It’s Halloween in Walford next week, and it’s a spooky time for the Slaters as Kat shocks the Square as she blurts out Zoe’s huge secret – but what is it?
It’s set to be a spooky Halloween over in Walford(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Next week in EastEnders, the Square continues to reel from Zoe’s shock revelation, Julie and Nigel face more struggles, and it’s a spooky Halloween over in Walford.
The soap are still keeping quiet about what Zoe’s bombshell revelation is until later this week – but what we do know, is that whatever it is isn’t going to go down very well.
A few weeks back, we heard Zoe made the shock admission that Dennis Rickman was the father of her son, with Sharon left devastated. Nevertheless, she offered to help Zoe find her son.
But things have taken a back burner since Joel’s horrific attack on Vicki. Next week, Ian about Zoe’s son and seeing how much it means to Sharon, Ian transfers her some money to help…
We start off the week in the Vic Quiz night, but Kat is distracted as Zoe’s revelation continues to play on her mind, although Alfie warns her to stay out of it. However, of course, Kat doesn’t listen and blurts out Zoe’s secret – causing commotion and Quiz Night comes to an abrupt end.
Kat later gives Zoe and ultimatum and things get worse at a spooky Halloween, when Alfie discovers a VHS tape from 1980s. Despite Kat attempting to keep the footage from Zoe, she later discovers it and throws everyone out of the Vic as a result. But what is on the video?
Elsewhere, Zoe accuses Kat for smashing a photo of the pair, but when she denies it, she later accuses Vicki of being responsible but Anthony steps in to calm her down.
Halloween week continues to get worse, as Zoe grows increasingly paranoid that someone is out to get her and accuses Anthony after arguing with him earlier in the week. He shares his concerns for Zoe with Kat, but it’s unclear whether she believes him. But what are the concerns?
It’s not all that’s kicking off in The Vic, as Kat overhears Vicki speaking to Ross – and makes a decision.
Suki and Eve are still looking to adopt, and despite Suki holding back at first, they go ahead and arrange a meeting with an adoptive family. However, the timing couldn’t be worse as Avani, Ravi, Priya and Nugget return from their holiday, as chaos ensues.
However, it seems like they later come round to the idea as they try to support the couple, who hit another hurdle as Eve panics when she learns she will need a reference from her mum to proceed.
Ravi has other problems on his hands, as he’s left feeling guilty about lying to Priya following their family holiday. He later meets with Okie and hands the business over to him after he assures him that Harry and Kojo have been released. But have they?
Spanish court documents, including the toxicology report for Jay Slater, were fraudulently leaked and shared on social media – despite being highly confidential
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
12:05, 22 Sep 2025
Jay’s mother, Debbie, was told by a Preston coroner that the information had only been disclosed to her(Image: Facebook)
Just weeks before Jay’s death, the teen had been attending a festival with friends Lucy Law, Brad Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024, following a month-long search. After leaving the RG music festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb in the national park area, 22 miles from where he had been staying with his friends.
But following his disappearance, social media was flooded with conspiracy theories relating to his vanishing, including people claiming Jay was actually alive and his disappearance was a “scam”. But a new Channel 4 documentary reveals that the toxicology report from the Spanish courts was also fraudulently leaked.
Jay’s toxicology reports were shared on YouTube(Image: Family Handout/LBT Global/PA)
It was revealed by Preston Coroner’s officer Alice Swarbrick that Jay’s body had traces of MDMA and cocaine in the hours prior to his death, but while there was evidence of the drugs in his system, this didn’t mean they formed part of the cause of his death. Jay’s mum explained that while it was a shock to her. “He’s a young adult and that’s what they do when they go to festivals, it’s not a shock, it’s just upsetting,” she said, adding that it was “upsetting the way he died.”
However, Jay’s heartbroken mum was informed that the toxicology report had only been disclosed to her and wouldn’t be shared anywhere else. But the documentary instantly cut to a string of YouTube videos, which shared screenshots of the toxicology report, stating Jay’s full name – Jay Dean Slater.
