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âIâm so excited to be backâ: 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.
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Actress Michelle Ryan is to return to EastEnders as Zoe Slater after appearing in Mondayâs episode of the BBC soap.
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 showâs best-known storylines, including one which saw her tell her mother Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) âyou ainât my motherâ, before finding out she was.
Speaking about her return, Ryan said: âIt all happened at the right time.
âIâd already been thinking about a return because Iâd met up with Kacey Ainsworth and Kim Medcalf and we were reminiscing our fond memories of the show, and Iâd also joined social media and saw that there was still a lot of love for the character.
[xdelx]
âIt 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 Iâm so excited to be back.
âWhen Ben (Wadey, EastEnders executive producer) pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.â
Wadey added of his decision to bring Zoe back: âBefore I even stepped into the role, Zoe Slater was on my wishlist of returnees as we havenât seen her on screen for 20 years.
âHer character has transcended time due to her popular storylines.
âI was absolutely delighted when Michelle agreed to return, and Iâm thrilled to welcome her back to Walford.
âWhilst I canât say too much at this stage, Zoeâs return is just one of the many exciting storylines we have planned.â
Producers say Zoe will return with 20 years of âdeep-rooted resentmentâ towards her mother, fractured family relationships, and siblings she has never met, adding that the character âwill be in for one hell of a rideâ when she returns.
Michelle Ryan on the set of EastEnders (BBC EastEnders/PA)
PA Media
On her characterâs return storylines, Ryan said: âI canât say too much as there is a lot of drama to come, but Zoe is a mess.
âSheâs not the girl that left Walford 20 years ago, and sheâs 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.â
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 Denâs murder, but during her time away from Walford, Zoe and Katâs 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: âIt feels like coming home. After doing my first few scenes, it was like Iâd never been away.â
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 Denâs murder to mum, Kat.
She will also appear in Tuesday and Wednesdayâs episodes before making a full return in the summer.
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