Latest news with #AlbertSquare
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic EastEnders star set for return 20 years after leaving the BBC soap
Iconic EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan is set to return to the BBC soap 20 years after her departure from Albert Square. Ryan played the role of Zoe Slater on the soap from 2000 to 2005. During her time on EastEnders, Ryan's character was involved in one of the most explosive and iconic moments in the soap's history. Involved in a heated argument with Kat Slater (played by Jessie Wallace), Zoe yelled: 'You can't tell me what to do. You ain't my mother.' To which Kat famously replied: 'Yes I am!' Michelle Ryan (pictured left) was involved in one of the most iconic moments in EastEnders history. (Image: BBC) Ryan's character Zoe left the show in 2005, moving away to start a new life in Ibiza after being wrongly made to believe she had killed Den Watts. EastEnders fans had hoped Ryan, and her character Zoe, would return for the 40th anniversary special in February. While she didn't appear in the anniversary special earlier this year, reports are that Ryan is set to return to EastEnders 20 years after leaving the BBC soap. A source, speaking to The Sun, said: 'Bosses have repeatedly reached out to Michelle over the years, but the timing has never been quite right. 'People are still talking about her character, so it's a real coup to bring her back. 'She feels like now is the perfect moment — and there was an exciting script on the table.' RECOMMENDED READING: Former EastEnders star 'honoured' to be joining 'iconic' ITV soap Emmerdale EastEnders star set to return after 8 years and fans say it's the 'perfect' time Coronation Street star signs new ITV contract ahead of Emmerdale crossover The BBC offered "no comment" when asked about reports of Ryan's return to EastEnders. Since leaving EastEnders, Ryan has gone on to appear in several other TV shows and films, including Death in Paradise (Lexi Cunningham), Bionic Woman (Jaime Sommers), Cockneys vs Zombies (Katy) and Cleanskin (Emma). EastEnders airs every Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One or you can watch episodes on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders bombshell as legendary star 'set to return' after 20-year absence
EastEnders fans may need to brace themselves for a bombshell - as rumours have suggested Michelle Ryan will be returning to Albert Square. The 41-year-old TV star famously played Zoe Slater on the BBC soap from 2000 until 2005, and appearing in 559 episodes. Her character was involved in one of the most explosive and iconic moments of soap history - when she dismissively told Jessie Wallace's Kat Slater that she couldn't order her around, famously barking: "You ain't my mother!" Only for Kat to deliver the explosive response: "Yes I am!" Michelle bowed out of EastEnders in June 2005 when she departs Walford for a new life in Ibiza after being wrongly made to believe she had killed Den Watts. But now it has been reported that Michelle will make a return to the show that launched her into the spotlight. Fans had hoped to see Zoe return amid the dramatic 40th anniversary events on EastEnders earlier this year - that saw Martin Fowler get killed off and Angie Watts, who had an off-screen death in 2002, make a shock return as a hallucination in the mind of Sharon Watts as she battled to stay alive following an accident. Now Zoe is expected to return to the Square at some point in 2025. A source told The Sun: 'Bosses have repeatedly reached out to Michelle over the years, but the timing has never been quite right. 'People are still talking about her character, so it's a real coup to bring her back. She feels like now is the perfect moment — and there was an exciting script on the table.' A spokesperson for the BBC offered "no comment" when asked about the reports of Michelle's return. The Mirror also contacted representatives of Michelle for comment. The latest suggestion of a return comes just over six months after Michelle confirmed she would consider returning to the BBC show. Speculation was ignited last November when Little Mo Slater actress Kacey Ainsworth shared a photograph on social media and wrote: Just got back from a lovely dog walk with my friend Kacey. We worked together many moons ago (no pun intended) on Eastenders as sisters. Part of the Slater family." Asked about a comeback she replied to one fan: "Never say never," before telling another: "That's for the producers to decide." Explaining her past decision to not come back, she went on: "That has been the case. Moving forward who knows what could happen. I genuinely have no idea. If that changes I would post to let people know." Away from EastEnders, Michelle has had a reasonably steady career as she continues to act. She has had roles in Agatha Christie's Marple, Mansfield Park, Death in Paradise and even Doctor Who over the years. She has also enjoyed success in film roles, and is set to star in a film called Finding My Voice this year. Respectably, Michelle has never resorted to appearing in reality shows in order to try to stay in the spotlight - with not a Dancing On Ice, Celebrity Big Brother, I'm A Celeb or Strictly Come Dancing credit anywhere on her CV. The star has updated