Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'', played by
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2000–2005, 2025–present). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television s ...
. She made her first appearance on 18 September 2000. Zoe arrives in
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location wor ...
along with her father,
Charlie Slater (
Derek Martin
Derek Martin (born Derek William Rapp; 11 April 1933) is a retired English actor. Beginning his career as a stuntman, he moved into acting and played many roles on UK television. One of his most widely known roles is Charlie Slater on the BBC ...
), sisters
Kat Slater
Kat Slater (also Moon and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the ...
(
Jessie Wallace
Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series ''The Bill'' and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC so ...
),
Lynne Hobbs
Lynne Hobbs (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Elaine Lordan. The character appears between 18 September 2000 and 2 July 2004. Lynne is a fierce judge of right and wrong, although she is not ...
(
Elaine Lordan
Elaine Bernadette Lordan (born 8 August 1966) is an English retired actress, best known for her role as 'Sugar Walls' in the comedy series ''Gimme Gimme Gimme'' and playing Lynne Hobbs in ''EastEnders'' (2000–2004). Following several tragedi ...
),
Little Mo Mitchell
Little Mo Mitchell (also Morgan) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kacey Ainsworth from 18 September 2000 to 26 May 2006.
Little Mo originally appears in a turbulent marriage with her abusive husband Tr ...
(
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, known for her roles as Little Mo Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Cathy Keating in the ITV1, ITV drama series ''Grantchester (TV series), Grantchester''.
Early life ...
), and grandmother
Mo Harris
Mo Harris (also Porter, also known as Big Mo), is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo was also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 spin-of ...
(
Laila Morse
Maureen Lesley Bass (' Oldman; born 1 August 1945), better known by her stage name Laila Morse, is an English actress. After making her acting debut as Janet in the drama film '' Nil by Mouth'' (1997), she went on to join the BBC soap opera ' ...
). In January 2005, it was announced that Ryan would be leaving the soap, with Zoe's departure airing on 24 June 2005. Despite turning down several offers to return over the previous 20 years, in May 2025, it was reported that Ryan would reprise the role of Zoe later in the year. The character made an unannounced return in the episode broadcast on 16 June 2025.
Following their arrival, it later emerges that Zoe is in fact Kat's daughter, and a product of
incest
Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...
after Kat was raped by her uncle
Harry Slater (
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English film and television actor. He played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series '' Boon'' and Harry Slater in BBC's ''EastEnders''. He was nominated fo ...
) in 1983, and Zoe was legally adopted by Kat's parents, Charlie and Viv. This was nominated for Best Storyline at the
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV (TV network), ITV. The trophies given to the winners are made from metal a ...
, as well as winning Best Single Episode in 2002.
Another highly acclaimed storyline was Zoe's friendship with
Kelly Taylor (
Brooke Kinsella). In 2003, Zoe and Kelly made headlines in the UK, in a New Year's Eve episode that was filmed on-location in
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. In the storyline, Zoe, Kelly and others, travel from London to Scotland but their minibus crashes, leaving them stranded and injured on the freezing cold Scottish moors. While stranded, Kelly cares for an injured Zoe and they become overemotional – and kiss. The episode featuring their kiss attracted 9.5 million viewers, and the precise moment that they kissed was watched by 44% of the available viewing audience.
One of Zoe's subsequent major storylines was when she became romantically involved with local hardman
Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's centra ...
(
Nigel Harman), which soon ended after Zoe ended up being entrapped in an affair with Dennis's father
Den Watts
Den Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house from Albert ...
(
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor who played "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germany, West German ...
) – though not before he pressured her into claiming that she is pregnant with Dennis's baby, as part of his last-ditch attempt to stop his devoted adopted daughter
Sharon Watts
Sharon Watts (also Mitchell, Rickman and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Jul ...
(
Letitia Dean
Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and ag ...
