Why Michelle Ryan returned to ‘boring’ EastEnders job after her bid to crack Hollywood was blighted by strikes and turning down a HUGE role

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Her return was a complete surprise, possibly even more shocking than the famous ‘You ain’t my mother’ plotline she helped make so memorable.

I was so thrilled to see Michelle Ryan back in EastEnders this year! It’s been twenty years since she was last on our screens, and her return felt really special.

When Zoe Slater left the show in 2005, the writers left the possibility of her coming back. Instead of being killed off – a common fate for characters on the soap – she simply moved to Ibiza.

Michelle made it clear she wasn’t planning to return, explaining she found the part unfulfilling. She described her time on the show as a learning experience, stating she always aimed to pursue other opportunities.

According to a close friend, Michelle felt confident she had both the appearance and skills to reach the top of her field, as reported by the Sunday People at the time.

Although she’s enjoyed her four years on EastEnders, she’s really focused on a future in film and modeling. She appreciates that the show helped launch her career, but she doesn’t want to be known for just one type of role.

She’s had to decline many fantastic modeling jobs due to her work on the soap opera, and now feels like the role is hindering her career.

Oh my gosh, Michelle was *so* determined! As soon as she could, she flew all the way to America to try and make it in Hollywood, and can you believe it? She booked a part on the new ‘Bionic Woman’ show on NBC pretty quickly! I was absolutely thrilled when I heard!

Michelle played the main character, Jaime Sommers, a bartender who was seriously injured in a car crash. She was saved by a revolutionary surgery that rebuilt her body with advanced, robotic parts.

Just when it looked like she was about to become a worldwide star, the show’s progress was stopped by the three-month Writers Guild of America strike. Production had to pause after only eight episodes were completed.

The series wasn’t renewed after its initial episodes received low viewership, so NBC canceled it and didn’t produce the remaining five planned episodes.

Michelle came back to the UK and quickly found success playing the villain Nimueh in the first season of the BBC’s fantasy series, Merlin. She also appeared in a 2009 Doctor Who special, ‘Planet of the Dead,’ and many viewers wanted her character to become a regular companion on the show.

She was offered an audition for Boardwalk Empire when she returned to Hollywood, but surprisingly, she turned it down. She didn’t want to commit to a long-term contract with HBO.

The role was ultimately snapped up by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald. 

Michelle admitted she had made a significant error, but the show went on to win numerous Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG awards.

Shortly after coming back to EastEnders, Michelle shared with her Instagram followers that she was finally getting around to watching the show Boardwalk Empire and wished she’d discovered it sooner.

She wrote that the series is phenomenal, praising it as another great work by Terence Winter. She especially loved Kelly McDonald, finding her performance incredibly captivating.

Back in 2010, my agent asked me to audition for a role, but I turned it down. Looking back, that was definitely a mistake.

I used to be hesitant about signing contracts for five years. But I believe everything happens for a reason, and the actress who ultimately got the role is fantastic. I really admire her performance.

I realized that a pilot episode only gives you a glimpse of a character, and that with a new show, they’ll naturally develop over time. That was a valuable lesson!

The whole show is fantastic – it feels really high-quality. And I’m still just getting started, only being on the first season! I’m so excited!

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following Michelle’s career closely, and it’s been wonderful to see her take on some really interesting roles lately! She’s been diving into the independent film world, and I particularly enjoyed seeing her in films like ‘Cockneys vs Zombies’ – she had fantastic chemistry with Harry Treadaway, who you might recognize from ‘The Crown.’ And ‘Girl Walks into a Bar’ was a hilarious ensemble piece where she worked alongside the legendary Danny DeVito. It’s great to see her taking on such diverse projects!

She recently appeared in the film *Frankenstein: Legacy* as Lady Charlotte, and will soon be seen as Lisa Kendall in the upcoming 2025 release, *Finding My Voice*.

In June, Michelle announced her return to the popular TV drama that first made her famous, saying it felt like returning home.

Asked why she’d returned, Michelle mused: ‘It all happened at the right time. 

I was already considering coming back after reconnecting with Kacey Ainsworth (who played Little Mo) and Kim Medcalf (Sam Mitchell). We shared some great memories of our time on the show, and I also noticed a lot of fans still really loved the character when I started using social media.

It turned out the timing was perfect because EastEnders had just appointed a new executive, Ben Wadey, who was a big fan of Zoe and the Slater family. He was interested in bringing me back, and I’m thrilled to be returning to the show.

After hearing Ben’s ideas and reading the scripts, I was confident we’d made the right choice.

This was a definite shift in perspective compared to the interview she gave to the Bristol Evening Post when she resigned.

When asked about leaving the show, she explained that she found the repetitive nature of the work dull. She prefers variety and enjoys moving on to new projects.

I viewed my time on EastEnders as a valuable learning experience. It was always my goal to move on to other projects, and while I’ve made some great friends through the show, I don’t plan to return.

I’ve always been willing to take risks. I believe that’s essential for growth – you need to try new things and push yourself to move forward.

I value my independence and enjoy changing jobs when I find the right fit. Ultimately, I’m motivated by the opportunity to collaborate with people I truly admire and respect, regardless of the project’s size or my specific role.

While on EastEnders, Michelle played a key role in a major plot twist: the revelation that Kat Slater was actually Zoe’s mother, not her sister. The dramatic scene culminated in a powerful exchange, with Zoe shouting, ‘You aren’t my mother!’ and Kat responding, ‘Yes, I am!’

This is arguably the most memorable scene in EastEnders’ four decades on television, and it’s been imitated by fans around the globe.

Michelle became a star overnight thanks to a captivating story when she was just sixteen, but she surprisingly decided to leave the show five years later.

Throughout the series, people often mentioned her, and when she finally reappeared, it was discovered she and Kat had grown distant from each other.

Michelle hinted at a dramatic return for her character, Zoe, to Albert Square. While she couldn’t reveal specifics, she described Zoe as being in a difficult place right now.

She’s changed a lot since leaving Walford twenty years ago, and she’s been having a difficult time managing things on her own.

She’s putting up a strong front, but this week it will become clear she’s struggling and needs assistance. Whether she’ll actually let anyone help her is a different matter.

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2025-09-27 17:09