Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'', played by
Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements (born 5 June 1987) is an English actor known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance.
Biography ...
. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010 after he was killed off in the show's 25th anniversary. Clements won multiple awards for his portrayal.
Storylines
Backstory
Bradley was conceived when his parents,
Max (
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Red Dwarf''. ...
) and
Rachel
Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...
(
Sukie Smith
Sukie Smith (born 23 September 1964) is a British actress and musician. Her credits include the role of Rachel Branning in ''EastEnders'' in 2006, as well as appearances in ''Peak Practice'' and ''Doctors''. She also appeared in several films, ...
;
Pooky Quesnel
Joanna Gabrielle "Pooky" Quesnel (born 30 April 1966) is an English actress, screenwriter and singer.
Early life
Quesnel was born and raised in Eccles, Greater Manchester, Eccles, Lancashire, along with her five siblings. Her father was born in ...
), were just 18 years old. The three of them lived happily as a family for nearly six years. However, Max could not cope with being a young husband and father and eventually began an affair with an 18-year-old girl,
Tanya Cross
Tanya Cross (also Branning and Jessop) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. Joyner left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave ...
(
Jo Joyner
Joanne Mary Joyner (born 24 May 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Mandy Carter in Channel 4 drama ''Ackley Bridge''. Since 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakesp ...
). When Tanya became pregnant, Max left his wife and son to marry his mistress. Bradley never fully recovered from his father's abandonment.
2006–2010
Bradley moves to
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...
from
Tring
Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...
to live with his grandfather
Jim
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim ...
(
John Bardon
John Bardon (born John Michael Jones, 25 August 1939 – 12 September 2014) was an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1988 (1987 season) for ''Kiss Me, Kate'', sharing the aw ...
) and his step-grandmother
Dot (
June Brown
June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the ''In ...
) when he gets a job as a banker in the
City
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
. Later that year, Max moves to
Albert Square
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...
, and at first Bradley wants nothing to do with him, but they eventually bond. Bradley befriends
Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a fe ...
(
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2004–2010, 2014–present), for which she has won over thirty awards, including four ...
) upon his arrival, and eventually a romance develops between them, despite Stacey initially being unimpressed by Bradley. Stacey discovers she is pregnant by Bradley, but he persuades her to have an abortion, and tells their friends and families that she had a miscarriage. They drift apart and when Bradley doesn't invite Stacey to his work's Christmas party, she turns up and embarrasses him, leading to their breakup.
Bradley has romances with his colleague
Lydia Asler (Amy Noble) and beautician
Preeti Choraria
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2006, by order of first appearance. 2006 was a year when many families joined ''EastEnders''. First, Deano Wicks, his sister Carly Wicks and fathe ...
(
Babita Pohoomull
Babita Pohoomull (born 1981) is a British actress. She played Preeti Choraria in ''EastEnders'' from 27 October 2006 to 3 January 2008. She also played Gita Dhatri in ''Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is kille ...
). Unknown to Bradley, Stacey has embarked on an affair with Max in revenge. Max ends the affair by taking his family to Spain for six weeks, and while he is away, Bradley and Stacey reconcile and get engaged. They marry in November 2007, although Stacey has one last kiss with Max after the wedding, which is recorded by Max's daughter
Lauren
Lauren may be a given name or surname.The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurentius. ...
's (
Madeline Duggan
Madeline Elizabeth Duggan (born 28 June 1994) is a British actress, known for her portrayal of Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2006 to 2010.
Career
In 2003, Duggan portrayed the role of Little Cosette in a production o ...
) hidden camcorder. Lauren makes a DVD, which is played on Christmas Day, revealing the affair. Bradley and Stacey separate, and he moves away from Walford.
Bradley returns after Stacey tracks him down and he asks for a divorce. He grows close to
Clare Bates
Clare Bates (also Tyler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Gemma Bissix. Bissix originally played the character as a schoolgirl from 1993 to 1998. She left the serial with her screen stepfather Nigel Bat ...
(
Gemma Bissix
Gemma Bissix (born 6 June 1983) is an English actress. She has been acting since the age of 9. Her most prominent roles have been in soap operas, as Clare Bates in '' EastEnders'' (1993–1998, 2008) and Clare Devine in ''Hollyoaks'' (2006–200 ...
