Eastenders: Zoe finally reveals who fathered her mystery son

We knew Zoe Slater's return would be packed full of drama, but in September's explosive episodes of Eastenders we've had more than we bargained for. The iconic character, played by Michelle Ryan, found herself getting shot earlier this month following a scuffle between Jack and Ravi AND we discovered she gave birth to twins 19 years ago!

But that's not all... it was revealed the mystery caller Zoe's been hiding from is none other than Max Branning (Jake Wood) — another shock return following four years off screen!

It had been 20 years since Zoe was last seen on The Square, before the Slater sister famed for screaming "You ain't my mother" at Kat, made an iconic comeback in June, and now she's the centre of some pretty big storylines.

As fans digest the information that somewhere out there is a 19-year-old boy who is the biological son of Zoe Slater, many have taken to the comments section to say they've 'worked out' who it is. It comes after Zoe's daughter died during labour back in 2006, while her son was given up for adoption.

If you've been affected by baby loss and would like more information about the support available, you can visit www.sands.org.uk.

Who is the father of Zoe's baby?

You may remember one of Zoe's last storylines involved her relationship with Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), and subsequent affair with his father Dirty Den (Leslie Grantham). This lead many fans to believe one of the two men fathered her twins — and Zoe pretty much confirmed those thoughts in an episode on 23rd September.

In an argument with Sharon Watts, Zoe revealed she'd slept with Dennis behind her back when she left the square 20 years ago, telling her: "You wanna know who the father is?"

After Sharon argued it couldn't possibly be her dad, Zoe told her: "Not your dad's... Your husband's! Twenty years ago, Dennis Rickman slept with me. That's right Sharon, your precious Dennis. He got me pregnant."

After questioning Zoe about the miscarriage she had when she was last in the square, Zoe told her: "I ain't talking about that baby. Where was he (Dennis) the day I left eh? He came to see me."

Sharon asked her: "So what you saying, you had a quick bunk up behind my back?" To which Zoe replied: "Yeah!"

Who is Zoe's son on Eastenders?

Theories have been filling the internet suggesting Zoe's estranged son is none other than Joel Marshall (Max Murray) — step-son to Vicki Fowler who recently moved over from Australia.

But the timeline would suggest Joel is too young to be the mystery Slater son, as Zoe's baby would now been 19-years-old, while Joel is still at school.

Following an episode on 3rd September, fans took to the comments section to share their thoughts, with one writing: 'I'm stunned 😦 just incredible 👏👏👏👏Kat& Zoe brilliant 👏👏👏but pls pls don’t let Zoe be Joel mudder!!!! ( mum )' (sic).

Meanwhile another fan spotted the link with Max's insistent phone calls and his son, Oscar, writing: 'The only boy on the square around that age is Oscar'.

When is Max back on Eastenders?

Max returned on Wednesday 3rd September's episode.

Who shot Zoe?

We saw Jack and Ravi have a scuffle over a gun in 2nd September's episode, with the gun accidentally going off in one of their hands. So, although Kat and Zoe don't know it yet, the shot wasn't intentional.

What did Michelle Ryan say about her return to Eastenders?

Michelle Ryan, who plays Zoe, previously said "worlds aligned" to enable her return, and she's excited to be back.

Michelle said: “It feels like coming home. After doing my first few scenes, it was like I’d never been away.

“I can’t say too much as there is a lot of drama to come, but Zoe is a mess. She’s not the girl that left Walford twenty years ago, and she’s been really struggling on her own. She has her defences up, but this week you will see that she needs help, but whether she is willing to accept it is another story.

“It all happened at the right time. I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo) and Kim Medcalf (Sam Mitchell) and we were reminiscing our fond memories of the show, and I’d also joined social media and saw that there was still a lot of love for the character. It just so happened that at the same time, EastEnders had announced a new Exec who was keen to explore the potential of a return as he was such a massive fan of Zoe and the Slaters, so both of our worlds aligned at the right time, and I’m so excited to be back. When Ben pitched me the storylines, and when I read the scripts, I knew it was the right decision.”

In 2001, we discovered the youngest Slater sister, Zoe, was in fact the daughter of Walford’s iconic Kat Slater (played by Jessie Wallace) — and the pair have since become estranged, following more than two decades of resentment.

Now she's back, meeting her siblings for the first time, and coming face-to-face with the newly-remarried Kat Moon.

When did Zoe leave EastEnders?

Zoe left The Square in 2005, after her relationship with Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) saw her caught up in the murder of Den Watts, alongside Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) and Sam Mitchell.

When did Zoe Slater return to EastEnders?

She returned on Monday 16th June 2025 — when it was revealed she'd been staying with second cousin, Stacey Slater. You can catch up on the episode on BBC iPlayer now.

WATCH: Zoe returns to EastEnders:

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If you've been affected by this story and would like more information about the support available, you can contact pregnancy and baby loss charity SANDS via www.sands.org.uk.

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