) from leaving Albert Square; Dennis and Sharon had embarked on a forbidden romance during the former's relationship with Zoe. When Zoe starts to worry that Dennis will discover her secret, Den persuades Zoe to sleep with him so she can get pregnant, up to the point where he blackmails her with the threat of exposing her secret to Dennis. Although Zoe is forced to relent to Den's blackmail, Dennis ends up seeing them in bed together and ends their relationship. Her final storyline revolved around Den's murder on the show's 20th anniversary episode, after Zoe conspired with his estranged wife
Chrissie Watts
Chrissie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared on 29 April 2004 and transpired to be the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts (Leslie Gr ...
(
Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2005, 2024) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Va ...
) and their friend
Sam Mitchell (
Kim Medcalf
Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2002–2005, 2022–2024).
Career ''EastEnders''
In late 2001, Kim Med ...
) to get revenge on Den for the way how he victimised them. Their plan resulted in Zoe seemingly killing Den in
The Queen Victoria
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the ...
public house
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
after he attacked Chrissie; however, when Zoe left his corpse behind, Den regained consciousness until Chrissie ultimately killed him for good, shortly before Zoe reappeared in the room where he was murdered. Soon afterwards, Zoe leaves Walford for
Ibiza
Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...
after making amends with Kat and Dennis. Zoe returned in June 2025.
Creation and characterisation
The character of Zoe and the rest of the
Slater family
The Slater family is an American philanthropic, political, and manufacturing family from England, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut whose members include the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution," Samuel Slater, a prominent t ...
were created during workshops with
Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan (born 21 July 1957) is a British television writer. For many years, he was lead writer and series consultant for BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has written over 250 episodes for the programme since 1989, including the 2008 S ...
and
John Yorke. London actors were invited to improvise in groups, and the characters were created during these improvisations.
['']EastEnders Revealed
''EastEnders'' is a British soap opera that has aired on BBC One since 19 February 1985. Several spin-off shows have been made, some of which use the narrative of flashbacks to explore the history of the show's characters such as " CivvyStreet". ...
: The Slaters Special''. Michelle Ryan was cast as Zoe, and made her first on-screen appearance on 18 September 2000. The family consisted of, grandmother
Mo Harris
Mo Harris (also Porter, also known as Big Mo), is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo was also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 spin-of ...
(
Laila Morse
Maureen Lesley Bass (' Oldman; born 1 August 1945), better known by her stage name Laila Morse, is an English actress. After making her acting debut as Janet in the drama film '' Nil by Mouth'' (1997), she went on to join the BBC soap opera ' ...
), father
Charlie (
Derek Martin
Derek Martin (born Derek William Rapp; 11 April 1933) is a retired English actor. Beginning his career as a stuntman, he moved into acting and played many roles on UK television. One of his most widely known roles is Charlie Slater on the BBC ...
), his five children,
Lynne (
Elaine Lordan
Elaine Bernadette Lordan (born 8 August 1966) is an English retired actress, best known for her role as 'Sugar Walls' in the comedy series ''Gimme Gimme Gimme'' and playing Lynne Hobbs in ''EastEnders'' (2000–2004). Following several tragedi ...
),
Kat (
Jessie Wallace
Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series ''The Bill'' and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC so ...
),
Little Mo (
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, known for her roles as Little Mo Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Cathy Keating in the ITV1, ITV drama series ''Grantchester (TV series), Grantchester''.
Early life ...
), Zoe (Ryan),
Belinda (
Leanne Lakey), who was to be introduced to ''EastEnders'' at a later date, as well as Lynne's boyfriend
Garry Hobbs
Garry Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000, alongside the Slater family. It was announced on 26 March 2009 that Groves and co-star Kara ...
(
Ricky Groves
Richard Groves (born 23 April 1968) is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in ''EastEnders'' from 2000 to 2009, before making a brief return in 2025. Before his role in ''EastEnders'' he appeared in the series ''Burnside (TV se ...
).
It later transpired that Kat was the mother of Zoe, after being raped by her uncle
Harry Slater (
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English film and television actor. He played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series '' Boon'' and Harry Slater in BBC's ''EastEnders''. He was nominated fo ...
).
According to the BBC's head of drama series,
Mal Young
Mal Young (born 26 January 1957) is a British television producer, screenwriter and executive producer.
