Former EastEnders star Michelle Ryan is being tipped for a return as Zoe Slater.
The actor appeared on the BBC soap from 2000 to 2005, with her character leaving Albert Square to start a new life in Ibiza.
However, The Sun has now reported that Ryan will make a return as Zoe after two decades away from Walford.
“Bosses have repeatedly reached out to Michelle over the years, but the timing has never been quite right,” a source told the publication.
“People are still talking about her character, so it’s a real coup to bring her back. She feels like now is the perfect moment — and there was an exciting script on the table.”
🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍
has reached out to EastEnders, who declined to comment on the reports.
Zoe was involved in one of the show’s most shocking – and quoted – moments, in which sister Kat Slater revealed she was actually her mother.
Jessie Wallace, who plays Kat, shared her desire for Zoe to return during an appearance on Lacey Turner’s We Started Here podcast earlier this year.
“You’ve had some really iconic storylines,” Lacey said in the episode. “The Kat and Zoe one… I’d love it if she came back. Would you?”
🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍
“I think it’d be great,” Jessie replied. “I think it would be lovely. Can we make that happen? Wouldn’t it be great?”
Fans referenced the podcast chat on one of Ryan’s Instagram post’s, with the actor responding: “It came up on a feed, very proud of Lacey having her own podcast. Lovely of Jessie to say.”
On another Instagram post, in which she reunited with Little Mo actor Kacey Ainsworth, Ryan said she would “never say never!” to an EastEnders return.
