BBC EastEnders Zoe Slater returns after 20 years as fans are left thrilled
EastEnders viewers were left in disbelief as Michelle Ryan made her first appearance in Albert Square in 20 years, reprising her role as Zoe Slater after weeks of speculation
EastEnders fans were left stunned following tonight's show on Monday, June 16 as Zoe Slater graced the screen for the first time in two decades. After weeks of speculation, it's now confirmed that Michelle Ryan has reprised her role as Kat Slater's daughter.
It marks her first appearance since departing Albert Square back in 2005. In one of EastEnders most riveting storylines, Zoe Slater's life was thrown into turmoil when she discovered that her 'sister' Kat (portrayed by Jessie Wallace) was actually her biological mum
This was a result of Kat being assaulted by her uncle Harry at just 13 years old. The plot which played out on the BBC soap took another twist in 2015 with the revelation that Kat had given birth to twins, indicating that Zoe has a twin brother.
Zoe was last spotted in Walford in 2005 before jetting off to Ibiza. Her final dramatic scenes on the Square saw her sleeping with Dirty Den to feign a pregnancy with his son Dennis Rickman's child and conspiring with Chrissie Watts and Sam Mitchell to seek revenge against Den for his misdeeds, mistakenly believing she had killed him.
It later emerged that Zoe wasn't Den's killer and that it was actually Chrissie who was the guilty party, leading to her being slammed behind bars while Zoe departed for sunnier shores, reports the Mirror.
Fast forward twenty years, and Zoe made a sensational comeback to EastEnders, leaving viewers stunned as she appeared dishevelled after using Kat's credit card for a shopping spree.
In a moment of sheer desperation, Stacey Slater (played by Lacey Turner) found herself seeking the aid of Alfie Moon (Shane Ritchie), who had just married Kat yet willingly returned to his stepfather duties. The episode culminated with Alfie extending a forlorn welcome to Zoe as she made her return, uttering a desolate: "Hello Zoe."
The twist set social media ablaze as soaps enthusiasts at home couldn't contain their excitement. One Twitter user announced: "ZOE BLOODY SLATER #EastEnders."
Another shared their elation with a tweet: "ZOE YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU AIN'T MY MOTHER SLATER IS BACK! #eastenders," while another expressed disbelief: "An actual Zoe Slater return i can't believe my eyes #EastEnders."
Yet, not everyone was caught off-guard by Zoe's reappearance. Tweets reflecting less surprise also surfaced: "Such a shame Zoe's return was leaked- imagine the shock we would have got #EastEnders," and its sentiment echoed by another: "Me acting shocked when Zoe Slater turns up even though her return got leaked weeks ago #EastEnders."
Looking back at her decision to return to Albert Square, actress Michelle reflected on her return: "It all happened at the right time. I'd already been thinking about a return because I'd met up with Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo) and Kim Medcalf (Sam Mitchell) and we were reminiscing our fond memories of the show, and I'd also joined social media and saw that there was still a lot of love for the character.
"It just so happened that at the same time, EastEnders had announced a new Exec who was keen to explore the potential of a return as he was such a massive fan of Zoe and the Slaters, so both of our worlds aligned at the right time, and I'm so excited to be back. When Ben pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision."
The show's producers have hinted that Zoe will make her comeback bearing 20 years' worth of "deep-rooted resentment" towards her mum, strained family ties, and siblings she has yet to meet.
