"Wentworth" season 4 ended with the sudden death of Bea Smith, played by Danielle Cormack. The character was suddenly assaulted by Joan "The Freak" Ferguson (Pamela Rabe) and the latter stabbed Bea multiple times with a screwdriver. Unfortunately for fans, executive producer Jo Porter has confirmed she is not returning for season 5.
"It is always an incredibly difficult decision to say farewell to a much-loved and revered character like Bea Smith," Porter told News.au. "Which is why this storyline has had such a huge impact on us all and we are sure fans will feel the same. This decision was particularly hard as it meant also saying goodbye to Danielle Cormack."
According to the report, the actress has spent her time in Cambodia for charity work and was unavailable to comment regarding a possible return to the show or the fate of her character. It is noted that Bea has been viewed by many as the main character of the show and has been a mainstay since the premiere episode of season 1.
The report further revealed that Cormack had been posting on social media sites hinting she was not in Melbourne during the time the rest of the cast had begun filming for season 5, further cementing the fact that she was indeed not going to come back and that her character was killed off for good.
It is further explained that the producers had intentionally killed off Bea Smith to add dramatic impact on the show instead of waiting for Cormack to get tired and ask to leave the show, which may hinder how well her departure may be handled.
No official premiere date for "Wentworth" season 5 has yet been announced although it is widely speculated to premiere by spring 2017 given that production for season 5 has already begun and previous seasons premiered in April and May.
