Major EastEnders legend returns as star breaks silence on comeback 20 years in the making

EastEnders has kicked off its brand new era with a bang, bringing back the one character audiences have been begging to see again for decades.

I am of course referring to the iconic Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), who was seen on-screen at the Doof Doof of Monday’s (June 16) episode for the first time since 2005.

If you’ve happened upon this article perchance and are thinking ‘No way! He can’t be serious?’ then allow me to clear my throat and scream the only response fitting of a situation as momentous as this one.

‘YES I AM!’

If you understood that reference then you’re a true EastEnders fan.

Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) received a phone call from Stacey (Lacey Turner), which prompted him to act suspiciously. This ultimately led to Zoe’s appearance.

‘I can’t say too much as there is a lot of drama to come, but Zoe is a mess,’ said actress Michelle Ryan, discussing her long-awaited comeback.

‘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.

Metro understands that Zoe will appear on-screen this week before making her way back to Walford later this year.

Zoe, as viewers know, featured in many iconic storylines during her five years in the Square (circa 2000 to 2005) – storylines that are very much ingrained in British TV history.

From assisting Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) and Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) in covering up the murder of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) after her affair with the Queen Vic landlord – and her subsequent pregnancy reveal – to her relationship with Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), Zoe had no shortage of iconic tales.

She is, however, mostly remembered for the storyline that had the nation gripped in 2001 when it was revealed that Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) was her biological mum – not her sister, like she had been raised to believe.

The truth came to light in an explosive showdown in Bridge Street market, which prompted perhaps the most iconic dialogue exchange ever uttered in Albert Square.

‘You can’t tell me what do you, you ain’t my mother!’, exclaimed Zoe, storming off after Kat forbade her from going to Spain.

‘Yes I am!’ responded Kat, blowing the decades-long secret that Zoe was her daughter.

Goosebumps just thinking about it.

Having left the Square in 2005, Zoe is often at the very top of fans’ wishlist for characters viewers would like to see return – and it seems they aren’t alone in this respect, with new boss Ben Wadey very much of the same mindset.

‘Before I even stepped into the role, Zoe Slater was on my wish-list of returnees as although we haven’t seen her on screen for twenty years, her character has transcended time due to her popular storylines,’ he said.

‘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.’

Michelle, meanwhile, reckons Zoe’s return happened at exactly the right time.

‘I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with Kacey Ainsworth [Little Mo] 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 pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.’

Our Verdict

Zoe’s comeback has been two decades in the making and the moment in which she first appeared on-screen again was worth every second of the wait.

The secrecy surrounding her return – by withholding the episode from iPlayer – coupled with theories galore from enthusiastic fans (this one included) made the comeback all the more delicious, harking back to soaps’ heyday when we all had to watch on TV at the same time.

Ben Wadey has certainly got off to a strong start as EastEnders’ new boss in granting fans one of biggest wishes of all.

It’s of course to early to say whether or not Zoe’s comeback will live up to expectations, but if the rest of her tenure is even remotely as good as her return sequence, I fear we’re in for a treat.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – 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.