They added that the character is set for quite the rollercoaster ride upon her return. Michelle, while discussing Zoe's upcoming storyline in Albert Square, intriguingly noted: "I can't say too much as there is a lot of drama to come, but Zoe is a mess. She's not the girl that left Walford twenty years ago, and she's been really struggling on her own. She has her defences up, but this week you will see that she needs help, but whether she is willing to accept it is another story."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
32 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Danny Dyer reveals how dressing dilemma made him give up drugs
Appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast, the former EastEnders star described the moment he knew he was 'destroying' his life after celebrating a win at the National Television Awards (NTAs). 'I just could not work out how to get my jeans on. 'I was just sitting on my en-suite toilet trying to work out what leg goes in what,' he told Theroux. 'I've sort of had many of them moments over the years, of me being completely off my head. 'But that one really resonated with me. 'It was more because I looked up, my wife was just watching me and she looked shattered and she looked ill.' Dyer, who has spoken before about his drug abuse, said he knew it was having a bad effect on his wife Jo, as well as their children. He added: 'It was just this moment, I thought, shit, you're going to die. You're going to kill yourself. You're not happy. You're spanking all your money on drugs. You're destroying everything around you.' Dyer, who has been filming the second series of hit drama Rivals, also spoke of his frustration at being encouraged to talk in an American accent as he tried to build a career in Hollywood a few years ago. He told Theroux that, instead of convincing them with an American accent, 'everyone thought I was Australian'. Dyer added: 'They wanted me to live there for six months, and I had small children and I hated the fact that they wanted me to speak American all the time, which is what you're meant to do out there.' He told Theroux that he is extremely proud of his upcoming film, Three Quick Breaths, in which he plays the only role, describing it as maybe 'my Hamlet'. 'We shot it in 10 days in Dublin and I had to learn 15 pages a day,' he said. 'Maybe this was my Hamlet, maybe that narcissist in me thought, can I be the only one in a film? I watched it and I'm really proud of it.' The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify and all podcast platforms.
Leader Live
32 minutes ago
- Leader Live
‘I'm so excited to be back': Michelle Ryan to return to EastEnders as Zoe Slater
The 41-year-old will return to the role for the first time in 20 years, with her character having been involved in some of the show's best-known storylines, including one which saw her tell her mother Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) 'you ain't my mother', before finding out she was. Speaking about her return, Ryan said: 'It all happened at the right time. 'I'd already been thinking about a return because I'd met up with Kacey Ainsworth and Kim Medcalf and we were reminiscing our fond memories of the show, and I'd also joined social media and saw that there was still a lot of love for the character. 'It just so happened that at the same time, EastEnders had announced a new exec who was keen to explore the potential of a return as he was such a massive fan of Zoe and the Slaters, so both of our worlds aligned at the right time, and I'm so excited to be back. 'When Ben (Wadey, EastEnders executive producer) pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.' Wadey added of his decision to bring Zoe back: 'Before I even stepped into the role, Zoe Slater was on my wishlist of returnees as we haven't seen her on screen for 20 years. 'Her character has transcended time due to her popular storylines. 'I was absolutely delighted when Michelle agreed to return, and I'm thrilled to welcome her back to Walford. 'Whilst I can't say too much at this stage, Zoe's return is just one of the many exciting storylines we have planned.' Producers say Zoe will return with 20 years of 'deep-rooted resentment' towards her mother, fractured family relationships, and siblings she has never met, adding that the character 'will be in for one hell of a ride' when she returns. On her character's return storylines, Ryan said: 'I can't say too much as there is a lot of drama to come, but Zoe is a mess. 'She's not the girl that left Walford 20 years ago, and she's been really struggling on her own. She has her defences up, but this week you will see that she needs help, but whether she is willing to accept it is another story.' Zoe had countless failed love interests, including one with Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), which saw Zoe embroiled in the murder of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) with accomplices Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) and Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), after her affair with Den and subsequent pregnancy. The character left Albert Square in 2005, when she reconciled with Kat after admitting the truth about Den's murder, but during her time away from Walford, Zoe and Kat's relationship broke down once again and the pair have been estranged ever since. Speaking about how it felt to return to the set, Ryan added: 'It feels like coming home. After doing my first few scenes, it was like I'd never been away.' Zoe made her first appearance in the soap in September 2000 along with the rest of the Slater family, and last appeared on screen in June 2005, when she left Walford for Spain after revealing her part in Den's murder to mum, Kat. She will also appear in Tuesday and Wednesday's episodes before making a full return in the summer.