Career
Mersey TV
Young began his career in graphic design. At age 27, he began working in television on the Channel 4 soap opera '' Broo ...
, the family was brought in as the serial did not "have enough solid families in the soap, there were a lot of fractured families and people who were alone." Ryan was cast in the role of Zoe after the character was developed at an improvisation session for thirty actors and actresses earlier in the year.
He chose Lordan, Wallace, Ainsworth, Ryan and Lakey as the five sisters as they got on so well at the sessions. The actors performed a
Nolans routine at the session, which was "later included on ''EastEnders'' as part of one of the
Queen Vic
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows t ...
's karaoke nights".
The character is described as bolshy, defiant and a vivacious teenager who makes an impression on the men of Walford.
Development
In 2001, an upcoming storyline, involving Zoe and Kat, when Zoe asks if she can live with Harry. The ''
News of the World
The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national "Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top" Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling ...
'' reported that Kat would tell Zoe that she was actually her mother and that Harry had raped her when she was 13. An ''EastEnders'' source said, "Zoe thinks her mother is dead—but the truth is very different." In 2002, a story where Zoe runs away with Anthony to get married in secret was announced. That year, Ryan was rested from the soap on doctor's orders, by agreement from
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British historical fiction writer. She was previously a television producer and script editor, her most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's ''EastEnders'' between 2002 and 2004. During her tenure, the long-run ...
, the executive producer, Ryan and her parents. Plans for character developments between Zoe and Anthony were delayed and plans for their on-screen marriage were pushed back, with the wedding storyline being re-written. In September that year, Ryan said she would return and was looking forward to it, and Berridge said she was "delighted" and hoped viewers would look forward to Zoe being reunited with the rest of her family.
Notable relationships
Kelly Taylor
The friendship between Zoe and
Kelly Taylor (
Brooke Kinsella) was a recurring storyline for both characters. In the British press, Kelly and Zoe were compared to two former popular characters, who also shared a close screen friendship,
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders,'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opt ...
(
Patsy Palmer
Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is a British actress and DJ. After appearing as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), she came to prominence for her p ...
) and
Tiffany Mitchell (
Martine McCutcheon
Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon (formerly Ponting, born 14 May 1976) is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama '' Bluebir ...
). Kinsella has commented, "It is nice to be compared because they were great
haractersbut, hopefully,
ichelle Ryanand I will bring our own characters to light and show what we can do. We have so much in common and we balance each other out – when she's crazy I'll calm her down and vice-versa. It's worked well, which is why Kelly has been kept on, which is great for me but also for Michelle because she's got somebody to have fun with. Kelly's been one of the slowest developing characters and that's been good for me. I wasn't thrown into it and having Michelle has been great for me."
In 2003, Zoe and Kelly made headlines in the UK during the New Year's Eve episode that was filmed on-location in
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. In said episode, the pair along with some group of teenagers travel from London to Scotland for New Year's Eve, but their minibus crashes, leaving them stranded and injured on the freezing cold Scottish
moors
The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a s ...
. While stranded, Kelly cares for an injured Zoe, they become overemotional, and kiss. Kinsella explained the reasons behind the kiss: "They're stuck in the hills, thinking they're going to die—it's a way of saying goodbye and also of showing how much they love each other as friends. Which is quite sweet really."
She claimed that the kiss was made easier due to the fact that she was kissing her off-screen best friend: "That made it so much easier. We thought we were just going to be laughing and giggling the whole way through, but we were very professional. It was so cold that we just wanted to get it over with. We were shaking from cold—not from nerves—and it was raining, so we just thought, 'Let's do it and get it done with'.
..We laugh about it now. When it came down to it, the truth was that it was just like any other screen kiss."
The episode featuring their kiss attracted 9.5 million viewers, and the precise moment that they kissed was watched by 44% of the available viewing audience.
Dennis Rickman and Den Watts
In September 2004, a Christmas storyline created by Berridge that was to show Zoe fall pregnant with
Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's centra ...
