Michelle Ryan make an epic return to EastEnders as Zoe Slater

She ain't back? OH YES SHE IS!!!!!

Tonight, after much speculation, Zoe Slater's epic return to EastEnders was confirmed and the drama is expected to continue as Zoe will be making her way back to Walford later this year with Michelle Ryan once again playing the iconic character.

Although her character hasn’t been seen on screen for 20 years, Zoe Slater is immortalised in EastEnders’ rich history having been involved in some of the show’s most iconic storylines, including the classic ‘You ain’t my mother’ storyline which is still quoted to this very day.

In 2001, it was revealed that Zoe Slater, the youngest sibling of the all-female Slater clan, was in fact the daughter of Walford’s iconic Kat Slater, and the news kickstarted a 24-year cycle of resentment that the mother-daughter duo have been unable to shift.

Zoe had a string of countless failed love interests during her time in Albert Square, but the most detrimental of all was her relationship with Dennis Rickman which saw Zoe embroiled in the murder of Den Watts with accomplices Chrissie Watts and Sam Mitchell, after her affair with Den and subsequent pregnancy came to light.

Zoe left Albert Square in 2005 when she reconciled with Kat after admitting the truth about Den Watts’ murder, but during her time away from Albert Square, Zoe and Kat’s relationship broke down once again and the pair have been estranged ever since.

With twenty years of deep-rooted resentment towards her mum, fractured family relationships, and siblings she has never met, Zoe will be in for one hell of a ride when she returns, but the road back to Walford will not be an easy one…

Speaking on his decision to bring Michelle Ryan back to the role of Zoe Slater, EastEnders' new Executive Producer Ben Wadey said "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."

And here's what Michelle Ryan has to say...

Tonight, we saw you return to Walford in spectacular fashion. How did the return come about?

“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.”

How does it feel to be back after 20 years?

“It feels like coming home. After doing my first few scenes, it was like I’d never been away.”

Without revealing too much, can you tell us about the storyline and where we find Zoe this week?

“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.”

EastEnders continues Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One with first look episodes available from 6am on BBC iPlayer