Michelle Ryan’s Zoe Slater will be reuniting with her mother Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) two decades after her explosive EastEnders exit
EastEnders star Michelle Ryan has opened up about her character Zoe Slater’s “struggles” as she returns to the BBC soap. Michelle first appeared as Zoe when she was just 15 years old, joining the show with the Slater family.
She has been involved in some of the EastEnders’ most iconic 21st century storylines, including the cover-up of Den Watts’ murder, and discovering that Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) was Zoe’s mum rather than her sister. Michelle however left the show in 2005.
After two decades away from Walford, Zoe made an explosive return earlier in the summer, only to leave a few days later. Now Zoe is set for a reunion with her mother, as she prepares to return to Walford.
Michelle however has opened up on her character’s struggles, with fans watching in horror as it was revealed Zoe was living in squalor.
Speaking to Best magazine, the 40-year-old said: “Zoe is not in the best of places. She’s struggling in every area of her life, but she’s tough because she’s a Slater, so she is able to keep going. When many people would have given in, she’s still fighting.”
Ahead of Kat and Zoe’s return, Michelle and Jessie appeared on The One Show with JB Gill. Michelle said: “Zoe is at the lowest point that we’ve ever known her to be.
“Disappeared 20 years ago, and we’re seeing that she’s struggled a lot. So, she’s desperate, she comes back, and even despite herself, she knows that she needs her family.
“And I think that’s where Kat is such a huge part. The mother-daughter dynamic is the best thing that you can play,” Michelle continued.
“But we still play it in a way as sisters, because we grew up as sisters,” Jessie added. “Well, the characters grew up as sisters, but there are elements of, ‘I am your mother!'”
JB pushed the pair as to whether the reunion between Kat and Zoe would be plain-sailing. “Oh come on! It’s EastEnders, what do you think?!” Jessie laughed.
“Carnage. Complete carnage,” Michelle added. Michelle told the BBC her return felt a lot like “coming home”.
After leaving EastEnders in 2005, Michelle went on to appear in BBC shows such as Dr Who, Merlin and Jekyll. She starred in the 2007 remake of hit 1970s show Bionic Woman, although the series was axed after just eight episodes.
Addressing her return, Michelle told BBC News: “It all happened at the right time. I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with (EastEnders star’s) Kacey Ainsworth and Kim Medcalf and we were reminiscing our fond memories of the show.
“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.”
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
