EASTENDERS legend Samantha Womack has hit out at soap bosses who ‘rejected’ her.

The actress was utterly beloved by fans of the BBC One soap when she played the role of Ronnie Mitchell.

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She was beloved by viewers playing the role of Ronnie Mitchell[/caption]

BBC

The character was killed off by bosses in 2017 when a new executive producer came in[/caption]

Alongside Rita Simons – who played her close sister Roxy Mitchell – she made her debut in EastEnders in July 2007.

However, Sean O’Connor took over as the executive producer role from Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

He decided to kill off the popular Mitchell sibling duo in a dramatic fashion after Ronnie’s second wedding to Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).

Now Samantha has admitted that she felt ‘rejected’ by the new boss, as she admitted that it was not her decision to leave.

She told The Mail: “It was really hard for us because it wasn’t in our hands. We didn’t make the decision to go.

“I don’t really understand what happened, one producer was leaving and another was coming in, I don’t know what went on.”

Before her time on the soap, Samantha, 52, represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.

However, she admitted that leaving Walford took a toll on her, as she felt like she was losing ‘a family.’

The actress told the publication: “At the time it felt like bereavement, it felt like losing a family member. It was like losing family and losing stability. 

“But the thing that was the most painful – and it really was painful – was that me and Rita loved feeling like we belonged there.

“Then to be rejected, and I know that’s emotional but that’s what it was, it hit us both so hard.”

However, the star admitted that she is now thankful to events in hindsight as it allowed her to do other things.

She added: “I do look back now and think, ‘God, I could still be there’, I would never have moved to Valencia.

“I would never have done half the things I’ve done. I was like getting a barnacle off a rock, I probably needed to be forced off at that time.”

Since leaving the show, the star has focussed on a career in theatre as she secured a number of high-profile roles.

In 2019, she hit the road for a nationwide UK tour of The Girl on the Train.

She was also known for her role as Morticia Addams in the UK tour of the musical, The Addams Family.

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She first joined EastEnders in 2017 alongside Rita Simons[/caption]

BBC

Fans of the soap have since claimed it was a ‘mistake’ to kill off the Mitchell sister pair[/caption]

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A MAJOR warning has been issued for hundreds of social welfare recipients who are set to be affected by a change in their collection process.

The An Post office in Leenane, Co Galway, is set to close permanently at 3pm on Friday, July 11.

This means that from July 11 onwards, the social welfare recipients will be unable to collect their payments at the post office.

Those receiving payments must receive them from Letterfrack from Monday, July 14, onwards.

A customer notice issued by the post office reads: “Leenane Post Office will permanently close on Friday 11th July 2025 at 15:00.

“All DSP payments will be available at Letterfrack Post Office, The Country Store, Letterfrack from Monday 14th July 2025.

“All other Post Office services are available at Letterfrack Post Office or from a Post Office of your choice.

“An Post would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their continued support.”

However, recipients must be aware that Letterfrack is a 20-minute drive from Leenane, meaning those without a car will have to figure out a way to get there.

Bus Eireann offers bus services between Letterfrack and Leenane, but only comes every two hours, meaning recipients would have to wait for nearly two hours until their next bus home.

The permanent closure is due to the Postmaster in Leenane is leaving the business and it has been unable to find another contractor, Galway Bay FM reports.

It was revealed that An Post hopes to provide a Postpoint terminal at the local shop in the area, which will provide some level of service around financial services and billpay, making it easier for the locals.

NEW CHILD BENEFIT PAYMENT

Meanwhile, Dara Calleary has confirmed his department is “working on” a targeted new Child Benefit payment as part of efforts to tackle child poverty.

However, he warned that an “unintended consequence” of a new system of child income supports could result in a “lower payment than they are currently getting”.

The Fianna Fail TD said the Department of Social Protection has to ensure “people cannot lose out” on the supports they are benefiting from now.

When asked by Independent TD Barry Heneghan for an update on the Department of Social Protection’s exploration of the introduction of a targeted second-tier Child Benefit payment, Calleary said addressing child poverty is a “key priority” for the Government.

He added: “That is why the programme for Government includes a range of measures to support children and their families.

