‘She’ll do it again!’ EastEnders star Ronni Ancona denies Bea redemption with final scenes still to come
Much like it does for all the great EastEnders villains, comeuppance has come calling for Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona), who was taken away in handcuffs after holding Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) hostage.
It was a high-octane and very entertaining conclusion to one of the BBC soap’s biggest and best stories, with manipulative Bea having caused absolute chaos in the Square since her debut earlier this year.
Initially introduced as an old acquaintance of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Bea soon hit it off with Honey, who was delighted to have found a friend who understood her in a way no-one else did.
Or so she thought.
In typical soapy fashion a twist followed. With Bea an expert in manipulation and control, she spun a web of lies in order to get what she wanted. And what she wanted was to be the centre of Honey’s world.
‘I like to think she’s very complicated,’ star Ronni Ancona, who admits she was approached about playing the ‘delusional’ and ‘very annoying’ character, told Metro.
‘I didn’t want to play her as just the villain. She genuinely thinks she’s right.
‘What I think is interesting and nuanced – and what is frightening about people like her – is they’re completely convinced they’re the hero of their own story.
‘Bea never really thought of herself as a villain – she just thinks everyone else is getting in the way of her happy ending. I was very keen to get that across. Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to become Bea. Somewhere along the line, something has gone very wrong.’
Bea’s antics kept viewers entertained for much of the year and her true nature soon came to light as – despite Honey remaining in the dark about what her mate was capable of – Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) saw right through her, which prompted Bea to retaliate by removing him from Honey’s life.
The schemer set up fake dating profiles in his name, claimed he tried it on with her and subsequently faked her own death, hoping Billy would be blamed and jailed for the crime.
The story came to a head in dramatic scenes on Tuesday (July 7), with Bea taking Honey hostage at a remote cottage in Kent. Honey managed to secure her escape, with some assistance from Linda, Nicola (Laura Doddington) and Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal), but Bea wasn’t giving up without a fight as she attempted to kill Billy in front of a devastated Honey later that evening.
‘Once Bea starts losing control, everything unravels very quickly,’ said Ronni. ‘Playing someone whose very carefully constructed world is collapsing around her is exhausting but brilliant.’
In scenes helmed by powerhouse performances from stars Ronni and Emma Barton, Honey overpowered her nemesis – just in time for the police to arrive and take her away in handcuffs.
‘It’s ‘Single White Female’, ‘Gone Girl’, ‘Misery’ all blended up into one denouement,’ described Ronni with excitement. ‘It’s quite an ending!’
The Last Tango In Halifax star said that the big soapy ending of the story appealed to her greatly. ‘I was really honoured because I was asked to extend my stint a little bit,’ she added. ‘But everyone knew [from the start] where Bea was going to go to.’
The question is: Is Bea capable of redemption? It seems not, with Ronni confirming that her Albert Square alter-ego is given an ultimatum in upcoming scenes.
‘Bea is offered a chance of redemption and to admit the folly of her ways but it’s clear that this isn’t going to happen,’ she teased, ‘She’s just going to do the whole thing again. She becomes camper by the moment!’
And although filming has wrapped on the chaotic character, could we perhaps see Bea back on the Square at some stage in the future?
‘You know what? I had such a lovely time with her,’ enthused Ronni. ‘She was so delicious to play, so never say never!’
If you’re familiar with Ronni’s work then you’ll know that Bea wasn’t the first time she dabbled in the world of Walford, with the star having previously impersonated a number of the characters as part of The Big Impression.
‘It’s like I’ve committed crimes on Albert Square before but in sketches,’ she joked. ‘Bea was my first chance to do it properly!
‘It was very surreal – and quite terrifying [ to join EastEnders]… for about 10 minutes and then I realised everyone was so welcoming. It was like joining a family who have been together for 40 years. They’ve all got their rhythm but somehow they make room for you surprisingly quickly – they’re very welcoming and encompassing.’
Despite Bea’s story coming to an end, Ronni won’t be away from our screens for long, with two movies in the pipeline for The Big Impression star.
‘I’ve got a film coming out, a World War II film called Think of England – that’s coming out in cinemas in the autumn. I’m in another film which is quite exciting called Fortitude. I’m not in it much but my gosh it’s got Nicholas Cage, Michael Sheen and Sir Ben Kinglsey – all these huge stars.
‘I’ve got another series of my podcast with Hal Cruttenden, Hal and Ronni in Pieces. And I’ve got a production company with Sally Phillips called Captain Dolly, we’re producing a mockumentary film, which is very funny.’
And as for what the future holds, Ronni is keen to play a different kind of part. ‘I do tend to play roles that are the sort of women who would walk up, ring the doorbell and stand on the doorstep and ruin everyone’s life by delivering some appalling news,’ she exclaimed.
‘Bizarrely, I don’t think I’ve ever played a wife in anything, so maybe I’d like to play someone adorable – like the woman next door! That might be quite nice. But I do love playing villainesses though!’
‘I’m very honoured when I’m asked to do dramas – there are loads of shows I’d love to do and things I’d love to be involved in. But if I had to say what I’d like to do before I die, I’d love to create and be a part of a comedy film that really made people laugh because I think that’s a great gift to leave as a legacy.’
Read our full chat with Ronni in Thursday’s 60 Seconds in the Metro paper or in Metro Soaps’ Newsletter on Friday.
