Michelle Ryan returns to EastEnders after Hollywood detour and near-miss Boardwalk Empire opportunity

Michelle Ryan is returning to EastEnders this year, rejoining Albert Square as Zoe Slater after two decades away from the screen, a comeback framed by a bid to crack Hollywood that was slowed by industry strikes and a high-profile role she ultimately declined.

When she left the BBC soap in 2005, the door was left open for her to return, with Zoe Slater moving to Ibiza. Ryan later said she had no intention of coming back, describing the part as "boring" and explaining that EastEnders felt like an apprenticeship she wanted to leave. A close friend told Sunday People at the time that Ryan believed she had the looks and talent to succeed at the highest level but didn't want to be typecast, and that soap commitments had kept her from pursuing modelling opportunities she valued.

In pursuit of bigger fame, Ryan headed to Hollywood and landed the lead in NBC's reboot of Bionic Woman, playing Jaime Sommers. The series began production, but the Writers Guild of America strike halted work after eight episodes were filmed. The remaining five planned episodes were never filmed, and after disappointing ratings NBC quietly shelved the project.

Ryan returned to the UK and took on Nimueh in Merlin, a villainous role in the first series, and she guest-starred in the Doctor Who special Planet of the Dead in 2009, prompting some fans to hope she would become a future companion.

She was later asked to audition for Boardwalk Empire, but she turned down the opportunity, wary of a long HBO contract. The role went to Kelly Macdonald, and Ryan later conceded the move had been a big mistake, noting Boardwalk Empire would go on to win multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG awards.

Back on screen in the years since, Ryan appeared in independent films such as Cockneys vs Zombies and Girl Walks into a Bar, and in Frankenstein: Legacy; a 2025 release Finding My Voice featuring her as Lisa Kendall was announced but not yet released.

In June, it was announced Ryan had returned to EastEnders, saying it felt like she'd come home. She cited meetings with former co-stars Kacey Ainsworth and Kim Medcalf and her presence on social media showing there was still love for Zoe. She added that a new executive, Ben Wadey, was keen to explore the character's potential, and the timing felt right. In reflecting on her earlier departure, she recalled telling the Bristol Evening Post she left because the work felt repetitive and that she preferred taking risks to avoid being typecast, but noted that the door to Walford had never fully closed.

Back in the soap, Zoe is described as a mess who has struggled on her own, not the girl who left Walford two decades ago. The reveal of Kat Slater as Zoe's mother—famously shouted in one of EastEnders' most iconic moments—will echo as the new storyline unfolds, with the door still slightly ajar for more twists in the Slater family saga.