“One such commitment is to explore a targeted child benefit payment and examine the interaction this would have with existing targeted supports to reduce child poverty.

“Existing supports include the working family payment and the child support payment.”

The proposed Child Benefit shake-up would lift some 55,000 children out of income poverty and 25,000 from consistent poverty, according to a recent report from the Economic and Social Research Institute.

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Social welfare recipients have been warned over the closure of the post office[/caption]

A FORMER Beauty and the Geek star has been charged with the murder and decapitation of her boyfriend — as cops desperately search for his missing head.

Julian Story, 39, was reportedly found burnt and dismembered on the bathroom floor of an apartment in Port Lincoln, southern Australia.

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Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, 34, was arrested and charged with murder[/caption]

South Australia Police

Julian Story, 39, reportedly found burnt and dismembered on bathroom floor of an apartment in Australia[/caption]

SA Police

CCTV footage shows an unidentified woman dressed in black dress and a black head covering hours after the alleged murder[/caption]

Officers made the grim discovery last Tuesday after responding to reports of a small fire.

His girlfriend, Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, 34 — a model and reality TV star — was arrested two days later under the Mental Health Act and charged with murder.

Detectives have launched an urgent public appeal to help locate Mr Story’s missing head, which was allegedly removed after his killing around midnight on June 17.

Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke told reporters on Friday: “While I won’t provide any further detail about that at this time, I can tragically say that we have not recovered the head of Julian Story.

“I can only imagine, and I want you to imagine, the grief this news is causing Julian’s family.

“Recovering Julian’s head to return it to his family so they can have a peaceful outcome, have a funeral and lay him to rest is a really important aspect for us.”

Police have circulated CCTV footage and stills of a woman alleged to be Ms Chesser strolling through Port Lincoln hours after the alleged murder.

The woman was seen with three dogs — dressed head-to-toe in black with a head covering, cops said.

Officers hope locals might spot something that could lead them to the missing remains.

“I’m appealing to local residents to review CCTV or dash cam footage which they may have, which may assist the investigation,” Supt Fielke said.

Court documents reveal officers found Ms Chesser sitting in the back garden of the property “in a catatonic and unresponsive state” before arresting her.

She’s also been charged with disposing of human remains to pervert the course of justice and assaulting a police officer, The Telegraph reports.

So far, police say there’s no obvious motive, with Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott admitting there were still “a lot of unanswered questions” in what he described as a complex crime scene.

In court on Friday, a suppression order protecting Ms Chesser’s identity and banning publication of the alleged circumstances of Mr Story’s death was lifted.

The ex-reality star, who appeared via video link, has been denied bail and remains under a mental health detention order ahead of a committal hearing set for December.

Ms Chesser’s sister, Kiya-May, claimed her family is shattered by reports she’d been charged with murder.

They told Daily Mail Australia: “Please report how my sister is in a mental psychosis… This is not her… She would never do these things.”

She added her sister had suffered “a life of trauma and abuse, and now this – it has fried her brain”.

Meanwhile, Mr Story’s grieving family has thanked police, emergency workers and the community for their support during what they called an “unimaginable loss,”.

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She’s also been charged with disposing of human remains to pervert the course of justice and assaulting a police officer[/caption]

9news

Police made the grim discovery last Tuesday after responding to reports of a small fire[/caption]

“Your care has brought comfort amid the chaos,” they said.

Neighbours have also recalled how they tried to tackle the blaze, unaware of the horror inside.

Local resident Jody Miller told 7News: “It’s devastating. This doesn’t happen in a small town like Port Lincoln.”

He added he’d seen the couple before, saying: “She seemed normal, she was good.”

It comes as eerie footage emerged of a woman believed to be Ms Chesser reportedly standing topless at the Port Lincoln war memorial wearing a wedding veil, just days before her arrest.

The bizarre clip showed the woman silent and motionless at the Garden of Remembrance while holding what appeared to be a sharp object — an unsettling stunt filmed by a horrified bystander.

JAKE PAUL admits he uses the fear of being knocked out as motivation – as he bids to set up a shock world title shot.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer returns TONIGHT against former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in California.

