User:Raintheone/YCTMWTDYAMM

"You can't tell me what to do you ain't my mother!" coupled with the response "Yes I am!" is a quote during a scene from the British soap opera EastEnders. It occurred in episode ? It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 1 October 2001. The quote occurred during a scene in which the characters of Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) argue about the latter announcing she is going to live in Spain. Kat forbids Zoe to leave Walford and she becomes increasingly angry. Zoe eventually shouts to Kat, "You can't tell me what to do you ain't my mother!" to which Kat replies "Yes I am!".

The scene was directed by Clive Arnold and recorded on a single shot camera. The scene and affiliated storyline was created by the show's lead writer and series consultant Tony Jordan. He and casting director Julia Crampsie had cast the roles of Kat and Zoe. The scene has been nominated for various awards and won "Best Storyline" at the 2002 British Soap Awards.

Premise

The scene features the characters Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) having an argument while walking through the streets of the fictitious setting of Walford. Kat and Zoe were depicted as sisters in the series. Zoe has just announced to her family that she is leaving to live in Spain with her uncle. Kat does not want Zoe to leave and tells her she cannot go. As the argument continues Zoe becomes angry with Kat and shouts "You can't tell me what to do you ain't my mother!" to which Kat replies, "Yes I am!" Zoe then questions Kat asking her what she means. Kat attempts to reexplain herself but Zoe realises Kat meant it and the pair deal with the revelation that Kat is Zoe's mother. Zoe had previously been lead to believe that her parents were Charlie Slater (Derek Martin) and Viv Slater (Various) and that Kat was her older sister. In the following scenes Kat details to Zoe how her uncle Harry Slater (Michael Elphick) raped her when she was thirteen, resulting in her becoming pregnant with Zoe.

Development

Background and conception

In 2000, Tony Jordan who had served as a lead writer and series consultant for EastEnders created a new family, the Slaters, of which Kat and Zoe are members of. Jordan and the casting director Julia Crampsie were responsible for creating and casting the roles. Jordan and Crampsie put various actors together until they found those that worked well together and formed the Slater family. During an interview with Niellah Arboine from Bustle, Jordan recalled that Wallace had entered the casting room and "basically was Kat Slater - she did that dirty laugh, and it was hilarious."

The storyline which culminated in the scene was created soon after Wallace and Ryan's casting. Jordan noticed the age difference between the two and began to think of a storyline which could create drama. He thought that Kat could have been a mother. He then thought that it would be plausible for Kat to be Zoe's mother if she had given birth to her when she was young. Jordan said it was soon decided that this should be the Slater family's "first big secret". The story remained a secret from viewers until the scenes were broadcast. Director Clive Arnold revealed to Arboine that it came "after a year of the viewer getting to know and love the Slater family. It was as much a shock to the viewer as it was to Zoe."

In episodes leading to the revelation, "Easter eggs" were included in scenes that viewers would only realise their significance after the learning Kat is Zoe's mother. These included close-up shots of Kat's face, discussions about pregnancy and Kat delivering the dialogue "she's my baby", upon discovering Zoe has secretly attended a party. These would later become shared and noted amongst EastEnders fans via internet forums.

Only Ryan and Wallace knew about Kat revealing she is Zoe's mother prior to filming. Wallace believed that there was a gradual build up to the scenes which made the dialogue and reveal scene more memorable. Kat shouting "Yes I am!" to Zoe and formed the episode's cliff hanger before the credits began. Wallace believed that this element kept viewers interested and wanting to know what would happen in the following episode.

Filming

"I think it was also the way it was shot as well, zooming in on Zoe and Kat’s reactions and the silence afterwards. I remember just thinking 'oh god, what has Kat just said? What has she done? What damage has she done?' and I think the audience could see it in both our faces. So it’s a mixture of all those things."

—Wallace on how the filming technique used made the scene memorable. (2018)

The scenes were filmed and directed by Clive Arnold. On the day of filming, production were running behind on their planned schedule. Arnold recalled that the film crew and cast members were focused on getting the scenes filmed before production had to be stopped for the day. The scene in which the two characters exchange their iconic dialogue was filmed in thirty-minutes. Arnold stated "everyone was very focussed on getting the job done before we ran out of time, it was very fast – too fast!"

The scene was recorded on a handheld camera which was an unusual choice for EastEnders at the time because they had not made use of the technology often. Arnold believed that using device allowed them to record the argument in real time as the drama spilled into the outdoor setting of Albert Square. It followed Wallace and Ryan as they preformed the scene, in which Kat chases Zoe. The camera also allowed for a close-up shot of Kat's facial expressions after she reveals her secret to Zoe.

