Latest news with #SlaterFamily
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Four clues Michelle Ryan was returning to EastEnders – as Zoe Slater is back after 20 years offscreen
EASTENDERS star Michelle Ryan is returning to the soap - but did you spot these four clues hinting at her comeback. The Sun revealed Michelle, 41, will be reprising her role as Zoe Slater this year - after two decades away. 8 8 A source 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.' Michelle starred in the BBC soap from 2000 until eventually bowing out in 2005. Listed below are some clues pointing to the star's Albert Square return. On-screen 'cameo' 8 Zoe may have left Walford two decades ago, but many of her family members still live in the area. Earlier this year, fans began speculating a possible comeback after the soap featured a shot focusing on a photo frame shot of the Slater sisters on Kat's mantlepiece. Speaking on Reddit, one viewer wrote: "Tonight was a dead giveaway -- the way the camera focused directly on Michelle Ryan in that framed Slater photo, that's no accident. "She's totally coming back this week. That was a deliberate teaser." They added: "I suppose a red herring is possible, but for the love of God EE, please don't let us down on this one as well and not do it after all this." "It's way overdue. We haven't had Little Mo back, we haven't had Carol back, we've got to have Zoe." Co-star reunions 8 Michelle has previously caught up with ex-EastEnders castmates - although they no longer work together on the BBC soap. One example was her reunion with Kacey Ainsworth, who played Zoe's aunt Little Mo. Sharing a snap of the two, Michelle penned, in part: "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. "Our boss John Yorke took a real risk putting a family of women in the show and it paid off as on one week when Zoe found out that Kat was her mother viewers tuned into the BBC for 19, 18, 20 and 21 million per episode plus the omnibus." One fan commented: "I'd love to see Zoe back on The Square, even if it was just a short time. I wonder if she'd actually get on with Stacey now." Another remarked: "Would you not just come back? It would be epic!" While a third wrote: "Enjoyed seeing Zoe again in Classic Eastenders episodes recently, be nice to see you back in show someday." Meanwhile, Michelle also caught up with actress Kim Medcalf, who has played Sam Mitchell across two stints. 8 Michelle posted their comeback selfie onto her Instagram grid page as she sent soap fans into a frenzy. She captioned the snap: "Kim and I on a pre Christmas catch up. We hadn't seen each other in five years. As easy company as ever." 40th Anniversary celebration 8 Although Zoe didn't return on-screen for the soap's 40th anniversary, Michelle paid homage to her time in EastEnders. She made a rare post on Instagram celebrating her time on Eastenders, reposting shots from her official photoshoot when joining the series. "I was just sent these two photos from the square that were taken when I was 17/18, that's early 2000's!" she wrote. "They were actually never used for cards to be signed (although I'm being told that some people have them, I didn't realise)." "Wishing everyone on the square a very Happy 40th Birthday! What an achievement for a show to run for that long!," she said. "Many great memories. Congratulations to everyone (Don't read into the song chosen, it's playing in the cafe)." Co-stars discuss return on podcast 8 Fans aren't the only ones who wanted Zoe to return - some of Michelle's former co-stars voiced their interest in this happening. Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, welcomed Jessie Wallace, aka Kat Slater, to her podcast We Started Here. Speaking in the episode, Lacey said: "The Kat and Zoe [storyline]… I'd love it if she came back. Would you?" To which Jessie replied: "I think it'd be great. I think it would be lovely. "Can we make that happen? Wouldn't it be great?" Fans made reference to these comments under Michelle's post, as she wrote: "It came up on a feed, very proud of Lacey having her own podcast. Lovely of Jessie to say." Kat Moon's EastEnders Timeline Kat Slater burst onto the Square in 2000 as feisty Kat Slater, played by Jessie Wallace. She is the eldest sister of the Slater family. She soon makes a big name for herself. She is a loud and brash character who is renowned for her leopard print skimpy outfits and loads of red lipstick. She has played the 'tart with a heart' character but has also had an epic love story with Alfie. Here is a rundown of her greatest soap storylines. Kat arrives in Walford as part of the Slater clan, She soon begins a fling with Steve Owen (Martin Kemp) behind the back of his girlfriend Mel Healey. Kat's sister Zoe (played by Michelle Ryan) was revealed to be her sister after shocked viewers learned she was raped by her uncle Harry Slater as a child and Kat being only 13, was known as her sister. Kat and Zoe's relationship was turbulent. They both vied for the attentions of Anthony Trueman. Kat and Anthony were together but broke up and Zoe then seduced him. Kat later learns she was pregnant but then has to have an abortion. She is