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Jake Paul weighs in ahead of his fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr[/caption]

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The fight takes place in California[/caption]

And Paul has boasted how victory could land him a ranking – teeing him up for a controversial world title challenge.

But he is always one defeat away from his boxing empire coming crashing down – and he bears that in mind constantly.

Paul, 28, told SunSport: “I think definitely I use a bit of like fear and what people say as motivation, inspiration.

“But mostly I try to focus on the love and proving myself right and challenging myself at this point.

“Because I’ve already exceeded my expectations of what I was going to do in this sport and so everything else here is is a win, right?

“Like, I’ve built my whole entire dream life, businesses, companies, so really I’m just playing with house money now.”

Paul admits he plays the role of boxing bad guy – a villain act that has helped earn him over $100MILLION (£73m) in the ring.

He said: “To conduct the orchestra, you must turn your back on the audience. So, I know what I’m doing, I’m just playing a game.

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“People want to tune in to see me lose or the doubters, all of this stuff.

“But, at the end of the day, there’s just as much love that, and that’s what I focus on.”

Paul returns for the first time since November when he beat Mike Tyson – who controversially returned aged 58 in front of 100m Netflix viewers.

And he dropped TWO STONE to scale back down to the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit of 200lb to face 39-year-old Chavez Jr.

Paul has claimed the WBC and WBA plan to rank him in victory – putting him in line for what would be the most unlikely of title shots.

He said: “I think it’s back to the drawing board after this, especially depending on what the WBC and WBA rank me after I win.

“If they rank me in the position where I can go for a world championship, then we’re gonna try and get that done.”

Paul – who has called out Anthony Joshua to fight in a British stadium – knows his brags of fighting for a world title will rile up boxing fans.

He knows it is also why plenty will pay the pay-per-view fee in the hope he gets silenced in the the ring once and for all.

But the prankster-gone-prizefighter said with a grin: “Thank you for the attention and your opinions, and that’s what I’m drawing out of you.

“You’re my puppet and I’m the puppeteer.”

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Jake Paul wants to set up a world title fight[/caption]

DAN EVANS broke down in tears as he recalled the long and winding roads he has taken to reach Wimbledon.

The Brummie, 35, has competed in random outposts in Thailand, Portugal, Bahrain, UAE, Italy, Czech Republic and France to boost his world ranking.

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Dan Evans says he wonders what long-term partner Aleah Evans thinks[/caption]

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Evans is set to play Novak Djokovic if he beats Jay Clarke in round one[/caption]

This has meant playing several Challenger-level events in front of just a few fans to ensure he did not slump too low and into obscurity.

Wildcard Evans, who is 170th on the ATP list, is not planning to retire just yet.

But he became emotional when he talked about his fear of potentially letting down his close family and friends and if he was no longer good enough to compete on a tennis court.

Wiping away the tears, Evans said: “It’s not the matches. It’s when you feel like you’ve let people down, that’s the tougher thing about it.

“You’re not used to losing, that’s probably more of the thing.

“I don’t worry about retirement but it’s just different isn’t it?

“To start losing, it’s scary at the end of the day, to know sometimes you’re not good enough.

“It’s not an easy thing in sport to not be good enough. I don’t know why I’m so emotional about it.

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Aleah Evans will be watching Dan at Wimbledon[/caption]

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“I guess I’m pretty proud of the last four or five months and how they’ve been.

“They’ve been difficult and I’m happy to have come through the other side.

“I don’t ever struggle to go and play tennis. But I did wonder, ‘Why are you doing this?’

“That’s when you need good people around you. It’s been awful basically, I played poor, but it’s going in a better direction.

“I’m not scared of hard work. I’m more than happy to play the Challengers.

“It’s just when you shut the door at night and you wonder what other people are thinking? What’s your wife’s thinking?

“Is she thinking, ‘Come on, mate, give this up?’ Or your dad, your parents? It’s not a conversation you have very often. ‘Is this the right thing?’

“The last few weeks have been good to see that I’ve still got it because it’s easy to say you believe it. But it’s got to happen otherwise you drop down the rankings.”

In round one, Evans is up against Derby-born Jay Clarke on Tuesday in one of two all-British ties and the winner will likely play Novak Djokovic next.

