Ryan: 'Enders was a great foundation'

Former EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan has described her stint with the BBC soap as a "great foundation" but reaffirmed that she has no plans to return.

The 24-year-old, who played the role of Zoe Slater for five years, quit the Walford-based soap in 2005 'out of boredom'.

It was recently reported that Ryan's screen mother Jessie Wallace (Kat Slater) is eyeing up a potential return to Albert Square, while earlier this week, producers announced that Danniella Westbrook is to make a shock comeback to the soap in the summer as Sam Mitchell.

Patsy Palmer (Bianca Jackson), Sid Owen (Ricky Butcher) and Charlie Brooks (Janine Butcher) have also made returns to the programme over the last year.

However, despite the influx of past characters returning to the show, Ryan is adamant that she won't make a comeback herself.

Speaking on The Paul O'Grady Show last night, Ryan said: "I wouldn't go back. I've had so much fun since, it's nice to go to work and do stunts. It's great to do EastEnders and [it was] a great foundation, a great apprenticeship, but to go in and cry all the time…"

She added: "I don't mind a little bit of that but it's nice to do something different."

Since EastEnders, her TV credits have included Jekyll, the now-axed US remake of The Bionic Woman and a short stint on BBC fantasy drama Merlin. She also appears in the Doctor Who Easter special Planet of the Dead this Saturday.

Last year, John Yorke - controller of continuing drama series and head of independent drama at the BBC - warned against relying on old characters in soapland.