EastEnders viewers were left in shock as Zoe Slater, played by Michelle Ryan, made her return to the Square after 17 years in Tuesday night’s episode of the BBC soap

EastEnders fans were left in disbelief this evening as Zoe Slater made her first on-screen appearance in two decades. After weeks of speculation, it’s finally been confirmed that Michelle Ryan has reprised her role as Kat Slater’s daughter for the first time since leaving Albert Square in 2005.

In one of EastEnders’ most gripping plots, Zoe Slater’s world was turned upside down when she found out that her ‘sister’ Kat (played by Jessie Wallace) was in fact her biological mother, after Kat had been assaulted by her uncle Harry at just 13 years old.

The plot thickened in 2015 with the bombshell that Kat had twins, revealing Zoe has a twin brother. Zoe was last seen in Walford in 2005 before jetting off to Ibiza.

Zoe’s final dramatic moments on the Square involved her sleeping with Dirty Den to fake a pregnancy with his son Dennis Rickman’s child and conspiring with Chrissie Watts and Sam Mitchell for vengeance against Den for his wrongdoings, mistakenly believing she had killed him.

Zoe Slater is back – with a new look

It later transpired that Zoe wasn’t Den’s killer; it was Chrissie who was guilty, resulting in her imprisonment while Zoe left for sunnier climes.

Fast forward twenty years, and Zoe made a sensational return to EastEnders, leaving fans gobsmacked as she appeared dishevelled after stealing Kat’s credit card for a spending spree.

In desperate straits, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) called upon Alfie Moon (Shane Ritchie) for help, who, fresh from marrying Kat, embraced his role as stepdad once more. The episode closed with Alfie greeting a returning Zoe with a despondent: “Hello Zoe.”

Soaps fans watching at home went wild, with one rushing to Twitter (X) to declare: “ZOE BLOODY SLATER #EastEnders.” “ZOE YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU AIN’T MY MOTHER SLATER IS BACK! #eastenders,” another rejoiced as a third wrote: “An actual Zoe Slater return i can’t believe my eyes #EastEnders.”

However, some were less surprised to see Zoe back on their screens. “Such a shame Zoe’s return was leaked- imagine the shock we would have got #EastEnders,” one Twitter user mused with another agreeing as they wrote: “Me acting shocked when Zoe Slater turns up even though her return got leaked weeks ago #EastEnders.”

Michelle during her last stint as Zoe in 2005(Image: BBC)

Discussing her return to Walford, actress Michelle said of her comeback this evening: “It all happened at the right time. I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo) and Kim Medcalf (Sam Mitchell) 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.

“It 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 I’m so excited to be back. When Ben pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.”

Producers say Zoe will return with 20 years of “deep-rooted resentment” towards her mother, fractured family relationships, and siblings she has never met, adding that the character “will be in for one hell of a ride” when she returns.

Teasing Zoe’s future in Albert Square, Michelle coyly added: “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.”