comforted by her boss Alfie Moon but then he realises he is in love with her. Kat, becomes briefly engaged to Andy Hunter a local crime boss (Michael Briggs) but she jilts him on her wedding day for the true love her life Alfie. Kat sparks a romance with Alfie Moon and it is the love story of the square. She finally marries Alfie Moon on Christmas day in the Vic. Alfie takes a loan from Andy which he is unable to repay and then threatens to kill him unless Kat sleeps with him. Their relationship becomes cold and distant. One of Kat's biggest storylines was helping her daughter cover up the murder of Dirty Den Watts. She left the soap in 2005 sailing into the sunset with Alfie for a new life in America. Kat returned to the soap in 2010 on the run from a man who she and Alfie conned for money. While Alfie was serving time, she had an affair with Michael Moon who happened to be Alfies cousin and she is now pregnant with his child. Another Kat storyline focused on the breakdown of her and Alfie's marriage and her separation from Tommy and their twin sons Bert and Ernie. Kat's union with Phil Mitchell began after months of feuding. She then sleeps with him marries him beginning a war with his ex Sharon Mitchell over the Mitchell empire. The latest storyline has focused on her son Tommy who idolised Phil and is trying to get back at Kat for breaking up the marriage. Kat meanwhile is back with the love of her life Alfie who is suffering from cancer.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders fans stunned as they find out iconic character's ‘real age'
EASTENDERS fans were left stunned when they found out an iconic character's 'real age'. The actor joined the BBC soap EastEnders in 2000 and has been off an on our screens ever since. 5 5 Over the years she's become one of Walford's biggest icons and has been involved in lots of storylines during her time on the Square. 5 But much of her happenings revolved around being a con woman. Yes, we are speaking about Mo Harris, who is played by Laila Morse and is the matriarch of the Slater family. She is the grandmother of Kat Slater, Belinda Peacock, and Little Mo Slater. Over the past two decades Mo's returned for numerous stints before she departed the show in 2021 for a cruise with her fiancé Fat Elvis. And last year, Mo returned to Walford with Freddie Slater, who was arrested for the assault on Stacey's stalker. The crazed teacher had been harassing the mum for months after growing infatuated with her before things turned sinister and he tried to rape her. Now, fans have found out the Mo's real age in the soap and they are completely amazed. Posting on Redditt one said: "There's absolutely no way she's 89?? EIGHTY NINE????" Another added: "They should have made her Charlie's sister rather than his mother in law. EastEnders' Big Mo reveals she once had a fling with a woman at Eve and Suki's hen do "It's never been fully believable even in the early days of the Slaters." "Laila Morse is 79 which I still find hard to believe- she's still got plenty of go in her!" exclaimed another. A fourth explained: "They aged her up to match pat's age for the backstory, maybe it was believable back in the early 2000s but it sure as hell isn't now." " Gary Oldman is only in his 60s so I doubt she's that old. Unless there's like one hell of an age gap between them" said another. EastEnders stars who QUIT MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year? The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year. Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998. Yet what about the 2024 exits? Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had "quit" the long-running series. It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen. Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford. Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would "quit out of boredom" over recent storylines. Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame. One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky. He played Stacey Slater's brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel. Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse. Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay 's Netflix movie 6 Underground. Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005. She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008. While another soap fan said: "Mo doesn't look 90 whatsover, or acts it either." Laila actually has a super famous little brother and it is none other than Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman. They even collaborated on a film together once, as Laila starred in 1997 film Nil By Mouth, Gary's debut as a film writer and director. When some soap fans got hold of the news that the EastEnders star was the Darkest Hour star's big sis, Twitter lit up. Fans began to tweet their funny reactions to the news that Walford's Big Mo and Oscar winner Gary were in fact brother and sister. One EastEnders fan said: "If there is a better fact out there than Big Mo being Gary Oldman's sister I want to hear it" Another tweeted: "Wtf since when were Big Mo from Eastenders & Gary Oldman brother & sister?????" 5 5
