EastEnders star Michelle Ryan has explained why she agreed to reprise her role as Zoe Slater, saying it was like “coming home”.

The actor returned to the BBC soap after a 20-year absence in Monday’s (16 June) episode, with Zoe coming face-to-face with Alfie Moon after it was revealed that Stacey had been staying at her flat.

Discussing her comeback for the very first time, Ryan outlined the reasons for her return, sharing that her interest was piqued after she met with her former co-stars Kacey Ainsworth and Kim Medcalf.

“It all happened at the right time,” recalled Ryan. “I’d already been thinking about a return because I’d met up with Kacey [who played Little Mo Mitchell] and Kim [who played Sam Mitchell].

“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 executive producer [in Ben Wadey].”

“[He] 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,” continued the “excited” star, who added that she knew she had made the “right decision” after reading the scripts.

Despite an absence of two decades, the actor explained further that there was an immediate sense of comfort upon her return, sharing: “It feels like [I’m] coming home. After doing my first few scenes, it was like I’d never been away.”

Ryan, who has also appeared in Bionic Woman and Merlin, also teased a few aspects of the upcoming storyline, confirming that her character would be in an altogether different position from her previous stint in East London.

“Zoe is a mess – she’s not the girl that left Walford twenty years ago, and she’s been really struggling on her own,” said Ryan. “She has her defences up, but this week you will see that she needs help – whether she is willing to accept it is another story.”