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Danny Dyer reveals the moment he realised he had a drink and drug problem as he credits EastEnders co-star for intervention: 'She'd always said I've got an issue'
Danny Dyer has revealed the moment he realised he had a drinking problem and credited his EastEnders co-star Luisa Bradshaw-White for telling him he had an issue. The actor, 47, who has been open about his past relationship with drugs, spoke with Louis Theroux, 55, about his struggles on his self-titled podcast on Tuesday. During the interview, the pair discussed how Danny's moment of clarity to make a change came after being 'off his head' following the NTA s back in 2017. Louis kicked off the conversation by asking the star: 'On Desert Island Discs. You talk about not being able to put your trousers on...' referring to the day after the NTAs. Danny candidly replied: 'I had a moment of clarity where I had been on it all night after the NTAs. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I think I'd won and that's always on like a Tuesday or something and I had to go to work. 'There's another thing with EastEnders, is that they go, "Yeah, come celebrate NTAs, but you are up at seven in the morning". So anyway, I'd just overdone it again and I just could not work out how to get my jeans on. Wanting Danny to explain further, Louis asked him: 'Which part of it?' Danny replied: 'I was just sitting on my en suite toilet trying to work out what leg goes in what, and I don't why. 'I've sort of had many of them moments over the years of me being completely off my head. 'But that one really resonated with me. It was more because I looked up, my wife was just watching me and she looked shattered and she looked ill. 'And of course, you know, the drug taking and the madness that comes with it, you're destroying yourself and your body and you're slowly killing yourself, but you also, you're really upsetting the people around you. 'I just looked at her, even through this moment, I was off my head. But everything seemed to just sort of go, what the f*ck are you doing to people around you that love you? 'And it was that moment and I could hear Artie, my son, who's now 11, he must have been 3. He was running around downstairs and I think I'd got rid of the last straggler out the house.' When asked what the time would have been Danny added: 'Well it would've been about 6.30-6.45.' Clarifying further, Louis asked the star: 'What in the morning?' To which Danny replied: 'Yeah, So I had a car picking me up to take me to work and it was just this moment I thought, "s**t, you're going to die. 'You're going to kill yourself. You're not happy. You're spanking all your money on drugs. You're destroying everything around you." He continued: 'It's weird, that moment, because I went straight to work that day and I was a bit off my head and I did say, "Listen, I need help. I can't do this anymore, 'I need help. I don't know what it is, but this is a crossroads in my life where I need a gear change and I need it now and I don't think I'm going to survive this year". Crediting his co-star, he added: 'And so, you know, I want give a shout out to Louisa Bradshaw White, who played my sister Tina, who really came to the front for me, more than anybody else. 'She'd always said that she thinks I've got an issue and problem. No one else would say that to me… I don't know, people don't want to busy themselves in your life either. 'She would always say, "whenever you're ready" you know, that was her vibe with me and then I was ready.' When Louis said he wondered if Louisa had been through something similar, Danny said: 'She's had her issues like a lot of people have really, and a lot of people in my life, He told the i newspaper at the time: 'I was in such a dark place, I was slowly committing suicide. I had no hope, I hated myself, couldn't look in the mirror for more than five seconds (pictured 2019) 'I've seen a lot of people go through some quite heavy stuff and always thought, "oh f*cking hell, that's quite heavy, glad I'm not that bad." Actually, turns out I was, it just took me a longer route to get there. In 2019, Danny revealed that in his past he binged on crack cocaine and was in such a 'dark place' that he was 'slowly committing suicide'. He told the i newspaper at the time: 'I was in such a dark place, I was slowly committing suicide. I had no hope, I hated myself, couldn't look in the mirror for more than five seconds. He recalled one of his darkest moments as staying up all night smoking crack before appearing in his mentor Harold Pinter's play Celebration back in 2001 at New York's Lincoln Center. He confessed: 'I was abusing myself so much, my brain wasn't ready and I didn't have a clue what to say. 'The blood rushed from my feet to my head and I was petrified. I felt so vulnerable.' The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify and all podcast platforms.
