Kat Slater in EastEnders has been causing trouble in Walford since 200o. She was first in the show from 2000 until 2005, again from 2010 until 2016, and came back to Albert Square in 2018.
Kat’s been at the heart of some of EastEnders more iconic stories, and has been half of one of the show’s best-loved couples.
Kat is played by actress Jessie Wallace and was also played by Kate Peck, in a flashback on screen in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018.
Jessie also starred as Kat Slater in an EastEnders spin-off drama called Kat and Alfie: Redwater in 2017.
Read more: Who is Kathy Beale in EastEnders and how did she come back from the dead?
Jessie has scooped lots of awards for her portrayal of Kat including Best Actress at the British Soap Awards in 2011. And she was also nominated for the Best Supporting Actress TV BAFTA in the same year when she played Pat Phoenix in the BBC 4 drama The Road to Coronation Street.
She has also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing, and on stage in the West End and in touring productions.
Jessie’s off-screen antics have often been as dramatic as her alter-ego’s life on-screen. She has been suspended from EastEnders more than once, but she remains a firm favourite with fans.
Kat Slater in EastEnders and daughter Zoe
Leopard-print-loving Kat arrived in Walford with the Slater family – her siblings Little Mo, Lynne and Zoe, dad Charlie and grandmother Mo.
Kat was overprotective of Zoe and the pair often clashed over her interference. When their Uncle Harry came to visit, Kat’s behaviour worsened and she was horrified when Zoe explained she was planning to go and live with Harry in Spain.
In one of EastEnders most dramatic (and most quoted!) scenes Zoe screamed at Kat in the street, yelling: “You ain’t my mother!”
And Kat screamed back: “Yes I am!”
It was revealed that Kat had been abused by Harry and had given birth to Zoe as a teenager.
Kat and Zoe did eventually rebuild their relationship.
Kat Slater and Alfie Moon
Kat fell in love with Alfie when they worked together at the Queen Vic. But their romance didn’t get off the ground and instead Kat began a relationship with gangster Andy Hunter. The pair got engaged but Alfie interrupted the wedding in dramatic style and instead he and Kat married on Christmas Day.
Andy’s interference continued though and eventually Kat and Alfie split and Kat left Walford. When she returned, she discovered Alfie was in a relationship with her sister Mo. But he realised it was Kat he loved, and eventually Mr and Mrs Moon reconciled and left Albert Square together.
The pair have been on and off ever since.
Baby swap
When Kat and Alfie returned to Walford in 2010, Kat was pregnant with Alfie’s cousin, Michael’s baby. Kat gave birth to son Tommy in December 2010, and was rushed to hospital suffering complications after the birth. Meanwhile, Ronnie Mitchell (then Ronnie Branning) discovered her newborn baby James had died from sudden infant death syndrome.
Desperate Ronnie swapped the babies and Kat believed it was her tot who’d died. She blamed her dad Charlie, who’d left her baby alone while he had a drink, and she struggled to cope.
After four months Ronnie gave Tommy back to his disbelieving parents and turned herself into the police. Kat forgave Ronnie and went to visit her in prison.
Kat and Alfie again
The Moons seemed solid for a while but Kat had an affair with Derek Branning and the pair divorced.
Alfie embarked on a relationship with Roxy Mitchell and they planned a wedding. This time it was Kat who interrupted the ceremony – just a few minutes too late. But Alfie ran out on his new wife and chose Kat instead.
Nothing was plain sailing for the Moons, though and soon things were going badly for Kat again when she discovered Zoe had a twin brother – the revelation that led to the Redwater spin-off.
In a roller-coaster few months, the Moons won the Lottery and Alfie discovered he had a brain tumour. And the pair left to live in Spain.
RIP Kat Slater
In 2018, Mo returned to Walford and told Stacey Slater that Kat was dead. But it turned out to be fake news – another of Mo’s money-making scams.
Kat arrived in the middle of her own funeral, just as Mick was making a speech about her. She’s been back in Walford – apart from a short break – ever since.
Kat Slater’s romances
Kat and Alfie’s chance of reconciling again fell apart when it was revealed Alfie was the father of Hayley Slater’s baby girl, Cherry.
In a dramatic Christmas episode, Hayley pushed Alfie down the stairs and thought she’d killed him but Alfie was fine and instead ran off with baby Cherry.
With Alfie gone, Kat started a relationship with Kush Kazemi. Over the Covid-19 lockdown the pair suffered money problems, thanks to Kush’s gambling addiction, and the Panesars increasing their rent. Kat organised a heist along with Phil Mitchell, Ben Mitchell and Shirley Carter.
Recently, Kat’s been in a secret relationship with Phil Mitchell but she felt guilty about seeing him when he was the cause of Kush going to jail. After Kush died, Kat felt even worse and called off their romance.
And now Kat’s in hospital thanks to her links with Phil. Can they make a go of things? What do you think? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.