Ronnie Mitchell

Ronnie Mitchell
EastEnders character
Samantha Womack as Ronnie (2013)
Portrayed by	Samantha Womack (2007–2017) Lucia De Wan (2022 flashback)
Duration	2007–2011, 2013–2017, 2022
First appearance	Episode 3405 24 July 2007 (2007-07-24)
Last appearance	Episode 6550 5 September 2022 (2022-09-05)
Classification	Former; regular
Created by	Dominic Treadwell-Collins
Introduced by	Diederick Santer (2007) Lorraine Newman (2013) Chris Clenshaw (2022)
Spin-off appearances	EastEnders: E20 (2010)
In-universe information Other names Veronica Mitchell Ronnie Branning Occupation Barmaid Bar manager Nightclub owner Businesswoman Family Mitchell/Branning Father Archie Mitchell Mother Glenda Mitchell Stepmother Peggy Mitchell Sisters Roxy Mitchell Half-brothers Danny Mitchell Husband Jack Branning (2010–2012, 2017) Charlie Cotton (2015–2016) Sons James Branning Matthew Mitchell Cotton Daughters Danielle Jones Stepsons Ricky Branning Stepdaughters Penny Branning Amy Mitchell Grandfathers Phillip Mitchell Grandmothers Sandra Mitchell Uncles Eric Mitchell Clive Mitchell Nieces Amy Mitchell First cousins Phil Mitchell Grant Mitchell Sam Mitchell Other relatives Billy Mitchell Ben Mitchell Mark Fowler Courtney Mitchell Louise Mitchell Raymond Dawkins Ricky Branning Janet Mitchell Will Mitchell Lola Pearce Lexi Pearce

Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell (played by Rita Simons) were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007. Ronnie is described as the "ice" to Roxy's "fire". As an extension to the already established Mitchell family, Ronnie quickly became a prominent character, taking over the square’s local nightclub. She later formed an on-off relationship with her business partner, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).

The character is introduced during the episode first broadcast on 24 July 2007. Her first major storyline saw Ronnie clash with her villainous father, Archie (Larry Lamb), after it transpired that he forced his eldest daughter — at the age of 14 — to give up her newborn baby just moments after she gave birth. This escalates in "The Secret Mitchell" and "Who Killed Archie?" scenarios, wherein the former explores Ronnie's friendship with her employee Danielle Jones (Lauren Crace) — who later turns out to be her long-lost daughter — and the latter reveals that Archie had raped Ronnie when she was 13. Soon afterwards, Ronnie becomes the subject of a controversial storyline where she swaps her dead baby with that of Tommy Moon — the son of her close friend Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace). This contributes to the development of Womack leaving the role in 2011, with the character departing in the episode shown on 7 July 2011. In May 2013, show bosses announced that Womack would return to EastEnders as Ronnie for six months. Womack returned on screen for two three-month-long stints, from 9 September 2013 to 1 January 2014 and from 3 March to 23 June 2014. She then returned full-time to screens on 25 September 2014. Womack's second stint on the show saw Ronnie involved in storylines such as killing Carl White (Daniel Coonan) in self-defence, marrying Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett) and having a child with him, having an affair with Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood), attempting to poison Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), being stalked by Andy Flynn (Jack Derges), and remarrying Jack before drowning along with Roxy in a hotel swimming pool.

In August 2016, it was reported that Ronnie and Roxy would depart together in a "dramatic exit". The sisters were killed-off on 1 January 2017 after Ronnie's second wedding to Jack, although Ronnie appears on-screen for a final time when Jack visits her corpse on 19 January 2017. A younger version of Ronnie, (played by Lucia De Wan), appeared in a flashback episode broadcast on 5 September 2022, which focuses on the Mitchell family in the 1970s.^[1]