Why EastEnders fans are dumbfounded by Zoe funeral song choice

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) entire second stint in EastEnders was…strange, to say the least. Still, even stranger? The choice of music for her funeral scenes, after the iconic character received an incredibly odd death. See, after surviving a bullet, a bloodthirsty private investigator, a house fire, a stalking campaign, a violent attack from her baby daddy and a stint in the clink for murder, Zoe actually met her end as a result of a bang to the head. Said bang came as she sought to reclaim grandad Charlie’s (Derek Martin) prized cab. The seller of the cab was a bit of a rotter, and as things soured between him and Zoe, she ended up falling to the floor, her head colliding with a pile of rubble, which eventually caused a brain bleed that would claim her life. As routinely became the case with Zoe’s latest tenure, the interesting parts of the death plot don’t actually involve her. Zoe did indeed chase a car… (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron) The aftermath of her death has seen her broken mum, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), swearing bloody vengeance on whoever left her to die, with Zoe’s final, garbled message coming as she proclaimed ‘he left me’ to the 999 call receiver shortly before she passed away. But before any bloody vengeance can come, Zoe needed to be buried, and during these scenes, the producers made a very interesting choice of musical accompaniment, opting for Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. While the grim, maudlin ballad is often used in TV for overly emotional twists and turns, the irony that chasing a car is what actually killed Zoe wasn’t lost on viewers. #EastEnders The way they picked Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol as Zoe's funeral song when Zoe was literally chasing a taxi before she died. You can't make this up 😬😂— Ryan Glendenning ✨ (@RyanSoapKing25) October 28, 2026 Is Ben Wadey having a bloody good laugh choosing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, (or "Snot Patrol" as I call them), as the processional music at Zoe's funeral? Wasn't the injury she sustained while stealing Charlie's taxi the catalyst for her cause of death?! #EastEnders— Liz_G-S (@Merlinsstar) October 28, 2026 Chasing cars for Zoe’s funeral is diabolical after the final thing she did before she died was nick Charlie’s taxi 😭 #eastenders— tasha louise 💗 (@eds_afterglow) October 28, 2026 As if they played chasing cars (which felt very hollyoaks), considering she died because she was chasing Charlie’s old car— Mary the Punk (@MaryThePunkS) October 28, 2026 Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. @darrenjl tweeted: ‘Chasing Cars as Zoe’s funeral song? That’s what got her killed in the first place! #EastEnders’. @RyanSoapKing25 echoed the sentiment: ‘#EastEnders The way they picked Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol as Zoe’s funeral song when Zoe was literally chasing a taxi before she died. You can’t make this up’. @bradleycoombes7 added: ‘Chasing cars ! They really are trolling Zoe’ @merlinsstar reckoned ‘Enders boss, Ben Wadey, knew what he was doing: ‘Is Ben Wadey having a bloody good laugh choosing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, (or “Snot Patrol” as I call them), as the processional music at Zoe’s funeral? Wasn’t the injury she sustained while stealing Charlie’s taxi the catalyst for her cause of death?!’ @edsafterglow agreed: ‘Chasing cars for Zoe’s funeral is diabolical after the final thing she did before she died was nick Charlie’s taxi’ @marythepunks added: ‘As if they played chasing cars (which felt very hollyoaks), considering she died because she was chasing Charlie’s old car’ @lambhanna36 joked: ‘Chasing cars is what got her in the end’ and @robtweetsm agreed: ‘Chasing cars #Eastenders is so unserious’ Michelle previously spoke out on her exit (Picture: BBC) Michelle has spoken out on her decision to exit the show, revealing that Zoe’s return was never going to be longer than a year, and she was on board with the decision to kill her character. Speaking to Radio Times, she said: ‘My agent and I sort of discussed from the outset that it would be a year, and I think that when we came to look at where Zoe was going, it just seemed like a natural conclusion for her to die, because for her to run away again would have gone against everything she’d fought for; for her children. ‘So as sad as it was to hear that Zoe was going to be killed off, I was like, “I completely understand that”. ‘I know some people are upset that Zoe is going to be killed off, but I feel like it’s the right time, and I think it’s better that there’s a conclusion rather than it being open-ended.’ Deals of the Day This Hoover vacuum is a game-changer for pet owners and muddy homes The wellbeing brand behind everyone's favourite candles has launched its biggest sale yet See London's Christmas lights from an open-top double-decker bus this winter My skin always suffers when the heating goes on but this serum changed that The skincare formula that finally took the guesswork out of my routine Arrow MORE: Nightmare for EastEnders’ Kat as Zoe’s funeral is at dramatic risk Arrow MORE: All EastEnders cast returns, exits and new arrivals coming up in 2026 Arrow MORE: EastEnders confirms deadly Cindy and Max twist that changes everything The Soaps Newsletter – Daily All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.