EastEnders fans have their theories about who kills Zoe Slater after Michelle Ryan's exit from the soap was confirmed by BBC bosses - but they don't think it's Max Branning, despite clues17:36, 12 Jul 2026Walford is a deadly place and Zoe Slater is reportedly set to find that out in the worst way possible. Just a year after the iconic character returned to EastEnders, Michelle Ryan is said to have quit the show, and producers are now thought to have killed Zoe off.‌After the news that Ryan had quit first started to circulate, an EastEnders spokesperson confirmed to the Mirror : “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.”‌‌And yet, sources told The Sun that Zoe was set to be killed off as part of Ryan's exit. Immediately following the news, fans started to speculate about how this would happen. A prevailing theory was that she was the 'murder victim' that police referred to when arresting Max Branning (Jake Wood) at the New Year flashforward, as they had a secret relationship prior to both of their returns.But, as this would have required the producers to know about Ryan's departure back when they filmed the New Year episode, others have felt this is unlikely and offered other theories. Here are the biggest theories about who kills Zoe Slater...Dermott Dolan/Luke Slater‌Unbeknownst to Zoe, she has a twin bother. Dermott Dolan (Oisin Stack), who was born Luke Slater, was taken from Kat (Jessie Wallace) when she gave birth to him and given to a family in Ireland - and he has a very murderous past.In EastEnders spin off Redwater, Dermott killed an local man called Lance Kelly, pushing him underwater whilst praying for his soul. He later saved Kat's life, but fans now wonder if the evil twin could spell Zoe's end."My theory is her evil twin brother who she never knew she had will probably kill her," one fan said. Another added that, even if Dermott didn't end up being the killer, "this story could be a way of reintroducing Dermot (Zoe’s twin)".‌Josh GoodwinZoe's son, Josh (Joshua Vaughn), was introduced earlier this year. He was definitely presented as the 'good twin' to Jasmine Fisher's (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) 'evil' one, especially as Jasmine was standing trial for the murder of their biological father.But some fans now think that the 'evil twin' dynamic could be reversed and it will be Josh who ends up killing their mother. This would come after Jasmine slotted in well with the Slater family, who appeared to take her side when Josh's affair with her boyfriend was revealed.‌One fan wrote: "Why do I get the feeling that Josh will kill Zoe because he's jealous of her bond with Jasmine? It sounds petty but given how he acted on Jasmine's birthday and how he took no accountability for his affair with Oscar - it wouldn't surprise me if it goes down this route playing into the narrative that he's actually 'The evil twin'"Another added: "Remember Jasmine went to prison for Anthony's murder -- now could the roles reverse with Josh going to prison for Zoe's death/ murder."Chrissie Watts‌"Chrissie Watts returns to kill Zoe Slater?" a fan asked. The villain, played by Tracy-Ann Oberman, returned last year, when it was revealed that she had manipulated Jasmine into tormenting Zoe for months.The character had hated Zoe for over two decades, first because Zoe slept with her husband Den (Leslie Grantham) and then because Chrissie ended up in prison for Den's murder after failing to frame Zoe. Since the character has already gone so far as to stalk Zoe, would she go to the lengths of murder?A new character she meets onlineZoe has been on the dating apps recently and some fans are now worried about where this is going. One said: "Predictions are Zoe gets killed by the man she meets online."Article continues belowAnother added: "Zoe has mentioned a couple of times in the last few weeks that she's on dating apps. Knowing what we know now, could it be that she meets a psycho online and is killed off by him? It would be sudden and wouldn't need tons of build up for it."Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.