EastEnders teases dark Zoe Slater secret in early iPlayer release

Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) has revealed she's harbouring a dark secret following her dramatic return to EastEnders.

She has been staying in a rental flat with relative Stacey (Lacey Turner), who called Zoe's stepfather Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) for help when Zoe's behaviour spiralled.

After realising that Zoe was lying about being stalked by gangsters, Alfie became concerned when Zoe revealed just how scared she was, all the while refusing any contact with estranged mum Kat (Jessie Wallace).

With Zoe threatening to disappear for good if Stacey and Alfie alerted Kat, the trio panicked when Kat, Jean (Gillian Wright) and Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) turned up at the door.

Kat and Alfie's son Tommy (Sonny Kendall) had tracked Alfie's phone when he went AWOL, and Kat was oblivious that her daughter was so nearby as she grilled Alfie and expressed concerns about Tommy.

Alfie fibbed that he was merely visiting Stacey to support her in her grief for Martin Fowler (James Bye), but Kat and Jean pointed out how strange it was that Alfie was her first port of call.

The women then heard noises made by Zoe, who was listening in from the bedroom.

While Kat and Jean were placated by an excuse and left, Stacey came close to convincing Zoe to speak to Kat.

But when Kat returned and clocked that someone was in the other room, Zoe climbed out of the window before she could be found.

With Kat thrown off the scent, Zoe called Stacey and explained that she was leaving, as she had done something that she couldn't come back from - something that she believed her family would never forgive her for.

What has Zoe done?

As for Tommy, he was troubled after witnessing Joel Marshall (Max Murray) sexually assault a young woman.

Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) paid the victim, Isla, not to report Joel, but later, Vicki issued Joel with a brutal warning that this could never happen again.

Now, with theories surfacing that Joel could share a surprise link with Zoe, and the teen's scenes weaved in between Zoe's this week, might she actually be Joel's mother?

Could Zoe Slater be Joel Marshall's mum in EastEnders?

While there has been no direct confirmation as to this theory, a key line of dialogue saw Joel tell Vicki, "You're not my mum, you don't get to tell me what to do."

This, of course, parallels Zoe's most famous line, seconds before Kat confessed that she was, in fact, Zoe's biological mother. Could EastEnders be foreshadowing the reveal of Zoe as Joel's mother?

The BBC soap's cluster of comebacks have all been seamlessly intertwined with other existing storylines in recent years, so Zoe's return might just have coincided with Joel's situation for a reason.

Also, given that the idea of reconnecting with Kat makes Zoe so uncomfortable, and there has been no definitive explanation for this, what if Zoe was aware of Joel's crime in Australia, in which he was caught out for up-skirting?

Might Zoe have helped cover this up alongside Ross (Alex Walkinshaw), filling her with shame as she knows what happened to Kat, whose abuse resulted in Zoe's birth?

Remember, the family of the victim abroad were chasing Ross for hush money.

Or, is Zoe hiding something else?

Either way, we can't help but feel that Zoe has more than the Slaters to link her back to Walford - and we don't know much about Joel's mum yet.

With Zoe due to reappear again in the coming weeks, watch this space!

Anyone affected by the issues raised above can find support by visiting Rape Crisis, or calling their 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222.

Read more:

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EastEnders airs on BBC One at 7.30pm on Mondays to Thursdays. Stream on iPlayer on the same days at 6am.

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