EastEnders fans are buzzing with speculation after a new twist in Joel Marshall’s (Max Murray) troubled storyline, with many believing that the mystery surrounding his estranged mother could be linked to none other than Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan). Since his arrival in Albert Square, Joel’s behavior has spiraled out of control, and the troubled teen’s dark past in Australia has come to light. His crime, which involved upskirting a classmate, led to his father, Ross (Alex Walkinshaw), paying off the victim’s family to keep the matter under wraps. However, Joel’s descent didn’t stop there.

From his online exposure of explicit content to Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall), impregnating Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James), and sexually assaulting a tube passenger, Joel’s actions have continued to shock viewers. Despite Ross’s attempts to manage his son’s behavior, Joel’s problems only escalated, especially after he discovered that his estranged mother, Cleo, was remarrying.

Until now, the identity of Joel’s mother has been a mystery, with only a few scraps of information coming to light. All viewers knew was that Cleo had abandoned Joel during his childhood, and in a moment of anger, Joel had referred to her as a “slapper.” But just when fans thought the theory that Zoe Slater might be his mother had been laid to rest, another clue has surfaced, reigniting the possibility that the two characters could be connected.

During Zoe’s 20-year absence from the soap, little has been said about her life, leaving fans to wonder what she has been up to, especially with her distance from her mother, Kat (Jessie Wallace), and the years spent living in Ibiza. But the fire was stoked when Joel unknowingly referenced one of the most iconic moments from EastEnders history. In 2001, Zoe discovered that her “sister,” Kat, was actually her mother. This revelation occurred as Zoe was preparing to leave for Spain with their Uncle Harry (Michael Elphick), unaware that he was actually her father, having raped Kat years earlier.

The moment became one of EastEnders’ most emotional scenes, with Zoe screaming, “You can’t tell me what to do, you ain’t my mother!” in defiance of Kat’s attempt to stop her. Kat’s heartbreaking response of “Yes, I am!” remains a pivotal moment in the soap’s history.

Fast forward to the present day, and Joel’s explosive argument with Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) mirrors this emotional scene. Joel angrily shouted, “Well, you ain’t my mum, you don’t get to tell me what to do!” Could this be a strange coincidence, or is there something deeper at play? Is Zoe’s absence in the storyline more significant than it seems, and could the mystery of Joel’s mother point to a surprising connection between him and the Slater family? Fans are eagerly waiting to find out if this fan theory holds any truth, as EastEnders prepares for more shocking twists in the weeks ahead.