**Warning: Contains major spoilers for the Thursday 4th September 2025 episode of EastEnders, available now on BBC iPlayer.**

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Max Branning (Jake Wood) has officially been ruled out as the father of Zoe Slater's (Michelle Ryan) secret son in EastEnders, with new flashbacks confirming that the pair didn't meet until earlier this year.

Zoe confided in Max that her baby girl had died, while she abandoned her surviving little boy at the hospital in 2006.

Desperate to let him know that he was loved, Zoe wanted to put things right and meet her child, only for the man who offered her a lead to attack her, causing Zoe to lash out and leave him for dead.

But along with that new bombshell about Zoe's past, we were left with further questions – most notably, who is the daddy?

Yes, the father could be someone we've never seen before; but what if he's actually a familiar face?

We've taken a closer look at all the potential candidates - at least, the ones we know of!

Who is the father of Zoe Slater's son in EastEnders?

Dr Anthony Trueman

Nicholas Bailey as Anthony Trueman looking concerned in EastEnders
Nicholas Bailey as Anthony Trueman in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Our thoughts are still lingering on Zoe's words to Anthony this week, as she learned that he has children.

What if Zoe had a brief liaison with Anthony after they both left Walford separately, resulting in her pregnancy?

Could it really be a mere coincidence that Zoe and her ex, Anthony, have returned at the same time?

Or should we be looking entirely elsewhere?

Beppe di Marco

A wildcard guess? Absolutely, but there may just be a resemblance in the glimpse we got of Zoe's baby boy.

And who's to say she didn't bump into Beppe (Michael Greco), years after they both lived in Albert Square, and sparks unexpectedly flew?

It's not that we're set on Beppe in particular being the father, but soap land is so unpredictable, we wouldn't put it past EastEnders to bring back a classic character as a link to Zoe!

And, after all, they were part of the same era.

Spencer Moon

Spencer (Chris Parker) and Zoe were part of the same crowd as teenagers, and although he spent several years in a relationship with Vicki Fowler (Scarlett Johnson, Alice Haig), we don't know everything about their timeline.

What if Zoe spent the night with Spencer, and he never knew she fell pregnant?

Picture the scene: Vicki finds out that Spencer cheated on her with Zoe all those years ago, leading to a fiery showdown and giving Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) even more reason to hate Zoe.

Spencer could even make a comeback, and given that he's also the younger brother of Zoe's stepfather, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), this could add another layer to the dynamic of the Slater-Moons.

Mickey Miller

Joe Swash as Mickey Miller in a suit and smiling in EastEnders.
Joe Swash as Mickey Miller in EastEnders. BBC

Joe Swash reprised his role as the cheeky charmer turned businessman in 2024, and again, Mickey lived in the Square at the same time as Zoe.

A good guy, we know Mickey would have stepped up if Zoe had been expecting his babies – but what if she never told him she was pregnant?

Clearly deeply traumatised from her past with mum, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), Zoe may not have had the confidence or strength to recognise a trustworthy man when she saw one.

Ronny Ferreira

Again, there were times that Ronny (Ray Panthaki) ran in the same circles as Zoe, and they even used to date as teens until Ronny kissed another woman.

But what if the pair later reconnected?

With EastEnders' new tradition of bringing back faces from the past, we think this is as good a guess as any.

Tariq Larousi

Ronny's best friend, who was later confirmed to be his half-brother, also knew Zoe, so it would be remiss of us to leave him out.

Again, we're leaning on nostalgia and the thought of another comeback here, and with Zoe's history with Ronny, having the daddy be Tariq (Nabil Elouahabi) instead would be a decent surprise!

Dennis Rickman

Nigel Harman in close-up as Dennis Rickman in 2004 in EastEnders.
Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) was an old love of Zoe's in EastEnders. BBC

We've already touched upon this theory, and although the late Dennis (Nigel Harman) never really loved Zoe, there's always room for a shock twist.

Dennis could have rowed with Sharon during their time as a couple, bumped into Zoe off-screen and embarked on a one-off fling.

A secret love child for Dennis would leave Sharon hurt, and while a frosty reunion has already been teased for Zoe and Sharon, what if there's a big new reason for Sharon to reignite their feud?

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Authors

Laura DenbyFreelance Writer

Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.

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