Kat Slater - Development

Development

On 24 April 2004, it was announced that Wallace was pregnant with her first child and that she would take maternity leave from EastEnders later in the year. Wallace was intended to depart in December, however a pregnancy scare meant that she was forced to stop filming in August, and scripts featuring Kat subsequently had to be re-written. She returned to filming in February 2005 and made her on-screen return in May. Wallace signed a six-month contract in a reported bid to boost the show's ratings. In July 2005, the BBC announced that Wallace had decided to leave EastEnders in a mutual decision with producers. A spokesperson for the show praised Wallace's talent and thanked her for her contribution to the series, stating that "Jessie and the writers want Kat Moon to go out on a high." Kat's exit storyline centred upon her on-off relationship with husband Alfie. Shane Richie, who plays him, also announced his decision to quit in April 2005. In 2009, Wallace stated that she missed playing Kat but had no immediate plans to return to EastEnders, despite rumours to the contrary. She noted that the public still associated her with her role, and that she was flattered people still remembered her.

Shane Richie revealed that viewers dislike seeing Kat and Alfie happy. Speaking to Inside Soap Richie commented: "People don't like it when Kat and Alfie are really happy. I never used to believe that, but I do this time around. The way that Jessie and I like to think of it is that there's the curtain in the Queen Vic that separates the bar from their home - until you go behind it, you'd never have any idea there were problems. The bar is Kat and Alfie's public stage." With the possibility that Alfie could be the father of Tommy, Richie added: "As soon as I found out, I thought, 'If Alfie isn't infertile, then surely Tommy could be his son'. Jessie and I spoke about the dates of when Alfie was in prison, and when he saw Kat before she had the fling with Michael. The writers reckon they don't match up, but we think they do. Jessie is quite adamant about it!"

Upon the return of Kat's father Charlie, Wallace said that this will provide a "big boost" to her character. Talking to We Love Telly, asked whether it's important for Kat to see Charlie again, Wallace replied: "Yes, definitely. With what happened the night they thought Tommy died, things were still unresolved for them. Although they cleared the air before he left, things weren't right between them, so to have him back with her now makes it all the more special. It's also Charlie that makes Kat realise that she needs to bond with Tommy. He makes her see that she can do this." Discussing what type of mother Kat will be, Wallace added: "I think she wants to be the best mum possible. She knows that this is her second chance to make a go of it and she is determined to do a good job."