SHE was billed as Albert Square’s saviour, but after bizarre plots, backstage clashes, and a baffling cat obsession, iconic wild child Zoe Slater is being killed off Eastenders for good.
Now TV insiders have told me how the mother of all soap comebacks has turned into the mother of all soap disasters – and they whisper who is to blame.
When Michelle Ryan sashayed back into Walford as Zoe last June after a 20-year absence, EastEnders bosses were rubbing their hands together in glee.
She was meant to be the ultimate nostalgia hit to get the nation glued to BBC1.
Instead, just 12 months down the line, the dream is dead. And soon, so will Zoe, after I revealed the character will be killed off for good just a year after her return.
Few would have anticipated such a demise given the excitement surrounding her arrival.
But clashes behind the scenes, dubious storylines and a bizarre character overhaul have culminated in this disastrous reunion and sounding the death knell on one of the BBC1 soap’s most iconic characters.
And taking the heat for the fiasco is showrunner Ben Wadley, who instigated Michelle’s return after taking over from Chris Clenshaw in September 2024.
Insiders claim Wadley’s stock has taken a huge hit following Zoe’s calamitous comeback, with execs admitting her revival made even less of an impact than Dirty Den’s resurrection in 2003 – which is quite something.
A source said: “Wadley is obsessed with the Slaters and wanted the family to be the bedrock of the soap once again.
“Bringing back Zoe Slater has been mooted for years, but after becoming showrunner, he did everything to make it happen and wanted Michelle to be his statement signing.
“But she’s been utilised poorly and is a shade of former self, leaving viewers totally underwhelmed.”
The source added: “Nobody behind-the-scenes on EastEnders believed bringing Den back from the dead would ever be topped in the disaster-stakes – but Zoe’s return has managed to top it.”
Zoe showed early signs of her famous feistiness following her reintroduction.
A secret affair with Max Branning, which sparked a fallout with cousin Stacey Slater, as well as physical altercation with a dodgy private investigator, gave the impression she was still a wild child at heart.
But quickly became depressingly tame, developing an obsession with a cat when being tormented by a stalker, who ended up being Chrissie Watts – another short-lived comeback – while also seemingly losing all interest in men.
Her big storyline, however, was to come, discovering the identities of her secret twins – born 20 years ago during Zoe’s break from Walford having been fathered by Dr Anthony Trueman – which bosses teased for months.
But after daughter Jasmine and son Josh were finally unmasked and reunited with Zoe, they bizarrely became more affiliated with other characters, namely her on-screen mum Kat Slater, played by Jessie Wallace, triggering yet more bewilderment from viewers.
The source added: “Zoe’s barely had any screen time with either of them.
“Jasmine’s relationship with Kat seems to have been nurtured more than her actual mum’s, while Josh is more associated with the Trumens.
“After all that build up, the end result has been totally flat.
“Zoe has been reduced to collecting glasses in the Vic and turned into a bit part role. It doesn’t make much sense.”
The Sun on Sunday also told how Michelle, 42, irked bosses by asking for time off during the early stages of her return last year.
That won’t be a problem now Zoe has finally met her maker.
A spokeswoman for the BBC said : “We can confirm Zoe Slater will be departing EastEnders later this year, we wish Michelle Ryan all the best for the future. However, we never comment on future storylines as we don’t want to spoil it for the viewers.”
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