EastEnders villain Bea Pollard, played by Ronni Ancona, was arrested after holding Honey Mitchell hostage, but the actress has confirmed that her character will refuse any chance of redemption in the final scenes yet to air.
Bea's Downfall
In dramatic episodes aired on July 7, Bea was taken away in handcuffs after a high-octane conclusion to her storyline. She had held Honey (Emma Barton) hostage at a remote cottage in Kent, attempted to kill Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), and was only overpowered when Honey, with help from Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Nicola (Laura Doddington), and Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal), managed to escape.
No Redemption Arc
Ronni Ancona told Metro that Bea is offered 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's just going to do the whole thing again. She becomes camper by the moment!" The actress emphasized that Bea sees herself as the hero of her own story, saying, "I didn't want to play her as just the villain. She genuinely thinks she's right."
Future Return Possible
Asked if Bea might return to Albert Square, Ancona said, "I had such a lovely time with her. She was so delicious to play, so never say never!" The star, who previously impersonated EastEnders characters on The Big Impression, described joining the soap as "very surreal – and quite terrifying for about 10 minutes and then I realised everyone was so welcoming."
Ancona's Next Projects
Ancona has a World War II film Think of England coming out in autumn, appears in Fortitude alongside Nicholas Cage, Michael Sheen, and Sir Ben Kingsley, and continues her podcast Hal and Ronni in Pieces with Hal Cruttenden. She also runs production company Captain Dolly with Sally Phillips, producing a mockumentary film.
