EastEnders: Zoe Slater's paternity lie exposed, sparking fallout

Zoe Slater’s long-running search for a son took a dramatic turn this week when a lie she had been telling about the child’s paternity was publicly exposed, touching off confrontations, threats and renewed questions about her past in Albert Square. The revelation, made during a pub quiz in late October episodes, prompted an explosive showdown at the Queen Vic and has left several residents re-evaluating their involvement in Zoe’s search.

The row began when Kat Moon told Vicki Fowler and others that Zoe had falsely claimed Dennis Rickman was the father of the twins she gave birth to in 2006. Kat made the disclosure after learning Zoe had been using the claim to secure financial help and private investigators to trace her missing son. As the truth came out, Zoe confronted her mother in the pub, at one point shouting, "Why would you do that? Always ruining it and sticking your nose in. You’ve just lost me my son." Kat responded by issuing an ultimatum: pay back the money taken from Sharon or leave Walford. Zoe began to pack, and the family’s fractures deepened.

Tensions escalated outside the argument. Photographs of Zoe and Kat were later found smashed and smeared with fake blood,...