Zoe Slater’s Baby Dies | EastEnders

Next week on EastEnders, tragedy strikes Albert Square in one of the most harrowing storylines the soap has delivered in recent years. Zoe Slater, already tormented by weeks of threats and fear, faces an unimaginable loss that changes her life forever. What began as a chilling mystery surrounding a stalker soon spirals into heartbreak and devastation, leaving the Slater family shattered beyond repair.

It all begins with another disturbing discovery beneath the Queen Vic. The walls of the pub’s cellar are found smeared with a new menacing message—one that feels personal, directed squarely at Zoe. The scrawled words, twisted and cruel, seem to know her deepest fears. Just feet away, Zoe finds a single earring glinting in the dim light. It’s delicate, unfamiliar, and clearly dropped in haste. Her instincts tell her this could be the break she’s been praying for—the first real clue to her tormentor’s identity.

But rather than reassurance, the discovery plunges the family deeper into paranoia. Alfie Moon can’t help but wonder if Zoe herself could be behind the strange incidents, perhaps acting out from stress or desperation. His doubts grow when a string of vicious online reviews of the Vic appear under Zoe’s name, tarnishing their business. Convinced she’s lashing out for attention, Alfie’s patience wears thin. Cat Slater, ever protective, insists her daughter is innocent, but even she begins to feel the strain of the endless tension.

As the days unfold, Alfie turns to Freddy for help, asking him to trace the posts in hopes of proving Zoe’s innocence—or guilt. Yet before answers can come, emotions boil over. During a fierce argument between Alfie and Zoe, tempers flare and old wounds resurface. Alfie, in a moment of anger and frustration, orders Zoe to move out of the Vic. The shouting match sends shockwaves through the household, only to be abruptly silenced by a horrifying sound echoing from the pub’s lower floor.

Rushing downstairs, the family stumbles upon a scene that makes their blood run cold. The cellar walls are once again defaced with ominous graffiti—angrier, more violent than before. And this time, Zoe couldn’t possibly have been involved; she was upstairs with them the entire time. Realization dawns on Alfie too late. The guilt hits hard, and he pulls Zoe into a tearful embrace, apologizing for ever doubting her. For a fleeting moment, the Slaters unite, their fear giving way to fragile hope.

That hope doesn’t last long. Zoe’s fixation on the earring grows as she becomes convinced it holds the key to everything. She begins asking around quietly, comparing it to jewelry she’s seen other residents wear. Her obsession alarms Cat, who pleads with her to let the police handle it. But Zoe is too far gone—exhausted, paranoid, and desperate for closure.

Then comes the night that will haunt the Slaters forever. Zoe, clutching the earring, heads out into the rain to confront someone she believes knows more than they’re admitting. Hours later, Cat wakes to the sound of police sirens outside the Vic. A horrific accident has occurred near the market. Zoe has been rushed to the hospital, unresponsive.

When Cat and Alfie arrive, the doctors deliver the unthinkable news. Zoe has lost her baby. The revelation rips through the family like lightning. Cat collapses, grief-stricken, unable to comprehend that her daughter’s unborn child—the life that was meant to heal so many wounds—is gone. Alfie, choked with remorse, realizes his doubt and anger may have pushed Zoe too far.

Back at home, the Slaters try to hold themselves together, but Zoe’s condition worsens. She survives physically, but emotionally she’s shattered. The stalker’s twisted game has cost her everything. To make matters worse, the police soon reveal that an East End resident has been charged with murder following the same night’s chaos—though details remain murky. A father has taken the blame for a fatal stabbing, protecting his son from a lifetime behind bars. The Square buzzes with speculation that the two tragedies are somehow linked, that the same web of deceit connects both families in ways no one yet understands.

Meanwhile, the tension inside the Vic reaches boiling point. Alfie, guilt-ridden, refuses to leave Zoe’s side. Cat, torn between comforting her daughter and protecting the rest of the family, begins to crack under the weight of it all. She’s haunted by her own memories—of secrets, betrayals, and the endless cycle of pain the Slaters seem doomed to repeat.

As the week closes, the storyline takes a startling turn. During a routine search, Freddy uncovers CCTV footage showing a shadowy figure entering the Vic’s cellar the night the graffiti appeared. The footage is grainy, but the shape of the figure’s hand is unmistakable—one ear is adorned with a distinctive earring identical to the one Zoe found. The discovery confirms Zoe’s instincts were right all along: someone was watching her. But who—and why—remains the burning question.

In a haunting closing scene, Zoe wakes in her hospital bed, pale and weak. Cat sits beside her, clutching her hand. Zoe whispers through tears, “I just wanted to protect my baby.” Cat breaks down, unable to respond. The camera pans to the earring resting on the bedside table, glinting under the fluorescent light—a silent reminder of everything they’ve lost and the danger still looming over them.

An EastEnders insider hints that this tragedy will mark a turning point for the Slaters. Zoe’s grief will spiral into a dark quest for justice, and secrets buried deep in the family’s past may finally surface. “This isn’t the end of Zoe’s story,” the source teased. “It’s the beginning of something much darker. She’s lost her child, and now she wants the truth—no matter what it costs.”

Even as EastEnders prepares for a lighter Children in Need special featuring de-aged versions of iconic characters, the main show’s tone remains grim. The contrast couldn’t be starker: while viewers laugh at nostalgic fun in one scene, the heart of Walford beats heavy with sorrow in another.

In the coming weeks, the Vic becomes the center of a gripping murder investigation, and Zoe’s stalker will finally make a fatal mistake that unravels everything. But for Zoe, no revelation, no justice, will ever undo the loss she’s suffered. Her baby’s death will leave a scar not just on her, but on the entire Square—a painful reminder that in Walford, happiness is fleeting, and tragedy is never far behind.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on BBC One, with new episodes available from 6:00 a.m. on BBC iPlayer.