EastEnders boss reveals secret code name as Zoe's death was filmed in secret

EastEnders said farewell to Zoe Slater last Friday, with the tragic aftermath of her death airing on Monday (14 September). Zoe returned to our screens just over a year ago after 20 years away from Walford, reuniting with her mum Kat and searching for her twins Josh and Jasmine.

But Zoe's homecoming ended in tragedy, with the character being found dead in bed by her mum Kat after hitting her head.

Related: Best streaming services

Now, the BBC One soap has shared a behind-the-scenes video of Zoe's exit, with executive producer Ben Wadey delivering her farewell speech.

In the video Wadey reveals that the codename 'Sienna' was used for Zoe's return with the codename 'Lynne' (which is, interestingly, the name of one of her aunts) used for her death plot.

Wadey went on to tell Ryan she had "delivered us some of the most iconic lines in the history of EastEnders.

"You came back with a lot of story, your hunt for the twins, the mainstay of our Christmas Day episode, and it has been amazing having you with us and seeing Kat and Zoe reunite," he continued.

"One of my favourite episodes is that reunion on Bridge Street, and it's been such a joy and a delight having you back on our screens.

"Thank you, and thank you for being such a gorgeous, lovely person as well, you've been a joy to work with all the way through. So thank you very much for being Zoe Slater."

Ryan herself said: "It has been such a great joy to be back and get to play Zoe for a year. I really didn't ever think it would happen, but I feel like it's a fitting end to her legacy.

"I love the Slaters. I always will see them as family in some way and I've just had a great time being back. Thank you to all the fans for reinvesting in Zoe and I hope you enjoy the goodbye episodes."

Related: EastEnders' Max makes huge Zoe death confession in early iPlayer release

Ahead of her exit scenes airing, Ryan explained to Radio Times why Zoe had to die, rather than just leave Walford again.

"My agent and I sort of discussed from the outset that it would be a year, and I think that when we came to look at where Zoe was going, it just seemed like a natural conclusion for her to die," she said.

"Because for her to run away again would have gone against everything she'd fought for, for her children. So, as sad as it was to hear that Zoe was going to be killed off, I was like, 'I completely understand that.'"

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.