It is hard to ignore the shadow of the Serbian but Evans can draw on memories of losing in three sets to Roger Federer in 2016.

The former British No.1 said: “About 9,000 people have messaged me about it.

“Do you think we don’t have phones? It’s a bit like when a boxer’s got a big fight in front of them and he can’t overlook it.

“Jay Clarke will be looking at it and I’ll be looking at it. There’s a nice match in the second round on a very big court.

“I want to win that match not just to play Novak but to get a crack at him. It’s a great incentive.

“I’m really looking forward to Tuesday first but to get a chance to walk out probably on Centre against a guy who’s hardly lost here.

“I’ve done it against Roger Federer. It would be a good little prize at the end of a good grass-court season.”

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Evans, 35, insists he is not yet thinking of retiring[/caption]

NOTTINGHAM’s official Robin Hood who played the legendary outlaw for three decades and was married to Maid Marian, has died.

Tributes have flooded in for Tim Pollard, 61, after his death was announced on his Facebook page on Saturday.

Nottingham City Council

It said Pollard died from a “short, brave battle with cancer”.

It added: “Tim was, as many of you know, our very own, and only, Robin Hood.

“He was loved by so many, not just here in Nottingham, but far beyond.

“His laughter, his spirit, and his incredible friendship touched countless lives.”

Pollard was employed by Nottingham City Council to appear at events and said it was “devastated to hear of Tim’s passing”.

In a post on social media, the local authority said: “In his longstanding role as Robin Hood, Tim was emblematic of our city and supported the council at numerous events over many years – including the reopening of Nottingham Castle in 2023.

“But most of all, he was a simply a lovely bloke with a big heart and a smile to match who will be hugely missed.

“Our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time are with his friends and family.”

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HAIM have finally confirmed they are one of the secret acts at Glastonbury Festival.

The American sister trio will be hitting the Park Stage at Worthy Farm tonight at 7.30pm after weeks of speculation.

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HAIM will be appearing on the Park Stage today[/caption]

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The sisters will appear on the Park Stage at 7.30pm[/caption]

As well as the BBC posting a photograph confirming the news, the sisters – Alana, Este and Danielle – shared a video of them getting ready for the weekend, donning sunglasses and wellingtons.

The band has long been considered a glaring omission from the Glastonbury line-up, particularly considering their new album, I Quit, dropped this week.

They were also already confirmed to be in the UK in time for the festival, performing a headline show at Margate’s Dreamland on Friday.

As a result fans had been speculating for weeks that they would make an appearance in some form.

It was initially believed they were the band ‘Patchwork’ that will be appearing on the Pyramid Stage at 6.15pm – with the name being the title of a book by novelist Sylvia Haim.

However, that is now widely believed to be Pulp in a comeback after more than a decade away from the festival – and nearly 20 years since they were on the Pyramid Stage.

Secret Sets have become a Glastonbury staple, and as the festival prepares to take a “fallow” year next year, they are making sure 2025 is one to remember with more than 42 ‘TBA’ slots on their line-up.

So far, Lorde opened the Woodsies stage on Friday with a secret set, shutting down the grounds it was on due to the amount of fans descending to the smaller stage.

Celebrating the launch of her album, Virgin, the New Zealand singer played the record in its entirety to the crowd.

Lewis Capaldi also left fans in tears when he was confirmed to be the mysterious “TBA” set on the main Pyramid stage, returning two years since his last performance saw him remove himself from the spotlight completely.

Franz Ferdinand couldn’t resist playfully jabbing at Lewis’s return, with the fellow Scotsmen bringing out “the Original Capaldi” for their set in the shape of Doctor Who Peter Capaldi.

Sets have also been forced to change at the last minute – with Deftones announcing that, due to illness, they would be unable to perform on the Other Stage tonight.

In their place, grime star Skepta was pulled in at the eleventh hour to take to the stage, and will be going on at 9pm, with Ezra Collective slightly extending their set as well to fill the time left behind by Deftones.

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The girls were initially rumoured to be the band ‘Patchwork’[/caption]

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The sisters arrived in the UK earlier this week[/caption]

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