Ziegler's first screen role remains her best known. In her early twenties, during 1987–89, she appeared on EastEnders, playing the scheming Donna Ludlow, the illegitimate daughter of series regular Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth). After trying to reunite with her mother and being immediately rejected by her, Donna contended with prostitution, an attempted gang rape, a heroin addiction and finally suicide (dying of a heroin overdose). The final death scenes of Ziegler's character, who had choked to death on her own vomit, have been hailed as one of the most powerful anti-drug images ever screened on the programme.