Former EastEnders star Michelle Ryan has hinted that she may return to the soap as Zoe Slater in a cryptic new post to her social media. The actor, 40, played the (then) youngest member of the Slater family between 2000 and 2005.
Reuniting with co-star Kacey Ainsworth (who played screen sister and, uh, aunt Little Mo) as they headed out on a dog walk, Michelle reflected on their time on the soap together in a heartfelt post to her Instagram account.
“Just got back from a lovely dog walk with my friend Kacey,” she wrote, sharing a selfie of them both together. “We worked together many moons ago (no pun intended) on Eastenders as sisters. Part of the Slater family.
“Our boss John Yorke took a real risk putting a family of women in the show and it paid off as on one week when Zoe found out that Kat was her mother viewers tuned into the BBC for 19, 18, 20 and 21 million per episode plus the omnibus.”
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Michelle continued: “The national grid reported a surge in electricity as all the kettles were clicked on after the credits. Such a heady hayday the early 2000’s were. The excitement of knowing you had a two hander written by Tony Jordan was like opening a present on Christmas Day.
“You would check your pigeon hole where scripts and fan mail were placed and rush back to highlight the dialogue. I will always be grateful to John and Tony for my first big break on primetime TV. They were a winning combo.”
‘Never say never,’ says Michelle Ryan as she teases EastEnders return
In the comments below, fans were quick to speculate that this could lead to Michelle’s return to the soap.
“Love the show. My buddy is one of the shows directors and I hope to visit the set one day. Would you ever consider a return?” asked one fan in the comments below.
In response, Michelle said: “Never say never!”
When another fan suggested that her return would be ‘epic,’ Michelle said:
To add to the speculation, she also said: “That’s for the producers to decide.”
Could Zoe Slater return to EastEnders?
What happened to Zoe Slater on EastEnders?
Zoe left Walford after the murder of Dirty Den. After initially believing that she had killed Den during their struggle in The Queen Vic, she later learned the truth – that Chrissie Watts had actually been the one to deliver the killing blow.
Hoping to get away from the madness of Albert Square, Zoe left in 2005, never to return. Since then, viewers have been holding out for a return from Michelle – who went on to star in an episode of Doctor Who, the sci-fi series The Bionic Woman, and comedy-horror film Cockneys vs Zombies.
She previously ruled out a return to EastEnders, once telling The Daily Record: “I always saw EastEnders as an apprenticeship. I always wanted to go on and do different things. I have some really good friends from that show, but the door is closed.”
For now, that is. In the words of Michelle herself – never say never.
Read more: Who’s leaving EastEnders in 2024? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One
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