“25th March 2025. In Tenerife, Spanish court documents are fraudulently leaked and published on YouTube,” the caption says, adding: “Including Jay’s Spanish toxicology reports.”
Jay’s heartbroken mother, Debbie, said the family felt ‘powerless’ after the confidential documents were leaked(Image: Channel 4)
Speaking on the documentary, Jay’s mum, Debbie Duncan, said: “It’s just another kick in the teeth, but how is it even allowed? Official court documents, talking about our son, it’s lawless, ain’t it? There’s nothing we can do, we’re just powerless.”
Later on, pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd, explained that ruling out injuries inflicted by a third party was “a very, very important part of this investigation, as Jay had “not been shot, he’s not been stabbed, he’s not been strangled.”
“A major head injury at the side, how do we explain that?” before going on to state that Jay’s injuries are consistent with severe trauma to the head, which could have been a result of falling down a slope. He also stated that he couldn’t rule out the possibility of Jay being pushed, as the push would leave no marks.
Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen explained that the case had become complicated due to social media coverage, as witnesses had expressed fear over giving evidence, due to the social media commentary from online slueths. “Social media has made obtaining answers more difficult,” he said.
Only three of five witnesses were able to be located: Ayub Qassim and Lucy Law both gave virtual evidence, while Bradley Geoghegan gave evidence in person. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024. After leaving a festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb, 22 miles from where the friends were staying.
The Channel 4 film also reveals previously unheard audio, as well as unsent messages, as well as access to the Slater family as they continue to search for answers about what had happened to him.
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday, September 28, at 9pm.
Debbie Slater, the mother of Jay Slater, who went missing in Tenerife in 2024, is heard speaking to UK police the day after her son went missing in a new Channel 4 documentary
Jay Slater’s mum says her “legs turned to jelly” and she called police to report him missing
In a new Channel 4 documentary, viewers will hear Debbie Duncan speak to the UK police the day after Jay went missing on holiday. “He has been located miles and miles away from where he is staying, up a bloody mountain,” she tells UK police after calling 999.
She then tells police how Jay spoke to his friend Lucy Law but only had 1% battery so the conversation was short-lived and speaks of her concern and not knowing the two lads he went off with.
Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife in June 2024 after attending a music festival.
Jay Slater’s mother speaks in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary (Image: Supplied)
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next weekend (Image: Channel 4)
CCTV footage showed him in nightclubs but he then got into a car with two men he had met on the holiday and was driven to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 22 miles (36km) away from where he was staying.
It is thought he then tried to get back to where he was staying and got into difficulty.
On a separate second call to Spanish police, his friend Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down. And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 next Sunday night and has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
After the calls to police a huge search was launched before Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
Debbie paid tribute to her late son at an inquest into his death in July
Within hours of Jay ‘s disappearance in the summer of 2024, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives.
The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
At an inquest into Jay’s death in July, the late teenager’s mother told how her son’s death had “touched the hearts of the nation”. Debbie gave a tribute to the 19-year-old, whose death from head injuries was ruled an accident, following a two-day hearing at Preston Coroner’s Court.
Coroner Dr James Adeley ruled Jay, who had taken a number of drugs, had fallen in a dangerous ravine, suffering un-survivable head injuries while try to walk back to his holiday let across mountainous terrain in Tenerife, in July last year.
Debbie, accompanied by the teenager’s father, Warren Slater, wept as she told the court her son was “full of fun and was always a joy to be around” with many friends.
He was close to completing his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, was learning to drive and had been “counting down the days” to his first holiday with friends abroad.
“Not in a million years did we predict what was to unfold,” she said. “He had a large circle of good friends who have been left devastated at his tragic death. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it.”
Her son’s disappearance prompted huge media coverage and sparked a multitude of conspiracy theories on social media.
Debbie added: “He may of just been a story for the past 13 months, a story full of untruths. He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. We ask you to please now let Jay rest in eternal peace.”