Arnold concluded that the actresses gave strong performance during filming the scene. He believed they managed to fully capture their emotional exchange on camera. He added "I knew we needed to get two outstanding performances, Kat revealing her secret in desperation, because she has run out of options, and Zoe being absolutely floored, and unbelieving of the news. I think Jessie and Michelle gave us that in spades." Wallace recalled that after filming the scene she realised how authentic her performance was. She remembered the silence during the scene after Kat's revelation and thought about the damage that Kat had caused for the relationship with Zoe. Wallace was originally only supposed to talk the line of "Yes I am". Wallace believed that Kat had been hiding her true identity for eighteen years and thought it would be better to scream it out loud. Wallace added that "I think that adds to it, Kat just blurting it out like that in the middle of the street like she couldn’t hold it in any longer." Ryan told a reporter from TVTimes that "it's such a sad story and a real emotional rollercoaster ride. It really does hit you."

Broadcast and ratings

The scene occurred during episode of EastEnders, which was originally broadcast on BBC One on 1 October 2001. More than sixteen million viewers watched the episode containing the scene.

Legacy

The scene has become one of the show's most iconic and memorable moments. It became a part of British popular culture and a source for memes present on the internet.

Arnold revealed that actors who were not even born ask him about experiencing the moment during filming. Arnold stated "To know it’s made such an impact is very special." Jordan added "it's the only line I've ever written that I hear constantly."

In a 2016 episode of EastEnders, Kat was featured in similar attire to what she wore during the scenes with. Viewers subsequently over-analysed the scenes on social media.

In 2018, Wallace told a reporter from Radio Times that people still shout "You ain't my mother" at her in public. Wallace added that some ask her to say "Yes I am!" back to them, which she sometimes found difficult. Wallace also stated "over 16 million people tuned into that moment. It was just crazy, obviously that was before all the catch up channels and iplayer, it’s pretty amazing isn’t it! It makes me feel really proud."

In 2021, the show celebrated it's twentieth anniversary since the scene was originally broadcast, with a tribute post via social media website Twitter.

The quote has become popularised and made available as a design on greetings cards, including one sold by the British card shop chain Scribbler.

In popular culture

• In 2020, actress and singer Maisie Smith, created a dance video on TikTok to a remixed song featuring Kat and Zoe's dialogue.

• In 2020, British girl group Little Mix reproduced the scene to promote their reality television series Little Mix The Search. Members Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson took on the role of Zoe, while Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards played the role of Kat.

• In 2021, RuPaul's Drag Race UK series two contestant Bimini Bon-Boulash and host RuPaul acted out the scene during an exchange on the main run way. RuPaul and Michelle Visage also performed a skit of the scene during the same series.

• In 2021, RuPaul's Drag Race UK series three contestant Scarlett Harlett and RuPaul acted the scene out during an impromptu exchange.

• In 2023, Big Brother contestants Hallie Clarke and Kerry Riches re-enacted the scene for a TikTok video filmed by Will Best on-set at the Big Brother: Late & Live studio. It gained more than three million views.

Awards and nominations

The reveal scenes won EastEnders the "Best Single Episode" accolade at the 2002 British Soap Awards. It also received a nomination for "Best Storyline" at the ceremony. At the 2002 Inside Soap Awards it won the "Best Storyline" accolade. The scene was nominated for "Greatest Moment" at the 2018 British Soap Awards.

Critical reception

Sam Warner from Digital Spy branded the scene "famous" and "one of the soap's most memorable doof-doofs". Warner added that it has since become "such a staple of pop culture." Niellah Arboine from Bustle wrote that the "bombshell revelation" is one of "television’s most epic mother-daughter moments" and "most legendary mother-daughter moments in British TV history." Arboine believed that it was widely known via popular culture in addition to those that watched the episode. Lauren Fletcher from OK! assessed that the words were "easily some of the most iconic in British soap history." Fletcher branded the argument as "dramatic scenes" Aime Grant Cumberbatch from Evening Standard said "the moment has gone down in TV history". A reporter from Belfast Telegraph wrote that it was "one of the soap's most famous scenes" and "the moment has gone down in TV history." Duncan Lindsay from Metro branded it "one of soap's most iconic ever moments" and a "hugely memorable scene". Judy Ewens from TVTimes opined that "viewers were stunned and the scene continues to top polls as the greatest ever soap moment." Eden-Olivia Lord from Closer branded the dialogue as "iconic lines" and it made any viewer watching on the "edge of your seat" and speechless.

External links

• Kat and Zoe Slater – "You ain't my mother!" – EastEnders on YouTube
• Kat Slater character profile at BBC Online
• Zoe Slater character profile at BBC Online

Category:Quotations from television Category:Soap opera terminology Category:EastEnders