Zoe appears to have left the show just days after her return

Fans were deligthed to see Michelle Ryan back on the programme(Image: BBC)
EastEnders fans are claiming that they’ve figured out what ‘really bad’ thing Zoe Slater did amid the soap legend’s abrupt exit.

The BBC soap began its new era under Executive Producer Ben Wadey with a bang as Michelle Ryan returned to the show that made her a star on Monday (June 16) for the first time since 2005.

Fans had been demanding Kat Slater’s daughter to come back to Albert Square for two decades after she was last seen fleeing to Ibiza.

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Sadly, things don’t appear to be going too well for Zoe, who is staying with Stacey Slater in a flat and struggling with alcoholism.

Claiming to Stacey and Alfie Moon that she fled Spain over issues with loan sharks, it soon emerged that Zoe was lying about her situation and just wanted money.

With tension rising over what to do about Kat, who Zoe was adamant she didn’t want to see, Alfie’s wife shouted through the letter box at the end of Tuesday’s (June 17) episode and set up a reunion with her child.

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However, in scenes that aired on Wednesday night (June 18), Zoe’s return to the programme appeared to have been cut short.

This week’s episodes have focused on Zoe Slater’s return (Image: BBC)
Zoe hid in the bedroom away from Kat, who Alfie had to lie to and claim that he went to visit Stacey upon learning that she was still struggling with Martin Fowler’s death.

Never one to miss a beat, Kat knew they were lying, but kindly offered to clean the flat as Zoe hid under the bed to avoid having to face her.

Joined by Jean Slater, Kat eventually decided to return home to her children, but vowed that she would be back after taking the flat’s keys.

Before leaving, Kat was convinced that Alfie was having an affair and burst into the room Zoe was in, only to find an empty room with an open window.

Once Stacey managed to locate her cousin, Zoe teased that the reason she doesn’t want to see Kat is darker than anyone could imagine.

“I done something, something so bad, you’d never forgive me. I can’t tell you. You’d hate me. You’d all hate me. Kat would hate me, just like she used to,” she said before leaving through a fire exit.

With Zoe’s return seemingly finished for the time being, fans rushed to the EastEnders Reddit page to have their say on what she did.

@McZadine said: “Probably abandoning her child? The Slaters are very family focused, it would make sense she thinks they’d disown her if they knew.” @LollyC1996 added: “Yep had to be that,it would feel like a betrayal as Kat never abandoned her.”

@Jackheartspurple wrote: “Every time I read comments about Zoe being Joel’s mum, I just thought it was too coincidental/convenient. But it all seems to fit.” @Choice-Positive4528 stated: “Probably is this, but it’s an ironic take if so, considering she’s essentially disowning her own mum and hasn’t seen her for decades.”

@chloedarlinggg commented: “I think it could be something to do with her brother tbh, i know they ignore most of Redwater but kat found out about him on the main show. maybe zoe somehow found out about him?”

When Zoe returns to the soap remains to be seen, but could fans be in for another ‘you ain’t my mother’ moment with wayward teenager Joel Marshall?