*The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Jay Slater’s disappearance sparked a social media storm as the 19-year-old tragically died while on holiday in Tenerife after sending a haunting message to his friend
A vast search was carried out in an effort to find Jay after he was reported missing on June 17, 2024. Sadly, Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
The search for Jay revealed he had vanished after being driven about 22 miles into the mountains to an Airbnb with two men he had met on the holiday. He fell around 80ft to his death in a treacherous ravine while trying to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos.
Jay’s mum revealed she saw his final text message that was never sent(Image: Channel 4)
Debbie logged into Jay’s phone following his death(Image: Supplied)
Within hours of Jay’s disappearance, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives. The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
Now, a new documentary is set to detail his family’s hunt for answers and is the first time they have spoken publicly about the tragic case. During one moment, Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan recalled finding an unsent message when she logged onto her son’s Snapchat account.
After finally receiving Jay’s phone, Debbie found a devastating unsent message to his friend. She said: “When we signed into Jay’s Snapchat there was an unsent message from Jay to Brad [Geohegan].
“So the message was obviously just flying around and then the message sent to Brad, which obviously gave Brad a fright. He messaged me straight away ‘are you on Jay’s phone?’. I said yeah we’ve just signed into his Snapchat.
“He said ‘I’ve just got a message that’s just come through from Jay’. The last message he sent. He said ‘listen, I’m not going to make it’. It’s kind of like he knew he just wasn’t going to make it.”
He sent a message to his friend Brad, but it never went through(Image: C4)
Jay’s phone is believed to have ran out of charge when his call to friend Lucy Law ended at 8:50am. The documentary plays the desperate ‘999 call’ she made to Spanish police where she tells them: “Jay said he is going to die up there”.
Lucy had known Jay for about six years and was the last person to speak to him on the phone. On the call to Spanish police, Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down.
“And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.” The police then asked for the friend’s name and Lucy tells them it is Jay Slater.
The police ask if her friend has asked to be rescued and she added: “Yes, said he feels like he’s going to die up there. And then the phone cut off.” The audio from the call with the police has never been heard before and sheds new light on the events of June 17.
Channel 4 ’s new film The Disappearance of Jay Slater will air next weekend. The Disappearance of Jay Slater also has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
* The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Michelle Ryan’s Zoe Slater is at the centre of many iconic moments on Albert Square
Zoe Slater has an iconic past on EastEnders(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Zoe Slater is officially back in Walford. Michelle Ryan and her iconic character returned to EastEnders permanently this week and her storyline is already of to a dramatic start, complete with dark secrets, arguments outside the Vic and a shocking shooting.
The character’s return was hotly anticipated by fans ever since she briefly appeared in three episodes earlier this year. Her reunion with mum Kat Slater aired on Tuesday night (2 September) and fans have flocked to the internet to share their theories around where her storyline might go.
Zoe is fan favourite on EastEnders thanks to her involvement in many of the show’s iconic moments and characters. Here we take a look at her past, from her reason for leaving Walford to one of the show’s most quoted arguments…
Zoe first arrived in Walford in 2000(Image: BBC)
Arriving in Walford
Twenty five years ago, The Slater family first burst onto the BBC soap. A teenage Zoe moved to Albert Square with her sisters, Kat, Lynne and Little Mo, father Charlie and grandmother Mo Harris.
Later, her cousin Stacey would arrive and become one the core members of the family, but at the start, Zoe was the youngest Slater and described by the BBC as “bolshy and defiant”. Though her family had just moved to Walford, she was intent on getting away and joining her Uncle Harry in Spain – something Kat was not willing to let happen.
Zoe and Kat’s argument is one of EastEnders’ most iconic fights(Image: Press Association Images)
Finding out who her mother is
Less than a year after she arrived, Zoe wanted to leave Walford to join Harry Slater, her uncle, in Spain. Her sister Kat is not willing to let that happen and orders Zoe not to go.
In a fight outside the Vic, Zoe yells the first half of one EastEnders’ most iconic quotes: “You can’t tell me what to do, you ain’t my mother!”
“Yes, I am!” Kat responds.