fans about her life via social media, frequently posting from Paris in recent weeks and revealing what movies she has been watching at the cinema lately. The star also connected with fans from her doomed sci-fi drama Bionic Woman, a 2007 remake of The Bionic Woman series from the 1970s. Tipped as a huge show for the British star, the American series was savagely cancelled after just eight episodes. Last week, she shared a photo of promotional photos from the series that she has been sending to fans. She wrote in an accompanying caption on Instagram: "Answering fan mail time. Thank you to fans in the US for sending dollars for postage. "I always hope the letters makes it across the postal systems. And to all fans I need to get some new photos printed so if you need the photos sooner rather than later please send images you would like me to sign and I will collect from my agency or they will send on to me."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders 'recasts huge role' as character returns after eight years away
EastEnders is reportedly set to see the return of Albert Square youngster Oscar Branning - however, there's a new actor who's rumoured to be stepping into the role. It has been eight years since Oscar last appeared on our screens, with the son of Max Branning and Tanya Cross last played by twins Neo and Charlee Hall. Now, Oscar is rumoured to be returning to the BBC soap with Pierre Moullier being cast in the role. Pierre has appeared in My England and The Jumper Factory at the Young Vic, but already has one TV credit under his belt. He appeared in Fate: The Winx Saga - Netflix's supernatural teen drama which was cancelled after two series back in 2022. Pierre is reportedly taking on the role of Oscar, with a source telling The Sun: "It is an exceptional bout of casting - Pierre looks more like a younger Jake than Jake did himself. It's uncanny." They added that Pierre will "bring something new to Oscar", who will be setting "the cat amongst the pigeons in the Square". The BBC declined to comment when The Mirror reached out for comment. Earlier this year, EastEnders fans were convinced that Max Branning - played by Jake Wood - would be returning to the Square after spotting a 'huge clue'. After Lauren and Peter became engaged back in April, viewers speculated that Max would return for the big day. "So a max return for peter and lauren's wedding??" penned one, as another responded: "Need that immediately". "Max, Tanya and Oscar's return looms surely #eastenders," predicted another, while a fourth penned: "I think Cindy will definitely come back for the wedding - either alone or with Max. Lauren will give birth on her wedding day and Cindy will reveal that she shot Ian in February. This will create further tensions between Peter Ian & Kathy later down the line." However, fans will know that Peter and Lauren are set to reach breaking point in coming weeks as the couple struggle over baby Jimmy's recent diagnosis and Lauren's battle with addiction. It's been a dramatic week on EastEnders, with Zack Hudson and Teddy Mitchell crashing their car into a lake after Zack discovered that he was actually Barney's dad. On Wednesday, viewers learnt that Teddy had managed to escape the sinking car - but that Zack hadn't been found.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
EastEnders fans say ‘someone's getting fired' as BBC soap accidentally reveals major spoilers
EASTENDERS fans think someone behind the scenes may be about to lose their job after the soap has accidentally revealed a major spoiler. Viewers have tuned into the long-running BBC serial drama to watch Zack Hudson's showdown with members of the Mitchell family. 8 Vicki and Linda were practically in tears as they thought Zack was killed Credit: BBC 8 However, viewers were left scrambling after producers accidently posted a major spoiler Credit: BBC 8 Zach was revealed to be alive before the episode was shown to viewers Credit: BBC Although he's the half-brother of Sharon ( Zack previously worked as a personal trainer when he had an illicit affair with Nicola ( This resulted in the birth of Barney Mitchell ( Nicola also let Teddy believe that he was the father as she kept the secret completely hidden, until Zack recently found out the truth. READ MORE ON EASTENDERS Teddy tried to stop his other son Harry ( Zack's fate hung in the balance and he was initially feared to be dead after the vehicle plunged into a lake. The soap's official social media accounts were all meant to post a behind the scenes video of the car stunt. However, producers behind the scenes seemed to accidentally post a major spoiler video of next week's events instead. Most read in Soaps In a massive blunder, Zack is revealed to be alive as he dramatically walked into his house looking completely dishevelled. Vicki Fowler ( Shock EastEnders death rocks Walford as major secret is revealed He later claimed that he got away as he swam to the other side of the lake to get out of reach of the Mitchell's, whom he realised tried to kill him. As the video went viral on social media, longtime EastEnders fans were left scrambling by the blunder. On social media fan-forum site Reddit, one viewer wrote: "So on YouTube there's a video which is meant to be BTS of the car crash but it's