Meet the Mitchells: Ronnie and Roxy join cousin Phil on EastEnders

Meet Ronnie and Roxy, cousins of Phil Mitchell and the latest addition to the EastEnders hardman's family.

Actress Samantha Janus (Ronnie) and Rita Simons (Roxy) play the sisters, who are about to erupt into Phil's life, and cause trouble for him and others on the popular soap.

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Sister act: Rita Simons, left , will play Roxy Mitchell, and Samantha Janus, her sister Ronnie as they join the Mitchell clan in EastEnders

The sisters characterisations have drawn comparisons to real-life gangsters the Kray Twins.

Comparisons which don't surprise Samantha Janus.

"There's a reason you've got two women who are so co-dependent and dysfunctional - and it's no coincidence that they're called Ronnie and Roxy," said 34-year-old Samantha.

"They are chilling, dark and absolutely in touch with what the other is doing.

"Although they dress flirtatiously they are male in their outlook, physically intimidating and laddish. There's nothing cutesie about them, they are quite scary at times. The fans are going to love us."

Criminal associations aside it's clear they're about to set the square abuzz with their sudden arrival.

Rita Simons told The Mirror: "The Mitchell boys have had their heyday, but Grant has disappeared and Phil's a family man now.

She added: "The boys are the old school - we're the new generation."

The sisters arrive in Albert Square to run the Queen Vic as Peggy Mitchell is busy with Phil following his wedding day drama. The pair fly in from Ibiza where they have been running a bar.

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The sisters come to Peggy's rescue to look after the Queen Vic following Phil's disastrous wedding day drama with fiancee Stella

In their introductory scene, Roxy Mitchell takes one look at Albert Square and scathingly says, "We gave up Ibiza for this?"

Meanwhile cousin Phil Mitchell proves equally unimpressed by the sudden arrival of the sisters.

"We're his annoying, irrelevant, irritating little cousins," said 30-year-old Rita, who plays Roxy.

"He's got lots of issues and we're just in the way."

The apple of her villain father Archie's eye, Roxy isn't shy when it comes to sticking up for herself - Phil is one of the first to feel the force of her fury when he gets a bottle on the back of the head.

"Roxy doesn't fight like a girl, with hair-pulling and scratching - she throws proper punches," said Rita.

"If it's got a pulse Roxy will fight with it, and Ronnie will be watching approvingly in the background.

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Samantha Janus admitted to feeling daunted at the prospect of meeting the long-established cast of the popular soap for the first time

Actress Rita, who has had bit parts in Mile High, Dream Team and London's Burning, lives a more sedate life than Roxy, as she is a married mother-of-two.

She has been with her hairdresser husband Theo for the past decade and had their twin girls, Jaimee and Maiya, 17 months ago.

The actress is best known for her role in 90s show Game On, starred in gritty ITV police show Liverpool One - where she met her current partner, actor Mark Womack when both were already married.

But eight years on their relationship has endured and they have two children - son Benji, six, and two-year-old Lily-Rose.

She described the sisters as " typical Mitchells ", but cautioned " it's only a matter of time before they turn on each other."

But despite the hardwoman character Sam admitted she was daunted walking on to the EastEnders set for the first time seven weeks ago to meet the cast.

"These are iconic roles and we were nervous".

She added: "Such iconic women have run the Queen Vic, like Barbara Windsor and Anita Dobson. It's not a place to hide away, you've got to come in and nail it."

The sisters make their screen debut on July 24th.