EastEnders viewers found it funny that Kat Slater’s accent changed midway through a conversation with her son Tony

EastEnders viewers noticed a funny accent slip from Kat Slater in a recent episode of the soap

EastEnders fans were left in stitches this week after Kat Slater appeared to momentarily slip into a northern accent.

Jessie Wallace, who has played the character since 2000, delivered one line in an unusual voice recently and viewers were quick to pick up on it. The moment came during an exchange with Kat’s troublesome teenage son, Tommy (Sonny Kendall), who cheekily told his mum: “Chill out, love.” In response, she shot back: “Love?”

Eagle-eyed viewers swore the word came out sounding suspiciously northern, prompting a flood of amused comments on X. One fan wrote: “Absolutely obsessed with Kat going northern # EastEnders.” Another joked: “No because why did she do this, he didn’t even say it like that LMFAOOO.”

A third viewer observed: “I thought it was a really odd way to repeat the word. He’s not northern, she isn’t. Cute though.” And a fourth quipped: “Pat Phoenix’s spirit returning to Jessie Wallace for a split second in 2025 #EastEnders.”

They pointed out that Jessie Wallace said a line in a northern accent

That last comment referred to Wallace’s portrayal of Coronation Street legend Pat Phoenix in the 2010 TV film The Road to Coronation Street, which chronicled the origins of the rival ITV soap.

The light-hearted moment comes in the middle of a very dramatic week in Walford. Just days ago, fans were stunned when Zoe Slater reappeared in Walford. Zoe is Kat’s estranged daughter, and hasn’t been seen on screen for nearly 20 years.

Michelle Ryan has reprised her role as Zoe after the character was last seen leaving for Ibiza in 2005. Her return follows one of EastEnders’ most unforgettable storylines, as it was revealed that Kat became Zoe’s biological mother after she was assaulted by her uncle Harry at the age of 13.

When Zoe was last featured in the soap her time in Walford was packed with controversy, including a faked pregnancy, a twisted love triangle with Dennis Rickman, and her involvement in the death of Dirty Den, which she mistakenly believed she caused.

Now two decades later Zoe is back, but she’s going through a desperate time and is deep in debt after stealing Kat’s credit card.

The episode where she returned to Walford ended with Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), fresh from marrying Kat, coming face to face with his stepdaughter and saying: “Hello Zoe.”

Fans erupted online, with one exclaiming: “ZOE BLOODY SLATER #EastEnders.” Another wrote: “ZOE YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU AIN’T MY MOTHER SLATER IS BACK! #eastenders.”

Michelle Ryan has spoken about her return to the soap, saying: “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.”