EastEnders fans can look forward to a Slater family reunion next week when Big Mo (played by actress Laila Morse) returns to Albert Square. The character makes a surprise appearance to reveal the shocking news that her granddaughter Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) has died. Viewers will see Stacey Fowler concerned to see a missed call from Big Mo, only to arrive back and find the matriarch waiting for her at home. Stacey (Lacey Turner) is then devastated to learn from Mo that her cousin had died, and the pair set about planning a memorial service for Kat at the Queen Vic.
But it looks like there's a surprise in store. Despite apparently drowning at the end of spin-off series Redwater, Kat is thought to still be very much alive, and headed back to Walford. Actress Jessie has reportedly already starting filming scenes for her return on the soap, so it won't be long before the fan favourite is back on screens.
Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie played popular EastEnders couple, Kat Slater and Alfie Moon
News of Kat's return first surfaced in December, when a source confirmed that EastEnders boss John Yorke had decided to bring the popular character back. "Kat Slater was a huge and popular character in EastEnders and John was in charge when the Slaters first came into the soap," the insider revealed. "Her marriage to Alfie Moon was one of the biggest relationships in the soap."
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The source added: "Now John is back in charge again he has managed to persuade Jessie to come back to with a host of new storylines. He knows millions will be excited to see what he has in store for the character." Kat has been involved in some of the BBC soap's most dramatic storylines, including the moment she told "sister" Zoe that she was her real mum. The actress joined the Slater family in 2000 and stayed on for five years. She made a comeback in 2010 for another five years before leaving to do Redwater.