EastEnders star Michelle Ryan reveals ’emotional’ secret cast reunion ahead of her shock return as Zoe Slater

Actress Michelle Ryan, known for her role on EastEnders, has disclosed that she quietly met up with the show’s cast prior to her surprising comeback as character Zoe Slater.

Onlookers were taken aback on Monday as it became known that the actress, now 40, returned to her role in the BBC soap following a 20-year hiatus.

The fact that Michelle was coming back was tightly held as a secret, and the premiere episode featuring her return wasn’t made available for early streaming on BBC iPlayer.

On Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain, Michelle revealed that she had a get-together with certain actors portraying the Slater family, followed by going on set to shoot her comeback sequences, as she spoke with Richard Arnold.

Expressing a thrill at her return, she shared, “I’ve always cherished collaborating with Jessie [Wallace].

We attended a dinner with the Slater family, who were part of the cast, to make me feel more comfortable around the unfamiliar folks. Upon seeing her, she became quite emotional.

When she discovered that I got the job back, she reacted with excitement as if I were returning home, and all I could do was express a similar sentiment, feeling it was like coming back to a familiar place.

This week, you can expect Michelle to feature in additional two episodes of EastEnders, with plans for her character to become a regular fixture on the show by the end of this year.

As a die-hard fan, I’m absolutely thrilled about Zoe’s return to The Square! She hinted at my anticipation by saying: “Get ready, because she’s going to be quite the handful now. She’s been through some turmoil, which is just fantastic for an actress to delve into – that unpredictable drama!

‘It has felt like I’ve never been away, it was seamless and it was easy, so I’m really lucky.’ 

In the final scenes of Monday’s episode, Michelle made an unexpected comeback on EastEnders, marking the start of new showrunner Ben Wadey’s reign on the soap series.

Upon her arrival back, she expressed, “It seems as though I’ve returned to where I belong. Once I started filming my initial scenes, it felt like no time had passed since I left. Everything fell perfectly into place.

I had been contemplating my comeback since reconnecting with Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo) and Kim Medcalf (Sam Mitchell), as we shared nostalgic moments from the show. Additionally, I’ve noticed on social media that there is still a strong fondness for my character.

It turned out that coincidentally, when EastEnders introduced a new Executive who was passionate about revisiting the show due to his love for Zoe and the Slater family, it happened that my own world was also ready for a return. This convergence of events at the perfect moment has left me thrilled to be back on set!

‘When I was pitched the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.’

In simple terms, the new head of EastEnders, Ben Wadey, mentioned that Zoe Slater was someone he wanted back on the show because her character has remained relevant despite not appearing on screen for two decades, thanks to her memorable storylines.

For two decades since Zoe left Walford, it has emerged that she and Kat have drifted apart.

Michelle hinted at the motivation for Zoe’s return to Albert Square by saying: “I can’t reveal too many details because a lot of exciting events are coming up, but suffice it to say, Zoe is in quite a state.

She isn’t the woman who departed from Walford two decades back; instead, she’s been facing considerable hardships since then, standing alone.

I’ve got my guard on high, but this week, I believe you’ll observe a hint of need for aid. Whether or not I’m open to receiving assistance is yet to be seen.

Throughout her tenure on the show, Michelle was part of one of EastEnders’ most significant plots. It turned out that Kat Slater (played by Jessie Wallace) was actually Zoe’s mother instead of her sister. This twist led to intense scenes where Michelle angrily exclaimed, “You aren’t my mother!”, to which Kat retorted emphatically, “Yes, I am!

In the year 2001, the character Kat Slater from the soap opera EastEnders, known for her fondness of leopard print, disclosed a long-kept secret to her onscreen sibling Zoe: Kat was actually Zoe’s mother.

One memorable and instantly recognizable scene from EastEnders’ four decades still stands out, often imitated by soap opera enthusiasts everywhere.

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2025-06-17 22:33