EastEnders enthusiasts believe they’ve cracked the case of Zoe Slater’s stalker, despite the show hinting at Jean Slater as the guilty party.

As fans of the BBC soap will know, Zoe (played by Michelle Ryan) has been enduring a relentless hate campaign for several weeks, which shows no signs of letting up. Even her beloved cat, Mini Mo, fell prey to the ominous plot when it mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear under Zoe’s bed in a carrier bag.

Alfie Moon (portrayed by Shane Richie) was sceptical about his step-daughter’s assertions of being targeted by an unknown individual, leading to tension with his wife, Kat (Jessie Wallace).

However, another unsettling incident in the barrel store – a menacing message spray-painted on the door – left Zoe, Alfie, and Kat rattled.

During Thursday’s episode (November 11), Zoe was determined to unmask her stalker after discovering a tarnished earring near the pub’s entrance, reports OK!.

She attempted to enlist Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) to probe into the matter, but his lack of interest led Zoe to take matters into her own hands.

Suspecting Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) to be the culprit, Zoe broke into her house and rifled through her jewellery box in search of the matching earring. However, she was caught red-handed by Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth).

Later that evening, the perpetrator seemingly revealed themselves to Kat and Alfie, claiming ownership of the earring; it was none other than Jean Slater (Gillian Wright).

However, EastEnders fans are speculating that Jean is merely a decoy and the real culprit behind the stalking is Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), whose return to Walford has been confirmed.

Zoe and Sam’s rivalry dates back to their shared involvement in Den Watts’ (Leslie Grantham) murder in February 2005.

One viewer took to social media to share their theory: “SAM MITCHELL HAS TO BE ZOE’S STALKER COS WHY ELSE SHE RETURNING @bbceastenders #EastEnders.”

Another fan suggested: “If Sam and Chrissie are coming back, maybe it’s one of them that’s after Zoe? #eastenders.”

A third chimed in with: “Not that I care about Zoe’s never-ending stalker storyline, but it’s clearly Sam Mitchell because she’s coming back soon anyway #eastenders.”

One viewer added: “I’m convinced that Sam Mitchell is Zoe’s stalker; however, if Zoe’s stalker is Sam, how did Jean’s earring end up outside the barrel store? Unless Stacey was wearing them the night the Vic exploded and Jean was looking for it for Stacey #EastEnders”.

“All this Zoe stuff for it to probs just be Sam #EastEnders”, another exclaimed.