's (
Nigel Harman) baby was axed by Berridge's successor,
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison is a British television producer, whose credits include '' Playing the Field'', ''Holby City'' (of which she was the Series Producer, then Executive Producer for many years) and ''Casualty @ Holby City''.
''EastEnders''
On 21 S ...
. Instead, Zoe was to be seduced by Dennis's father,
Den
Den may refer to:
* Den (room), a small room in a house
* Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth
Media and entertainment
* ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler
* Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita'' ...
(
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor who played "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germany, West German ...
). An ''EastEnders'' insider revealed: "Dirty Den lives up to his name by seducing Zoe. He makes his move when she comments how handsome he looks for his age. But they are caught in the act by Dennis who is shocked and disgusted to see his dad snogging his girlfriend." Hutchison decided that Den would be killed off in a storyline involving three people plotting to kill him. The storyline saw Zoe, Chrissie and Sam plot his death, and a source said, "The three girls team up after deciding they have to get rid of Den but viewers will be left wondering who the actual killer is. They plot and scheme to give themselves alibis and exact their revenge for what Den has done to them."
Departure
It was thought that Ryan was going to quit the soap after several reports of her leaving ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
''. One of her friends who spoke in September 2004 revealed, "Without sounding arrogant, Michelle believes she has the looks and talent to succeed at the highest level. She has been in ''EastEnders'' for four years but sees her future very much in films and modelling. She realises the show has put her on the map but doesn't want to be typecast. "Because of her soap commitments she's had to turn down dozens of great modelling offers and feels her soap role is now holding her back. Michelle's happy to honour her contract but then will make the jump."
On 29 January 2005 it was announced after a lot of speculation that Ryan, along with
Kim Medcalf
Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2002–2005, 2022–2024).
Career ''EastEnders''
In late 2001, Kim Med ...
(Sam), would be leaving. A source for the show said, "Michelle
yanhas made no secret of her plans to leave the soap in recent months. Despite her character being at the centre of some of the show's biggest storylines, the actress is now considering a modelling career." The source added, "Michelle is hot property and has been inundated with offers of other acting work. She's also had several offers of lucrative modelling projects." Speaking about her decision to quit she told
''The Sun'', Everyone knew it was time for me to go and I knew it was time for me to move on."Then Jessie
allace who plays my screen mum Kat, said, 'You're young, so get out there. Now's the time to go for it. You're only young once and you can't stay here forever.'
"I've grown up in ''EastEnders''. I've been here for four years, so I will miss everybody. But you get that feeling and when you know it's time to spread your wings and fly, you need to do that. Everyone says I'm doing the right thing."
Her exit storyline was revealed saying, "She leaves because she can't stand everyone knowing what she did in order to persuade Dennis not to leave her," an insider told the newspaper. "It is truly gripping stuff and there won't be a dry eye in the house on the night."
Since her departure she told the ''
Bristol Evening Post
The ''Bristol Post'' is a city/regional five-day-a-week (formerly appearing six days per week) newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It was ...
'' that she has no plans to return saying,"I just got quite bored in the end, to be honest. Doing the same thing day in, day out. It's just so boring. I like to jump from different things." "I always saw ''EastEnders'' as an apprenticeship," she told the
''Daily Record''. "I always wanted to go on and do different things. I have some really good friends from that show but the door is closed." She said: "I've always taken chances. I think that's how you progress – by stepping out and doing different things. I really do like my freedom and jumping from job to job. I just want to work with people I admire and respect, wherever that be – big budget, low budget, leading role, supporting role."
Return
The press reported on 18 April 2010 that Ryan was approached by the producers of ''EastEnders'' to return for a month around the Christmas period that year, coinciding with the return of Zoe's mother, Kat, and her husband, Alfie. A BBC spokeswoman denied this, saying, "Speculation is rife about returning characters but this is not true. However, as with all characters, we would never say never." Talking about these rumours she replied, "No,
t'snot for me." It was again reported in August 2011 that Ryan was returning for a Christmas special. They reported that she was "excited" over possible storylines with Wallace and Richie. A BBC spokesperson dismissed the rumours, telling ''
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' that there are no plans for Zoe to return. In April 2017, Ryan called for Zoe to be recast.
