Zoe And Her Son Josh Face To Face In The Square | EastEnders

After twenty years of silence, secrets, and unbearable regret, Zoe Slater’s past finally catches up with her in the most explosive way imaginable in EastEnders. What begins as a long-awaited homecoming spirals into a storm of buried truths, courtroom drama, and a reunion that threatens to tear Albert Square apart.

When Zoe Slater returned to Walford last summer, viewers believed they were simply witnessing the comeback of a beloved but troubled daughter of the Slater clan. But the truth was far more devastating. A shocking flashback revealed that back in 2006, Zoe had secretly given birth to twins. Alone, frightened, and misled into believing that her baby girl had died shortly after birth, Zoe fled the hospital in a haze of grief. Convinced she had lost one child and unable to cope with the trauma, she gave up her newborn son for adoption and disappeared from Walford without looking back.

For two decades, she lived with the agony of that loss — never knowing that the story she had been told was a lie.

In a bombshell twist, it emerged that her daughter had in fact survived. Revived after Zoe fled the maternity ward, the baby girl grew up elsewhere — and astonishingly, had already made her way to Walford under the name Jasmine Truman. Even more shocking was the revelation that the twins’ father was Anthony Truman, a man whose violent and manipulative tendencies would later set the stage for tragedy.

Zoe’s return was anything but quiet. Shortly after stepping back into Albert Square, she was accidentally shot during a brutal struggle between Ravi Gulati and Jack Branning. The incident dominated headlines and ultimately caught Jasmine’s attention. Reading about the shooting, Jasmine began to piece together the truth about her biological mother — leading her to confront Zoe at last.

But just as mother and daughter began to grapple with their shared history, Christmas brought horror to the Slater doorstep.

Anthony Truman was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Zoe, already fragile from her shooting and emotional turmoil, collapsed at the scene and was swiftly arrested. The Square buzzed with gossip, suspicion, and judgment. Had Zoe finally snapped?

The truth was even more harrowing. Jasmine had killed Anthony — but in self-defense. After witnessing him assaulting Zoe, she lashed out to protect her mother. The act was impulsive, desperate, and tragic. And now Jasmine sits behind bars, awaiting trial for her father’s death.

Desperate to clear her daughter’s name, Zoe is determined to retrieve Jasmine’s phone, which contains video footage proving the killing was an act of protection. But the phone is missing — and in Walford, nothing stays simple for long.

Unbeknownst to Zoe, her ex-partner Max Branning currently holds the device. Torn between justice and loyalty to his own son, Oscar Branning, Max hesitates. Jasmine had previously accused Oscar of kissing her — a claim that already fractured trust and sparked tension. If the footage comes to light, it could implicate Oscar in ways that destroy his future.

Enter chaos in the form of Cindy Beale. Harboring resentment toward Jasmine after being shoved down the stairs during an earlier confrontation, Cindy breaks into Peacock Palace and steals the phone. When Max questions her, she lies, claiming she dropped it down a drain. But as she prepares to crush the evidence once and for all, the device suddenly rings.

The voice on the other end changes everything.

“Jasmine… it’s me. Your brother. Josh.”

The credits roll, and the Square will never be the same again.

Josh — born alongside Jasmine in 2006 and given up for adoption under heartbreaking circumstances — is alive. Now twenty years old, he is stepping into Walford for the very first time. Actor Joshua Vaughn was recently spotted filming at the EastEnders studios, signaling that Josh’s arrival is imminent. And he isn’t walking into a calm family reunion. He is entering a battlefield.

Josh’s introduction promises not only emotional fireworks but romantic chaos. Insiders reveal that he becomes entangled in a passionate and groundbreaking love triangle involving Jasmine’s boyfriend, Oscar Branning. The storyline is being described as one of the soap’s most daring explorations of bisexual attraction — and the chemistry between Josh and Oscar is said to be undeniable.

Oscar may claim loyalty to Jasmine, but when her twin brother appears, sparks fly in a way no one expected. The tension between them threatens to explode, especially with Jasmine’s murder trial looming overhead. Walford is no stranger to scandal, but this twist pushes boundaries even for Albert Square.

All roads now lead to the courtroom.

Set photos reveal the looming presence of the new Walford Crown Court as filming continues. Zoe, clad in a blue raincoat and clutching a red handbag, prepares to face not only her daughter’s trial but her long-lost son. Their reunion — decades in the making — promises to be raw, emotional, and potentially devastating. Zoe must confront the consequences of abandoning her newborn twins. Josh must face the mother who never searched hard enough — and the sister whose life is hanging by a thread.

Meanwhile, another familiar face returns to add emotional weight to the Square. Clare Bates, portrayed once again by Gemma Bissix, comes back to Walford after learning that her stepfather, Nigel Bates, is suffering from worsening dementia. Clare is shocked by the extent of his decline, and old tensions resurface — particularly with his wife, Julie. Yet as Nigel’s condition deteriorates, past grudges begin to seem trivial.

Clare’s return mirrors Zoe’s storyline in poignant ways — both women confronting unfinished family business, both forced to reckon with choices made years ago. Executive producer Ben Wadey has hinted that revisiting these long-standing relationships was always part of the plan, emphasizing the emotional depth that comes from exploring fractured family bonds as time runs out.

But it is Zoe and Josh who stand at the heart of the storm.

For fans, the anticipation is electric. Social media platforms have erupted with speculation. Will Josh resent Zoe for abandoning him? Will he bond with Jasmine — or will rivalry ignite between the twins? And what of Oscar? Could he betray Jasmine while she sits in prison, awaiting a verdict that could define the rest of her life?

The layers of betrayal are staggering. Zoe once believed she had lost a daughter and gave up her son. Jasmine killed her father to save her mother. Oscar stands between loyalty and desire. Max wrestles with protecting his child versus doing what is right. Cindy manipulates events for her own revenge. And now Josh arrives, unaware that his very presence could detonate every fragile alliance in the Square.

As the courtroom scenes approach, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If the footage surfaces, Jasmine could walk free — but at what cost? If it remains hidden, an innocent young woman may pay for protecting her mother. And if Josh chooses to reveal himself publicly, Zoe will have to answer for the greatest mistake of her life in front of everyone she once left behind.

Albert Square has seen affairs, murders, betrayals, and shocking returns. But few storylines have intertwined love, loss, sexuality, family secrets, and criminal justice in such an explosive combination.

The long-lost son is no longer a ghost of the past. He is here. He has a name. And he is about to look his mother in the eye for the first time.

When Zoe Slater and Josh finally stand face to face in the Square, it won’t just be a reunion.

It will be a reckoning.