EastEnders in turmoil – Is Zoe Slater, played by Michelle Ryan, making a COMEBACK after 20 years? Her return could be a GAME-CHANGER!

Zoe Slater’s EastEnders comeback has been predicted for a while now, and a twist surrounding Monday’s episode of the BBC soap had fuelled the theory.

Actress Michelle Ryan hasn’t been on the BBC soap for 20 years, but recent reports suggested that she was about to rejoin mum Kat Slater in Walford. Nothing has been confirmed by the BBC or the actress who played Zoe, while Monday’s episode was not dropped on iPlayer in the morning as normal.

It had been announced last week that to mark new Executive Producer Ben Wadey’s arrival, with him taking over Chris Clenshaw, the episodes would be big. But Monday’s episode was also revealed to be remaining off of iPlayer until the evening, meaning it won’t be on until it airs on BBC One.

Of course this sparked the rumours of a comeback for Zoe, as well as other characters including Max Branning and Tanya Branning. They have not even confirmed that a return is happening, but teasers have hinted at such.

We’ve seen all kinds of clues, and some fans believe one of them spells out the name ‘Zoe’. Of course viewers will have to tune in later to find out everything, but who is Zoe, is she returning, and will Michelle play the role?

Zoe Slater theories are circulating online amid her reported EastEnders return(Image: Press Association Images)

Michelle has referenced her EastEnders past on Instagram a number of times in recent months, and she addressed fans who were desperate to have her back. Zoe has been mentioned onscreen a lot over the years, especially recently.

Fans took this as a sign that the Walford icon could finally be heading back to the show. Michelle had said on Instagram she would love to be back, and that it was down to bosses.

Nothing has been confirmed since either from Michelle, her co-stars or the bosses so for all we know there is no return, and Zoe won’t be back. But with clues including a mystery person walking around Walford, fans are sure something massive is on the cards.

As for who Zoe is, she joined the show in 2000 as part of the Slater family. While she was initially revealed to be the youngest Slater sister, it soon emerged that she was in fact Kat’s secret daughter.

Actress Michelle Ryan hasn’t been on the BBC soap for 20 years(Image: BBC)

Kat had been r@p3d as a teenager by her uncle Harry, and she fell pregnant with Zoe. As it turns out, Zoe was a twin and Kat had a baby boy too, while that’s another story for another time given it’s almost been wiped from the show’s history.

As for Zoe, she left in 2005 after a turbulent relationship with her mother Kat, and some big moments in the Square. Michelle hasn’t reprised the role in years, and is thought to have turned down comebacks in the past.

There’s every chance there is no return on the cards this time, while Zoe has been offscreen for decades. She and Kat haven’t been on the best terms in that time.

During her time on the show, post finding out about her real mum, Zoe featured in big plots including her running away, a coach crash, and her sleeping with partner Dennis Rickman’s father Den Watts after lying about a pregnancy. This plot, which saw her falling pregnant and then convinced to have an abortion, led to the showdown that saw Den m”rd3red at the hands of Chrissie Watts, with Sam Mitchell also involved.

Other storylines included her romance with her mother’s flame Anthony Trueman, her kiss with pal Kelly, while it was the drama with Den that saw her flee Walford for good back in 2005.