Despite previously calling for a recast, in 2025, Ryan made an unannounced return as Zoe in the episode broadcast on 16 June.
Upon her return, Ryan said it felt like "coming home" and after filming her first few scenes "felt like
he'dnever been away."
On his decision to reintroduce Ryan, 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."
Storylines
2000–2005
A teenage Zoe first arrives in
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location wor ...
in September 2000 with her family, which consists of her sisters
Kat Slater
Kat Slater (also Moon and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the ...
(
Jessie Wallace
Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series ''The Bill'' and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC so ...
),
Lynne Hobbs
Lynne Hobbs (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Elaine Lordan. The character appears between 18 September 2000 and 2 July 2004. Lynne is a fierce judge of right and wrong, although she is not ...
(
Elaine Lordan
Elaine Bernadette Lordan (born 8 August 1966) is an English retired actress, best known for her role as 'Sugar Walls' in the comedy series ''Gimme Gimme Gimme'' and playing Lynne Hobbs in ''EastEnders'' (2000–2004). Following several tragedi ...
) and
Little Mo Morgan (
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, known for her roles as Little Mo Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Cathy Keating in the ITV1, ITV drama series ''Grantchester (TV series), Grantchester''.
Early life ...
); their father
Charlie Slater (
Derek Martin
Derek Martin (born Derek William Rapp; 11 April 1933) is a retired English actor. Beginning his career as a stuntman, he moved into acting and played many roles on UK television. One of his most widely known roles is Charlie Slater on the BBC ...
) and their grandmother
Mo Harris
Mo Harris (also Porter, also known as Big Mo), is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo was also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 spin-of ...
(
Laila Morse
Maureen Lesley Bass (' Oldman; born 1 August 1945), better known by her stage name Laila Morse, is an English actress. After making her acting debut as Janet in the drama film '' Nil by Mouth'' (1997), she went on to join the BBC soap opera ' ...
). Over a year later, Zoe and Kat argue about Zoe's decision to move away from Walford to live with her uncle
Harry Slater (
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English film and television actor. He played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series '' Boon'' and Harry Slater in BBC's ''EastEnders''. He was nominated fo ...
). Kat tells Zoe she cannot go but Zoe walks out. Kat follows and after a heated argument reveals that she is Zoe's mother. She then explains that she fell pregnant at 13 after Harry raped her, thus revealing that Harry is her father. Zoe is shell-shocked, and Kat slashes her wrists in despair. Zoe runs away, unable to take in all the recent revelations.
While away, Zoe contacts Little Mo – the only other member of the family who did not know about Zoe's parentage – who persuades Zoe to come home, but after another argument with Kat, Zoe leaves again. She ends up living on the streets where she is discovered sick and penniless by
Roxy Drake (
Tracy Brabin
Tracy Lynn Brabin (born 9 May 1961) is a British politician who has been the Mayor of West Yorkshire since the office was established on 10 May 2021. She was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from 2016 to 2021 under ...
), a
pimp
Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term "pimp" ...
determined to recruit Zoe. Roxy provides Zoe with meals and cigarettes, finds her a flat and forces her to prostitute herself. Roxy and fellow prostitute
Kelly Taylor (
Brooke Kinsella) dress and make-up Zoe, but she gets drunk and vomits on her client. Kat arrives on Christmas Day to take Zoe home, but Roxy tries to prevent her taking Zoe, so Kat
headbutt
A headbutt or butt is a targeted strike (attack), strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's Skull#Humans, cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of ...
s her.
Zoe gets engaged to
Anthony Trueman (
Nicholas Bailey
Nicholas Richard Bailey (born 5 July 1971 in Birmingham) is a British actor, best known for his role as Anthony Trueman in the soap opera ''EastEnders''.Thwaite, Emily (2008)Breakfast with Mugabe, ''The Gazette'', 20 February 2008, retrieved ...
), but leaves yet again, returning several months later, this time with Kelly in tow, and her engagement to Anthony is broken off.
In 2004, she briefly dates
Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's centra ...