actually the weekly recap and yeah... ...spoilers." Fans flooded the post with comments as someone joked: "Someone is going to be fired." EastEnders facts and figures THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades. EastEnders follows the lives of the residents of Here's the latest on: EastEnders spoilers Where is Inside EastEnders The history of The biggest ever Shocking Albert Square The soap's A third user said: "I swear the person in charge of socials is about to have the passwords changed on them! Is this not the second mess in the space of a week?" "Oh my god I work in a similar field (we're not all interns haha) and this is the stuff of nightmares. Hopefully they manage to get it sorted and have procedures in place to avoid it again!", explained someone else. And a fifth added: "Someone is so getting fired." This comes after the soap Visit our EastEnders page for the latest gossip Find all EastEnders spoilers here In a post uploaded to the official TikTok account, fans noticed that a for sale/auction sign had been placed on the side of the Queen Vic. This suggested that the current owners Linda Carter and the Knight family are set to lose the pub in a shock new storyline. 8 Zach was initially thought to be dead before the cliffhanger was seemingly revealed early on social media Credit: BBC 8 Zack is actually the father of Barney Mitchell and he found out the truth about his son Credit: BBC 8 He had an affair with Nicola when he previously worked as a personal trainer Credit: BBC 8 Barney grew up thinking that Teddy was actually his father Credit: BBC 8 Harry tried to kill Zack before a car that Teddy was also in plunged into a lake Credit: BBC Eastenders continues on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
EastEnders star Kara Tointon, 41, undergoes double mastectomy
Former EastEnders star Kara Tointon has revealed she has undergone a double mastectomy. The actress found fame as Dawn Swann on the BBC soap, a role she played for four years between 2005 and 2009. Introduced alongside the wider Miller family, Dawn conned her neighbours out of money and being kidnapped by twisted Dr May Wright (Amanda Drew). Her exit story saw her sailing into the sunset (quite literally) with Gary Hobbs (Ricky Groves). After leaving Albert Square, Kara went on to win Strictly Come Dancing, and appear in ITV dramas The Bill and Mr Selfridge. She's also had a number of theatre roles, including a live version of The Sound of Music which was transmitted on television in 2015. Taking to Instagram today, she revealed that she's chosen to reduce her risk of cancer after discovering she's a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, which increases the chances of being diagnosed. Speaking in a video to her 151,000 followers, Kara explained that her mum passed away from ovarian cancer seven years ago. The star has has now undergone a double mastectomy and had her fallopian tubes removed. 'This is personal, but important,' she wrote alongside the clip. 'I am sharing with you my journey with the BRCA1 gene. It's about understanding, choices, and taking control. Hope this helps someone out there.' She goes on to explain: 'You may have heard of the BRCA genes type 1 and 2 and as a carrier it means that I am at a greater risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. 'Back in 2018 when my mum was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, I was asked to take a genetics test. 'There is a history of both cancers in my family but for various reasons including generational trauma of which I'll talk more about another time, we hadn't looked into it until that point.' Kara continued: 'But it was put to us, we took the test and it was confirmed that my mum and I both carried the gene. 'I was pregnant with my first child at the time, knew I wanted more children if possible so over the next couple of years I was invited to various meetings by the NHS to really become informed and to understand all my options. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! 'Last year having had my second son in 2021 and deciding that our family was complete, I underwent two preventative surgeries. The first a double mastectomy and the second a two part protector study, a trial. 'They believe that ovarian cancer begins in the Fallopian tubes so by removing them first checking out you can remove the ovaries later.' More Trending Concluding her video, she added: 'I wasn't an easy decision, but one I am very glad that I made. I can now with hindsight talk about it properly. 'I wanted to talk about it because hearing other people's experience, helped so much and knowledge is power, communication is key, getting to know our bodies, our cycles is only a good thing, but I'll be talking about this a lot more.' Kara's EastEnders alter ego Dawn was referenced in the serial last year, when her on-screen brother Mickey (Joe Swash) made a surprise return. View More » Having separated from Garry, she was now operating an eco-friendly B&B business in the Cotswolds with her family. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Hollyoaks star Paul Danan's death at 46 ruled misadventure MORE: Coronation Street fans convinced major star is returning MORE: Colson Smith lands 'exciting' new job after Coronation Street exit
