Jessie Wallace has revealed she burst into tears when she reunited with Michelle Ryan on the set of EastEnders. The pair, who play Kat and Zoe Slater, will appear together again in episodes airing later this month. Ryan made a brief return in June after 20 years away, and is now back for a longer stint.
Wallace told Radio Times that she insisted to executive producer Ben Wadey that Ryan must reprise the role. “I said to Ben, ‘It has to be Michelle. It won’t feel right if Zoe is recast.’ I wouldn’t be able to give my best performance. The audience would feel completely conned,” she said.
The actress recalled their first meeting: “We met for a secret dinner date with Ben Wadey and the Slaters. When I saw Michelle, I cried – we were all very emotional. It was nostalgic and lovely.” Wallace, now a mother herself, said she has become protective over Ryan, natural given their on-screen mother-daughter bond.
Ryan, 41, described returning to Walford as “like coming home”. She said: “Jessie is one of the best actresses I’ve ever worked with. The rapport we have and our friendship off screen feeds into that mother-daughter bond.” The character Zoe is best remembered for the 2001 cliffhanger where she screamed “You ain’t my mother!” at Kat.
Ryan admitted another reason for coming back was the desire for routine after years of freelance work. “There comes a time when you think, actually, it would be great to have a routine,” she said. The return was set in motion by new executive producer Ben Wadey, who had Zoe on his wish-list.
