Zoe Slater

Zoe Slater
File:Zoe slater77.jpg
Duration	2000–2005
First appearance	18 September 2000
Last appearance	24 June 2005
Created by	Tony Jordan
In-universe information Occupation Lapdancer Family Kat, Charlie, Harry

Zoe Slater was a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. She was played by Michelle Ryan.

Character history

Zoe is the daughter of Kat Moon and Harry Slater. Harry is Kat's uncle, who raped her when she was a teenager. Zoe was the result, and Kat's parents decided to raise Zoe as their own daughter. She grew up thinking Kat was her sister.

Zoe arrived in Walford with her family in September 2000, and five months later it was revealed that Kat was her mother, although this was kept between Charlie and Kat until the following October, when Zoe and Kat got into an argument over Zoe's decision to move away with Harry. Zoe screamed at Kat: "You can't tell me what to do, you ain't my mother!" to which Kat replied "Yes I am!". Kat explained to Zoe that, rather than being her sister as she had always been led to believe, she was in fact her mother having fallen pregnant at 13. Zoe was shell-shocked at finding this out and informed Kat that she was going to move away with Harry anyway to sort her head out, which caused Kat to reveal to Zoe that Harry had raped her, and was in fact Zoe's natural father. Zoe left in complete shock, and Kat slashed her wrists in despair. Kat recovered, but Zoe ran away, unable to take in all the recent revelations.

While away from the Square, Zoe contacted Little Mo who was the only other member of the family who had been kept in the dark about Zoe's true parentage. Little Mo was able to persuade Zoe to return home, but after a furious argument with Kat, Zoe left again soon after.

Zoe ended up on the streets, and was discovered sick and penniless by Roxy Drake, a pimp determined to recruit Zoe. Roxy provided meals to Zoe, found her a flat, then forced her to prostitute herself. Roxy and fellow prostitute Kelly Taylor dressed and made-up Zoe, but Zoe got drunk on whiskey and vomited on her client. The next day, Kat, Zoe's mother, came to take Zoe home, but Roxy tried to prevent her taking Zoe, and ended up being headbutted by Kat.

Zoe was engaged to Dr. Anthony Trueman, but this storyline was scrapped. Zoe returned after several months away, this time with Kelly in tow, and her engagement with the doctor was broken off.

Zoe briefly dated Dennis Rickman. However, Dennis was really in love with his adopted sister Sharon Watts. To Zoe's fury, they revealed their love on Christmas Day. Sharon and Dennis's father Den suggested that if Zoe didn't want Dennis to leave her, she had to pretend she was pregnant, since Sharon was (supposedly) infertile. This plan worked, but over time Zoe became concerned that Dennis would realise she wasn't pregnant. Dennis refused to sleep with her, so there was no chance she could have his baby. Den offered a horrific solution: Zoe should sleep with Den and pretend the baby was Dennis's. Dennis caught them in bed together and left, but not before telling Den's wife Chrissie.

File:Zoedenhh.jpg

Zoe saves Chrissie from Den

Chrissie tricked Zoe into aborting the baby, and then told her that they should team up to get revenge on Den. On the night they got together with Sam Mitchell to do this, Den physically attacked Chrissie after she exposed his lies to his daughter Sharon who had returned briefly to hear from Den that he split up Dennis and Sharon. Zoe defended her by hitting Den with Pauline Fowler's metal doorstop, supposedly killing him. She then ran off from the shock and Sam went after her to calm her down. Then as Chrissie stared at him he shockingly cheated death yet again and grabbed her ankle. So Chrissie quickly grabbed the same doorstop and hit him again with the brutal blow that killed him. Zoe was led to believe that she had killed Den, since Chrissie did not admit the truth to her. Sam Mitchell had seen Chrissie kill Den and eventually told Zoe, who punched Chrissie.

Zoe left Walford for Ibiza shortly afterwards. Upon her departure, she and Kat finally established a true mother-daughter relationship. Zoe also said she hoped her stepfather Alfie and mother Kat would get back together.

Family

As Zoe was the product of incest, many of her family members are related to her in two ways, for instance her grandfather is also her uncle, whilst her mother is her cousin. To make this clearer, her family is split into paternal and maternal sections.

Paternal

• Father: Harry Slater (deceased)
• Grandfather: Frederick Slater (deceased)
• Grandmother: Mary Slater (deceased)
• Uncle: Charlie Slater
• Aunt: Violet Slater (deceased)
• Cousins: Brian Slater (deceased), Lynne Hobbs, Kat Moon, Little Mo Mitchell, Belinda Peacock
• First cousins once removed: Sean Slater, Stacey Branning, Vivienne Hobbs (deceased), Freddie Mitchell

Maternal

• Mother: Kat Moon
• Grandfather: Charlie Slater
• Grandmother: Viv Slater (deceased)
• Great grandfathers: Frederick Slater (deceased), Stuart Mullins
• Great grandmothers: Mary Slater (deceased), Mo Harris
• Aunts: Lynne Hobbs, Little Mo Mitchell, Belinda Peacock, Violet Slater (deceased)
• Great uncles: Harry Slater (deceased), Stan Porter
• Great aunt: Violet Slater (deceased)
• Cousins: Vivienne Hobbs (deceased), Freddie Mitchell
• First cousin once removed: Brian Slater (deceased), Joanne
• Second cousins: Sean Slater, Stacey Branning

In popular culture

File:Zoeslater2dtv.JPG

Zoe Slater, spoofed in 2DTV.

The character of Zoe Slater has been spoofed in the cartoon sketch show 2DTV.

External links

• Zoe Slater at BBC Online