Michelle Ryan returns to EastEnders after Hollywood detour, strikes and a huge role pass

Michelle Ryan has returned to EastEnders this year, rejoining the BBC soap after more than two decades away from Albert Square. The comeback comes amid a years-long wait for high-profile film and TV opportunities outside the show and a recognition that a bid to crack Hollywood was slowed by strikes and a decision to turn down a major role.

When Ryan left EastEnders in 2005, the door was kept ajar for a possible return, with her character Zoe Slater relocating to Ibiza rather than becoming a victim of a murder plot. Yet Ryan made clear at the time that she did not intend to come back, describing her EastEnders stint as “boring” and saying she viewed the soap as an apprenticeship that allowed her to pursue other projects. A close friend told Sunday People that Ryan believed she had the looks and talent to succeed at the highest level and that the soap had helped her reach a wider audience, but she did not want to be typecast or stuck in a single role.

Her early leap toward international fame began with a lead role in the NBC reboot of Bionic Woman, in which she played Jaime Sommers, a bartender whose life is transformed by cybernetic enhancements after a car accident. The series was short-lived, affected by the Writers Guild of America strike that halted production after just eight episodes were completed. With the strike and low ratings, NBC ultimately shelved the show.

Back in the United Kingdom, Ryan returned to television in Merlin, portraying Nimueh in the first series of the BBC fantasy drama. She also appeared in the Doctor Who special Planet of the Dead in 2009, a role that some fans hoped would lead to a future companion. In the years that followed, she was courted for Hollywood again, including an audition for Boardwalk Empire, but she ultimately turned down the opportunity, citing a reluctance to sign a long-term contract with HBO.

In later interviews, Ryan reflected that passing on Boardwalk Empire might have been a mistake. She later wrote about watching the series on Instagram, praising Kelly Macdonald’s portrayal and noting that she had turned down a five-year contract at the time—an experience she said she viewed as a lesson about pilots and series evolution. The project instead went on to win multiple Emmys and other awards, and Ryan acknowledged that things happen for a reason.

Her film work in the 2010s included Cockneys vs Zombies, where she appeared opposite Harry Treadaway, and the ensemble comedy Girl Walks into a Bar with Danny DeVito. Her most recent film roles included Frankenstein: Legacy, in which she played Lady Charlotte, and Finding My Voice, scheduled for release in 2025.

June brought a crucial moment in Ryan’s career arc when she announced her return to EastEnders, telling reporters it felt like she had “come home.” She cited conversations with current colleagues and a new executive producer who was enthusiastic about reviving Zoe Slater as part of a broader creative push for the show. “When Ben pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision,” she said, referencing the new direction that awaited her character on the Square.

The path to the comeback involved a public look back at her earlier exit. In her Bristol Evening Post interview after she quit, Ryan described the initial departure as a conscious choice to seek new challenges: “Doing the same thing day in, day out. It’s just so boring. I like to jump from different things.” She added that while EastEnders had helped launch her, she did not want to be defined by the soap and hoped to work with people she admired across both big-budget and independent projects.

Among the elements that have shaped Zoe Slater’s return is the legacy of her most famous moment on the show: the family revelation that Kat Slater was Zoe’s mother, not her sister. The ensuing explosion of emotion—“You ain’t my mother!”—became one of EastEnders’ most enduring lines and a defining example of its melodramatic flair. The moment remains a touchstone for fans and a reminder of the dramatic impact the Slater family has had on the show’s history. As Ryan’s Zoe returns to Walford, writers have signaled that the character will not be the same person who left two decades ago, dealing with personal challenges and a complicated family dynamic.

Ryan’s return also signals a shift in EastEnders’ creative approach, with producers seemingly eager to balance nostalgia with new storytelling. The actress has indicated that Zoe is currently “a mess” and that the coming weeks will test whether she can accept help and carve a new path for herself on the Square. The storyline aligns with EastEnders’ tradition of integrating old cast members into contemporary arcs that reflect both the show’s history and its evolving landscape.

For fans, the reappearance of Zoe Slater promises a blend of familiar faces and fresh drama, as the Slater clan continues to loom large over Walford’s tangled social web. As Ryan herself has suggested, the reunion feels timely: a chance to revisit a beloved character while also exploring how decades away from the camera have shaped her approach to acting, risk-taking, and the craft that first brought her to international attention.