), but turns her down when she makes a pass at him. He is sexually harassed by his boss,
Maggie Townsend (
Angeline Ball
Angeline Ball (born 28 June 1969) is an Irish actress and singer who resides in London, England. She is known for her roles as Imelda Quirke in Alan Parker's '' The Commitments'' (1991) and as Tina in John Boorman's '' The General'' (1998). She ...
), who sacks him after Dot berates her for her behaviour. In June 2008, Stacey's mother
Jean
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* Jea ...
(
Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright (born 5 May 1960) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won a number of awards. She was a teacher and theatre directo ...
) and Dot lock Bradley and Stacey in Dot's house, and Bradley reveals that he is still in love with Stacey. She says that she cannot reunite with him as she has not forgiven herself for the affair, but Bradley later kisses her and she responds, and they get back together. Their relationship runs smoothly until August 2008, when Stacey confesses to Bradley that she may be pregnant, which turns out to be untrue. They then decide to try for a baby, but Stacey is secretly taking
contraceptive pills. They break up again when Bradley discovers that Stacey kissed
Callum Monks
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' which aired in 2008 (by order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Santer introduced four ...
(
Elliott Jordan
Elliott Jordan (born 22 April 1983) is an English actor best known for playing Callum Monks in the BBC drama '' EastEnders'' and Jack in the ITV comedy drama '' Benidorm''.
Career
Jordan started acting at The Sylvia Young Theatre School then ...
). Bradley falls into a state of depression, refusing to go to work and taking up drinking at home. He blames Max for all his problems and punches him.
Bradley becomes the owner of a
St. Bernard dog named Gumbo, when his original owner abandons him and gives him to Bradley. He meets
Syd Chambers (
Nina Toussaint-White
Nina Toussaint-White is an English actress who has acted in ''Casualty,'' ''The Bill, and EastEnders.''
Early life
Toussaint-White was raised in Plumstead, south east London, Toussaint-White was educated at Plumstead Manor School and Negus Sixth ...
) and they eventually begin a relationship. She moves to the Square, but Bradley thinks he will lose her if she knows he lost his job due to the
recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
. He eventually tells her, but then he doesn't hear from her for some time. He decides to leave Walford for
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, but is interrupted by Syd, who persuades him to stay and introduces him to her son
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
(Micah Thomas).
Bradley is taken hostage by
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by John Altman on a semi-regular basis from the soap's debut episode on 19 February 1985. Altman has stated that his initial exit was due to producer Julia ...
(
John Altman) in
Ian Beale
Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...
's (
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022.
Early life and education
Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...
) café with other diners. After a fire starts in the kitchen, Bradley helps the hostages to escape, and returns inside to help Nick. Nick refuses assistance and leaves by the back door, while Bradley falls foul to a
gas explosion
A gas explosion is an explosion resulting from mixing a gas, typically from a gas leak, with air in the presence of an ignition source. In household accidents, the principal explosive gases are those used for heating or cooking purposes such as nat ...
, knocking him unconscious. He has flash burns and glass in one eye, but makes a quick recovery and is discharged the next day. In June 2009, he asks Stacey for a divorce.
Bradley is shocked when he discovers Gumbo's owner, Don, is in Walford, and wants Gumbo back. Bradley fights for Gumbo, but is devastated when the dog chooses to go with Don. Syd is offered a job in Canada, and Noah responds by running away. Bradley and Syd find him at the arcade, playing car games. Syd throws a party to celebrate her and Bradley leaving for Canada, despite Bradley not revealing this to his family yet. At the party, Stacey tells Bradley that she has
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
to which Bradley wishes he could have been there for her. He tells Syd he is not ready to leave his family and friends and she suspects that Stacey put him off, however, he later tells Syd he wants to go to Canada. They hold a leaving party and leave on 9 October 2009, during which time Stacey is admitted to hospital due to her mental health. When Rachel is injured in a car crash and hospitalised, Bradley, Syd and Noah return from Canada where Jean tells Bradley that Stacey would love to see him but he says they are not staying for long.
