all the negativity about the storyline asi think its been handled very well so far.

Absolutely GUTTED. Ronnie's always been a highlight of the show for me, seeing as she joined at a similar time to when I started watching so there'll be a massive hole in the show for me. I hope she gets the chance to return in the (near) future at least though. :(

EastEnders' storylining team are changing their plans for the ongoing baby swap plot, according to reports.

 

The controversial story has attracted thousands of complaints to the BBC and Ofcom, and the situation has intensified today following confirmation that Samantha Womack has decided to quit the soap.

 

According to The Mirror, the serial's writing team are now discussing how to bring the storyline to a conclusion.

 

"It's back to the drawing board," a source told the paper. "Lots of ideas are being discussed and the final decision on how the plot climaxes is still being changed. Lots of people have been upset, so things are being tweaked to deal with it in a sensitive way."

 

Meanwhile, The Guardian is reporting that producers have decided to "cut short" the storyline, meaning that it is "likely to be brought to a conclusion in the spring".

 

In an official response to the complaints, the BBC today said that "viewers will see the situation resolve itself over the coming months".

 

Womack has also denied suggestions that her decision to leave EastEnders was influenced by the storyline.

There's SO much conflicting info flying around right now. I guess the reveal won't be any sooner than June though if La J'anus isn't off screen until July.

 

I've NEVER known a storyline to receive this much attention, good or bad. The media and online communities are both going a bit mental aren't they? It's surreal.

Kat's baby (the one currently with Ronnie) has never even seen the inside of a hospital, so she couldn't play it off as a mix-up on their part, and besides it's not in the show's nature to have their characters never receive any comeuppance. She'll have to take responsibility but if she's the one to own up to what she did and Tommy is returned unharmed then she could feasibly be let off with a light psychiatric evaluation and a restraining order preventing her from living on the Square whilst Kat and Alfie are there (which could be overturned by Kat and Alfie if they didn't want it, but I can't imagine them being quite so forgiving somehow).

 

That isn't strictly true. Phil Mitchell has been directly responsible for at least one death in the soap (the car lot torching) and got away with it. I'm sure a few other characters have come back to the square when they've done grievous misdeeds ... so no ... is truly not an example of 'crime never pays'.

 

Kath

Back to tonight though. I have been enjoying EE recently (despite some rather eratic acting from some quarters ... and some implausible scenarios) but it has been enthralling nevertheless. Tonight though ... when they had the family get together at the Brannings .. a sort of ... welcome Baby Jack party ... I couldn't help but think of Rosemary's Baby.

 

Kath

EastEnders star Samantha Womack has allegedly been abused by a fan over the soap's cot death storyline.

 

The 38-year-old actress, who yesterday revealed her intention to leave the BBC One show when her contract runs out later this year, was said to be called a "murdering ****" as she was walking her son Benjamin, 9, and daughter Lily-Rose, 5, in London.

 

 

I think this sums up how thick people are...

 

Anyway, appparently the plot will now be ending as early as April!

This is all SO CRAZY. I can't believe how much FURORE there is over the bloody storyline!

 

Still, it scored 11.4m last night including the BBC3 repeat so it's doing the show some good as well as bad. But you know the last-minute storylines they fill that extra space with are going to be RUBBISH.

I'm rather outraged that they're bringing it to an early end JUST BECAUSE of the furore. It's not as if anything different would've been said for the extra months the story would've been going on for...

Stupid how much people are over reacting on this storyline. It's a sensitive subject but people are not aware that this has probs happened in real life. How dare stupid shout abuse at Sam womack. She is an actress and a mum who has even said she found the storyline tough and exahusting to do. But good on for her for agreeing to do it. I think people forget actors do actually have to do research and be mentally prepared to take on any storylines.

 

I dislike how they the press are tying her departure to the storyline. She probs isn't leaving over the storyline. Ronnie has been a great memorable character and I do not see where they can take Ronnie's journey much further. I hope she doesn't leave in a body bad though.

Whether it's for better, worse, right or wrong people become intrinsically involved with storylines and can't separate reality from fiction. It's always been that way and always will be. It doesn't make it right but hey-ho.

 

It probably is the right decision to end it early. It's evidently a deeply offensive and sensitive storyline that a lot of people aren't enjoying. I've not watched any of it from the offing because I thought it was tacky, cheap and unnecessary and EE bosses are going to be aware that many people think in a similar way. Why pull this out through summer? it's evidently going to effect on the brand 'Eastenders' and its credibility. This is something of a "damage control" moment.