(
Nigel Harman), but he is secretly in love with his adoptive half-sister
Sharon Watts
Sharon Watts (also Mitchell, Rickman and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Jul ...
(
Letitia Dean
Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and ag ...
), and they eventually reveal their relationship. Sharon and Dennis's father
Den Watts
Den Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house from Albert ...
(
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor who played "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germany, West German ...
) suggests that to keep Dennis, Zoe should claim she is pregnant, in order to split Sharon and Dennis up. The plan works but Zoe worries Dennis will realise she is not pregnant, and he refuses to sleep with her. After Zoe's attempts to get pregnant from other local men fail, Den offers to sleep with her so she can get pregnant and pretend the baby is Dennis's. Dennis catches them in bed together and leaves, but not before telling Den's wife,
Chrissie Watts
Chrissie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared on 29 April 2004 and transpired to be the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts (Leslie Gr ...
(
Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2005, 2024) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Va ...
).
Chrissie persuades Zoe to abort the baby and tells her they should team up for revenge on Den. They get together with
Sam Mitchell (
Kim Medcalf
Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2002–2005, 2022–2024).
Career ''EastEnders''
In late 2001, Kim Med ...
) to do this, meeting up in The Queen Victoria
public house
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
. Chrissie sends for Sharon, claiming Den is seriously ill. Sharon instead overhears Den admitting everything to the three other women as they confront him. Sharon then disowns Den before leaving Walford once more; Chrissie had orchestrated all of this - and achieved her aim of Sharon disowning Den - as payback for cheating on her with Zoe. Right after Sharon leaves, Den realises what Chrissie had done and proceeds to attack her – smashing her head against a fruit machine. Zoe stops him by attacking him with a metal doorstop, supposedly killing him. She runs off and Sam goes after her to calm her down. However, he is not dead, and he grabs Chrissie. She hits him again with the doorstop, finally killing Den. Following his murder, Zoe is led to believe that she killed Den, though Sam sees Chrissie kill Den and eventually tells Zoe, who punches Chrissie. Zoe leaves for
Ibiza
Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...
later in 2005 after having an emotional goodbye with Kat, while Chrissie is eventually caught out and charged with Den's murder, and Sam subsequently goes on the run. Just before her departure, Zoe had revealed the truth about Den fathering her baby and that she had terminated the pregnancy, having previously claimed to have suffered miscarriage. This followed Sharon and Dennis's return to Walford, and a fierce verbal attack on Dennis by Zoe's family.
In 2015, Kat reveals that Zoe has moved to Spain and announces to Mo and
Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a feis ...
(
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She gained prominence in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' for her portrayal of Stacey Slater, a role she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014 an ...
) that she will start saving up to visit Zoe. However, Mo tells Stacey that Zoe does not want to see Kat. Mo attempts to contact Zoe to get her to reconsider, but Kat finds out two days later in a text from Zoe that she cannot see her because of her new job and boyfriend and she feels she needs to move on with her life without Kat. In May 2015, Kat visits the convent where she gave birth to Zoe in 1984 and it is revealed to the viewers that Kat, unknowingly, had in fact had twins, a girl and a boy – meaning Zoe has a twin brother. Kat later moves to Spain off-screen and visits Zoe, who rejects her mother, leaving Kat devastated. Upon her return, Kat reveals that Zoe is now engaged.
In July 2022, it is revealed that Zoe has returned to London when Stacey's daughter,
Lily Slater (
Lillia Turner) tracks her down on social media and invites her to Kat's upcoming wedding to
Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
(
Steve McFadden
Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
). In an effort to cheer up Kat, Lily also arranges for Zoe to meet with Kat at Peggy's wine bar that evening, but Zoe does not turn up, leaving Kat and Lily disappointed.
In September 2024, Zoe was mentioned by Chrissie when Sharon is sent to prison for degrading a judge during
Dean Wicks' (
Matt Di Angelo
Mario Angelo Stavrou Constantinou (born 1 May 1987), professionally known as Matt Di Angelo, is a British actor and singer, best known for his role as Dean Wicks in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He also portrayed Sean Kennedy in the BBC d ...