As they prepare to return to Canada, he goes with Jean to pick up Stacey, telling Syd he is going to check on his mother. Bradley reveals that Syd has asked him to officially adopt Noah. Jean leaves Bradley and Stacey together at home where Stacey apologises for ruining Bradley's leaving party. He then tells her he cannot go back to Canada because he loves her. Stacey tells Bradley she thinks she loves him and they kiss. Stacey tells Bradley he should go back to Canada to think about it but he goes to tell Syd it's over. Bradley tells Syd that he went to pick up Stacey and he had lied. He then says he is staying in Walford with Stacey. Syd angrily says it won't last because she will just cheat on him again. She begs for another chance and begs him not to stay with her for Noah. Bradley hugs Noah goodbye and Syd and Noah leave. Bradley and Stacey resume their relationship. They go on a short break, and when they return, Stacey collapses and Bradley finds work at Masala Queen. On Christmas Day, Stacey tells Bradley she is pregnant and was raped by
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990— ...
(
Larry Lamb
Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
). Bradley confronts him, punching him twice. Later that night, Archie is murdered. Stacey asks if Bradley did it and believes him when he says he did not. They agree to say that the baby is hers and Bradley's. The police question Stacey and Bradley about the murder and they lie about the last time they both saw Archie. Bradley then reassures Stacey that her ordeal is all over.
Jean finds out that Stacey is pregnant and works out that Bradley cannot be the father when she finds baby scan photos. Bradley worries that Jean will blurt it out but she says he can trust her not to say anything. Max overhears part of the conversation and Mo jokes that Bradley is about to confess to murder. Bradley then tells his family he cheated on Syd with Stacey. He goes for a job interview but Max is also being interviewed for the same job. They later agree to go into business together. When Bradley attends the reopening of The Queen Victoria, he feels uncomfortable and leaves in a hurry. After Ian is arrested for murder, Bradley wonders why.
When Stacey invites her friend
Becca Swanson
Rebecca Swanson (born November 20, 1973) is an American powerlifter and professional wrestler. Becca Swanson holds several powerlifting world records for women, including the heaviest squat, heaviest deadlift and the heaviest bench press. Due t ...
(Simone James) from the hospital to stay, Bradley does not want her there and Becca goes back, but the next day Bradley brings her back to the Square because Stacey would not eat anything all day without her. Max starts renting the car lot for his and Bradley's new business. That night Bradley lets Becca sleep in his bed as she is paranoid about Archie's killer still being on the loose. The next morning, Bradley hides an engagement ring for Stacey.
Bradley and Stacey attend Archie's funeral, though Stacey does not want to. After the funeral, Stacey spits in the grave. Later, Becca overhears them talking about Christmas Day. Bradley leaves and Becca finds him in the Square, saying he should not be too hard on Stacey, and she has told her about what Archie did. However, Stacey tells Bradley that Becca only knows that Archie was a creep, and knows nothing about Christmas Day or the baby. Bradley proposes to Stacey, she accepts and they have sex in the car lot. Becca lets slip that Stacey is pregnant and everyone finds out, and Bradley worries that it will ruin everything. Bradley begins acting strangely whenever someone mentions the police or the murder. Then at
Tiffany Dean
Tiffany Butcher-Baker (also Dean and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) ...
's (
Maisie Smith
Maisie Louise Collender Smith (born 9 July 2001) is an English actress and singer. She appeared in the feature film ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008) and played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2008 ...
) birthday party, Tiffany tells her great uncle (also Bradley's uncle)
Jack Branning
Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the brother ...
(
Scott Maslen
Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also took part in the 2010 ...
) that she saw Bradley washing blood off his hands on Christmas Day. Jack demands to know why he had blood on his hands, and Bradley breaks down and tells Jack and Max about punching Archie and Stacey's rape. Jack threatens to go to the police if Bradley does not, but Max stops him and convinces him not to. However, Bradley is scared when
DCI Jill Marsden
DCI Jill Marsden is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Sophie Stanton. She made her first appearance on 5 March 2001 investigating the shooting of Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden), which was part of the whodun ...
