Zoe Slater’s Return: A Family’s Worst Nightmare Resurfaces

It starts with a whisper. Two words over the phone that turn Cat Slater’s world upside down: “She’s back.” After nearly two decades in the shadows, Zoe Slater has returned to Walford—not for family, not for forgiveness, but for vengeance.

Seventeen years ago, Zoe vanished after helping Chrissie Watts bury Den’s body under the Queen Vic’s floorboards. No goodbyes. No trace. Just silence. Until now.

When Cat hears that Zoe’s been spotted outside number 31, staring at their old home like nothing’s changed, a chill runs down her spine. And it should—because Zoe’s arrival brings with it a storm of secrets, threats, and a man named Rhys Harper.

Zoe’s been living in Spain, working at a bar owned by Rhys. But their relationship turned dark. Rhys knows what happened to Den. He’s blackmailing Zoe for £50,000 to keep quiet. Desperate, Zoe turns to the one person who owes her everything—her mother.

Cat’s horrified. Zoe’s sudden reappearance threatens to rip open a past she’s spent years trying to bury. With Alfie back, Tommy getting older, and her family already fractured, Cat can’t afford another scandal. But when Zoe lays it out—“Help me or I tell the police everything”—Cat has no choice. Because if Zoe talks, Chrissie goes down… and so does Cat.

The pair begin a frantic scramble to raise the money—lying, stealing, calling in favours. But in true Slater style, the plan falls apart. An overheard conversation. Suspicion from Alfie. A worried Tommy trailing Zoe to the meeting. And worst of all—Rhys arrives drunk, unhinged, and dangerous.

By the time Cat makes it to the archers, it’s chaos. Rhys has Tommy pinned to the wall, Zoe is screaming, and in one explosive moment, Cat lunges. There’s a sickening crash. Silence. Blood. And Rhys lies motionless on the floor.

As the sirens wail closer, panic sets in. “You’ve just done what I did, haven’t you?” Zoe whispers. Then, like smoke—she vanishes.

Now, Cat stands alone—blood on her hands, past sins swirling back to the surface. Did Tommy call the police? Was it Alfie? Or did Zoe betray her mother one last time?

In a flash, everything Cat built is on the verge of collapse. The lies she buried with Den’s body are crawling back to the surface. And Zoe? She’s disappeared again—but this time, she might not be done yet.

The question isn’t if Cat will pay the price.
It’s how high that price will be…
And who else will burn with her.