OFF THEY GO EastEnders star makes shock exit from soap and quits plans to return to Walford amid secret cover-up

EASTENDERS actress Michelle Ryan has already made her soap exit just days after arriving back on the show.

In scenes broadcast today on the BBC soap opera, her character Zoe Slater walked away from any potential plan of making a move back to Walford.

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Screenshot of a woman on a phone call, appearing upset.

🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

Zoe Slater has already fled Walford

Screenshot of a young woman crying.

🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

She made a shock exit after a close encounter with Kat Slater

Screenshot of a woman with long brown hair, wearing a red shirt, looking distressed while talking on a red phone.

🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

Stacey pleaded with her on the phone not to leave

EastEnders fans were left gobsmacked when it was revealed that Zoe was back on the show after she made contact with Stacey Slater.

She was shown to be living in squalor and surviving off just vodka and vapes.

It was clear from the off that Zoe was hiding a huge secret as she admitted to Stacey and Alfie to being “scared and sorry” for what she had done without giving any clues as to what.

Having hidden out at a flat being rented by Stacey, Zoe was left stunned when Kat, Jean and Harvey all turned up at the residence.

Adamant she did not want to see Kat or have her know that she was in London, Zoe was forced to hide in her bedroom as Stacey and Alfie did their best to throw the others off the scent.

Despite lying and insisting that Stacey had been struggling, Kat was left unconvinced.

Having left, she decided to return to the flat once more and demand to know the truth.

With Zoe still hiding out in the bedroom, she tripped, causing a noise, which startled Kat and set her mind racing.

Demanding to know if someone was in the room, she eventually barged in, leaving Stacey and Alfie terrified that the secret was about to spill out.

However, they were shocked to find a fully open window with Zoe nowhere to be seen.

Zoe Slater left terrified and hiding major secret in EastEnders – as Michelle Ryan returns to Walford after 20 years

With Kat accepting that she was ‘wrong’, she soon left once more as Stacey and Alfie made contact with Zoe to see where she had fled to.

But it was too late, as Zoe confirmed to them over the phone that she would be disappearing once again and shunning any chance of a Walford comeback.

She said to the pair on the phone: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you no trouble.”

Stacey told her “not to worry” about it as Zoe continued: “I can’t [come back]. I’ve got to go.”

Revealing that her secret may be darker than first predicted, Zoe added: “Don’t look for me. It was a mistake.

“It was a mistake to get back in touch.

“I ain’t saying it was easy, hearing her [Kat], seeing her face, but I done something bad, something so bad.

“You would never forgive me.”

Zoe went onto insist that she could never say what it is that she had done and pleaded to Stacey that the whole Slater clan would hate her, especially Kat.

She soon ended the phone call and made her exit, walking out of an apartment building into the street tearfully.

However, we know that Michelle will be back on the show later in the year – so will Zoe’s secret eventually be revealed?

Screenshot of a man and woman talking in a room.

🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

Stacey and Alfie were left flabbergasted

Screenshot of a woman crying while talking on a cell phone.

🌐 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔.𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

Zoe will however be back later this year

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