Michelle Ryan Permanently Axed from EastEnders After Backlash

Michelle Ryan has been axed from  permanently just 12 months after she made her grand comeback. 

The actress, 42, returned to the  soap as Zoe Slater last June after a 20-year absence but she has already filmed her final scenes, which will air later this year.

There's also no hope of Michelle making another comeback down the line, because her character Zoe has been killed off. 

A source told The Daily Mail: 'Michelle’s exit marks the end of a storyline that has been in the works for some time. 

'With such an iconic character, Zoe’s exit is never going to be without drama, but bosses are keeping tight-lipped about how she leaves the Square, but as always with the Slaters, it’s not going to be quiet.'

While fans had been delighted to hear of her return last year, and somewhat surprised seeing as she famously called the job 'boring', it's said her grand comeback was ultimately a disappointment.   

'Michelle's long-awaited return has been somewhat flat and lacklustre,' a source told The Sun on Sunday.

'There's been a backlash about her comeback, leaving some fans disappointed with her on-screen presence.  

'There has been some disappointment backstage that the return was short-lived as everyone loved the Zoe Slater's historic moments.'

An EastEnders spokeswoman told Daily Mail: 'We can confirm Zoe Slater will be departing EastEnders later this year. We wish Michelle Ryan all the best for the future.

'However, we never comment on future storylines as we don’t want to spoil it for the viewers.'

Michelle quit the soap in 2005 for Hollywood after landing the lead in the Bionic Woman remake.

When she first left Albert Square, the door was kept open for her return, with her character Zoe moving to Ibiza rather than being the victim of one of the soap's gruesome murder plots. 

Yet Michelle made it clear she had no intention of coming back, declaring she had found the role 'boring' and stating: 'I always saw EastEnders as an apprenticeship. I always wanted to go on and do different things.'

Meanwhile, a 'close friend' of hers was quoted telling Sunday People at the time: 'Without sounding arrogant, Michelle believes she has the looks and talent to succeed at the highest level. 

'She has been in EastEnders for four years but sees her future very much in films and modelling. She realises the show has put her on the map but doesn't want to be typecast.

'Because of her soap commitments she's had to turn down dozens of great modelling offers and feels her soap role is now holding her back.'

However, just as she seemed destined for global stardom, Michelle's show Bionic Woman was a victim of the three-month Writers Guild of America strike - which saw production grind to a halt after just eight episodes had been filmed. 

Ultimately, the remaining five episodes planned for the series were not filmed, and after low ratings on the ones that aired, NBC quietly shelved the show.  

Michelle returned to the UK and landed the role of villainous Nimueh in the first series of BBC fantasy Merlin, and guest starred in Doctor Who Special Planet Of The Dead in 2009, a character many fans hoped could become a future companion.

She then had a chance to return to Hollywood, being asked to audition for Boardwalk Empire, but remarkably she turned the opportunity down because she didn't want to be roped into a lengthy contact with HBO. 

The role was ultimately snapped up by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald. 

Michelle later confessed that she'd made a 'big mistake', with the series going on to earn multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG awards.  

The last few years saw Michelle star in several independent films, including Cockneys vs Zombies, where she starred alongside The Crown's Harry Treadaway, and ensemble comedy Girl Walks into a Bar, with Danny DeVito. 

When it was announced last year that Michelle was returning to the soap that had made her a household name in the UK, she declared it felt like she'd 'come home'.