She explains that she was 13 when she had Zoe and that she got pregnant after being raped by Harry. The argument leads Kat to attempt suicide, and Zoe, unable to process what she’s learned, runs away.
The twist has affected Kat for the rest of her time on the show and even led to a spin-off called Kat & Alfie: Redwater, in which she goes looking for Luke, her long-lost son and Zoe’s twin brother.
During her first time away from Walford, Zoe is found on the streets by Roxy Drake, a pimp who forces her into sex work. Thankfully, Kat tracks her daughter down and is able to take her home after head-butting Roxy.
Zoe and Kat were once in a love triangle(Image: BBC)
Love triangle with Kat
Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed a weird look Zoe gave to Anthony Trueman when she entered the Vic on Tuesday’s episode. This is because the two used to be in a relationship.
But Zoe is not the only Slater that Anthony has been involved with. In fact, before he dated her, Anthony was dating Kat. Zoe disowned Kat for disapproving of the relationship but when Anthony reveals that he’s still in love with Kat, the relationship ends and Zoe runs away again.
Den persuaded Zoe to sleep with him and get pregnant(Image: BBC)
Sleeping with Den Watts
When Zoe returns again, she starts to date Dennis Rickman, the son of iconic EastEnders villain Den Watts. The relationship with Dennis was doomed from the start, as unbeknownst to Zoe, he was in love with his adoptive sister, Sharon Watts.
On Christmas Day 2005, Zoe learns of Dennis and Sharon’s affair and plan to run away together. Den convinces Zoe that the only way to keep Dennis is to say she is pregnant, as Sharon is believed to be infertile.
The plan works but Dennis refuses to sleep with Zoe again and she becomes desperate to get pregnant for real. At his suggestion, Zoe resorts to sleeping with Den.
After Dennis catches his girlfriend and his father in bed together, and realises Zoe wasn’t pregnant, he leaves to be with Sharon. But not before informing Den’s wife Chrissie of his affair with Zoe.
Zoe does get pregnant by Den and a vengeful Chrissie convinces her to terminate the pregnancy and team up to exact revenge on Den. Joined by Sam Mitchell, the three hatch a plan to reveal everything he has done to his beloved daughter Sharon.
Upon learning of the way Den used her infertility against her, Sharon disowns him. When Den realised this was Chrissie’s plan, he attacks her and a distressed Zoe panics and hits him with a metal doorstop. Den collapses and Zoe believes she has killed him.
But, after she leaves, Den wakes up and grabs Chrissie who hits him with the same doorstop. Zoe is led to believe she is the murderer, but is eventually told the truth by Sam. When she learns what really happened, Zoe punches Chrissie and decides to leave Walford.
Zoe left Walford for good in 2005
Leaving Walford
Before this year, the last time Zoe was seen on EastEnders was when she was leaving for Ibiza after finding out she wasn’t responsible for Den Watts’ murder. At the tube station, Zoe tearfully called Kat to say goodbye.
Kat races to meet Zoe at the station and gives her the hospital bracelet she had as a baby. Zoe replied: “I love you, Mum.”
The two parted on good terms, and Zoe wasn’t seen again on screen until this year, when she was revealed to be staying with Stacey Slater. However, as proven by her frosty reunion with Kat, something must have changed.
In 2015, Kat tells Mo and Stacey that she was planning to save some money to visit Zoe in Spain, but Mo tells Stacey that Zoe does not want to see Kat. Mo tries to contact Zoe to change her mind, but she refuses and tells Kat that she wants to move on from her and Walford. Kat then visits the convent where she gave birth to Zoe and finds out about her son, Luke.
Zoe first returned in June(Image: BBC)
Return to Walford
Zoe’s return to EastEnders got fully underway in the most recent episodes of the soap and fans have many theories about what she has been up to in the two decades since she left. Some have suggested she may be the real mother of Joel Marshall, one of the show’s current villains.
Others have guessed she is secretly be married to another returning favourite, Max Branning. If so, she would be the second Slater to be involved with him, as Stacey has been romantically linked to Max several times, including when she was still dating his son, Bradley.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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