) trial for the murder of
Keanu Taylor (
Danny Walters). Sharon comes face to face with Chrissie who justifies her actions for killing Den by explaining that if Zoe had not intervened, Den would've killed her.
2025–present
When Stacey leaves Walford to take a break following
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Europe
* Martin, Croatia, a village
* Martin, Slovakia, a city
* Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain
* M ...
's (
James Bye
James Edward Bye (born 23 February 1984) is an English actor who played Martin Fowler in ''EastEnders'' from 2014 to 2025. He also competed in series 20 of ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2022.
Early life
James Edward Bye was born on 23 Febru ...
) death, she rents a flat outside the Square. It is later revealed that Zoe had come to Stacey, claiming she was on the run from loan sharks. Concerned, Stacey leaves her children with Lynne and contacts Alfie for help. Together, Stacey and Alfie confront Zoe after she returns to the flat, and they discover she had fabricated the story in order to obtain money. They threaten to call Kat, unaware that she has already managed to track them down.
Reception
In 2002, Zoe and Kat's storyline was nominated for Best Storyline at the
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV (TV network), ITV. The trophies given to the winners are made from metal a ...
, but lost out to the bullying plot in ''
Brookside Brookside may refer to:
Geography Canada
* Brookside, Edmonton
* Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Brookside, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
* Brookside, Berkshire, England
* Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England
United States
* Bro ...
''. The episode where the truth about Kat being Zoe's mother won Best Single Episode.
For her portrayal of Zoe, Ryan was nominated in the category of Best Actress at the 2005 British Soap Awards.
For
''EastEnders'' 25th anniversary in 2010, Zoe finding out about her mother was voted the greatest ''EastEnders'' moment by ''
What's on TV
''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC.
Overview
''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and com ...
''. In addition, the ''EastEnders'' website named the moment where Kat told Zoe that she was her mother one of the most 'dramatic endings'.
The kiss between Zoe and Kelly received criticism. Lesbian news site
AfterEllen.com
''AfterEllen'' is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifestyle issues from a feminis ...
branded it a "gratuitous ratings-stunt" and said "The writers bottled out and the two young women dismissed it as a one-off, assuring each other that neither of them was 'like that,' leaving lesbian and bisexual viewers feeling cheated. This was a wasted opportunity, a chance to explore an emotionally complex situation between best friends that became just another exploitive TV moment instead." In an interview about homosexual television characters in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', scriptwriter
Daran Little
Daran Arthur Peter Little (born 11 May 1966) is a British television writer who has won a BAFTA award and been nominated for an Emmy Award. He is the only writer to pen more than 100 episodes of both ''Coronation Street'' (2000–2010) and ''Ea ...
criticised lesbians in British soaps: "Most lesbian characters are so
lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...
. They start off straight and, lo and behold, they just can't resist it. You can see the straight fantasy at work behind the character". Journalist Paul Flynn stated that Zoe was an example of this, describing her as a "tabloid-friendly 18-year-old—who
..brushed with lesbianism for all of five minutes." Kinsella defended the kiss in an interview, commenting, "It's not a gratuitous ratings getting move, it's not some kind of big lesbian kiss. It's the way two best friends who have a lot of love for each other show their emotions."
In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' placed Zoe 59th on their ranked list of the best ''EastEnders'' characters of all time, writing that she was most popular for her 2001 "legendary slanging match" with Kat where it is revealed that she is Kat's daughter.
In popular culture
The character of Zoe Slater has been
spoofed in the
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...
sketch show
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
''
2DTV
''2DTV'' is a British satirical animated television series which was co-created and produced by Giles Pilbrow for ITV. It premiered on ITV on 27 March 2001 and was nominated for the Rose d'Or Award in both 2002 and 2003.
The programme was consi ...
''.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Zoe
EastEnders characters
Adoptee characters in soap operas
Teenage characters in soap operas
Fictional merchants
Twin characters in soap operas
Television characters introduced in 2000
British female characters in soap operas
English female characters in television
Slater family (EastEnders)