Zoe Slater has made a shock return to EastEnders in big scenes that aired yesterday evening – but it was actually an unlikely person who convinced her to come back to the BBC soap

Zoe Slater has made a shock return to EastEnders in big scenes that aired yesterday evening(Image: ITV)

Zoe Slater star Michelle Ryan has revealed the unlikely person who made her return to EastEnders. Zoe is back in the Square to mark new executive producer Ben Wadey’s first episode in charge.

Ben previously teased some big drama as he took over the lead role on the show. He said: “Next week marks the start of something big in Walford that we hope will get everyone talking, and it’s only just the beginning. We’ve got twists, shocks, and plenty of drama lined up for a summer you don’t want to miss.”

That was, we know now, referring to Zoe’s big return as Michelle Ryan reprises her role. During a chat with Richard Arnold on Good Morning Britain, Zoe star Michelle explained what convinced her to come back.

Zoe returned in last night’s episode

“I’ve got goosebumps, this is amazing to be back. This is a bizarre thing – it all came from Instagram. It was actually a comment from a fan that said, it’s not been recast, it’s gone on too long, you need to come back.”

In a separate interview, Michelle revealed the return came at the right time and she had been thinking about it for a while.

Speaking about her decision to come back, she said: “It all happened at the right time. I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with Kacey Ainsworth 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.”

Ben added: “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.

“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.”

Teasing what might happen next, Michelle admitted Zoe was a “mess”. She said: “I can’t say too much as there is a lot of drama to come, but Zoe is a mess. 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.”