(
Sophie Stanton
Sophie Stanton (born 1971 in London, England) is an English actress, director and playwright. She is best known for her role as DCI Jill Marsden in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in which she has appeared on and off since 2001.
Career
Eas ...
) reveals that a new forensic profile has been found and DNA screening will start soon. Max says Bradley should stay with his mother until everything has blown over, but while Bradley is in the car lot, the police come in and ask him to give a DNA sample. Following this, Jack bribes
DC Wayne Hughes (Jamie Treacher) to make the samples disappear. When
Janine Butcher
Janine Carter (also Butcher, Evans and Malloy) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', introduced in 1989. The character was played by Rebecca Michael from 1989 to 1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and Charlie ...
(
Charlie Brooks
Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is a British actress. Known for the role of Janine Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has received numerous awards since her first appearance on the soap in 1999, with storylines invo ...
) is arrested for Archie's murder, Stacey tells Bradley everything will be fine.
Bradley and Stacey announce they are getting married, and Becca feels left out as only Max and Jean are invited. Becca is further upset by Bradley after the wedding when he tells her he and Stacey are planning to live together and that she should get a boyfriend. Becca blurts out to Archie's daughter
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica "Ronnie" Branning (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell (played by Rita Simons) were introduced by executive producer Dieder ...
(
Samantha Womack
Samantha Zoe Womack (''Birth name, née'' Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the Unite ...
) about the rape and Ronnie tells Stacey that Archie cannot be the father of the baby as he was infertile due to chemotherapy. Stacey tells Bradley that the baby is not Archie's but she does not know whose it is, while Becca phones the police. Jack receives a call from Hughes that Bradley is to be arrested, so he tells Bradley he must get out of Walford quickly. As he attempts to flee with Stacey, he realises that he has forgotten their passports and goes to recover them from his home, telling Stacey to stay where she is until he returns. He successfully retrieves the passports without being noticed by the police, however his phone rings as he walks back to Stacey, and DCI Marsden spots him. He attempts to flee up a fire escape, and subsequently across rooftops. When he reaches the roof of the Queen Vic, he shouts to Stacey to run, before losing his balance and falling. He dies from his injuries as the residents look on in horror. As Max pulls a distressed Stacey aside, Stacey admits to him that it is her fault Bradley is dead and confesses that she is Archie's killer. The police close the investigation and an Inquest court finds Bradley guilty. Bradley is last seen in the hospital's chapel of rest where he is visited by Max and the Slaters. Six months after Bradley's funeral, Stacey confesses to
Peggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. ...
(
Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.[bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...]
into account. The appeal is successful and Stacey is released.
Creation
In November 2005, the BBC announced the arrival of an upcoming character, Bradley Branning. Bradley was introduced as the grandson of the already established character
Jim Branning
Jim Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and became a regular character in 1999. He remained in the series until 2011.
Jim was temporarily written out o ...
(
John Bardon
John Bardon (born John Michael Jones, 25 August 1939 – 12 September 2014) was an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1988 (1987 season) for ''Kiss Me, Kate'', sharing the aw ...
). The character first appeared on-screen in January 2006. 18-year-old actor
Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements (born 5 June 1987) is an English actor known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance.
Biography ...
was cast in the role. On his casting, Clements commented, "I'm very excited to be joining ''EastEnders'' and joining such a great family
..it's wicked."
The character was allegedly conceived in the Hertfordshire town of
Tring
Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...
, where one of the ''EastEnders storyline conferences was held. As a result, Bradley was said to have originated from Tring on-screen before his move to East London to develop a career as a banker.
Bradley was portrayed as a character who'd had a "sheltered life because his dad left him when he was young."
Development
Romance with Stacey Slater
In 2006, scriptwriters decided to pair Bradley with the character
Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a fe ...
, played by
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2004–2010, 2014–present), for which she has won over thirty awards, including four ...
. Mismatched, one reporter commented, "geeky...goody-twoshoes Bradley doesn't seem like the type of lad
taceywould normally go for", however he/she added that the couple "may be chalk and cheese, but with
tacey'shistory of emotional turmoil,
radley
Radley is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish about northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of B ...
is probably just the stabilising influence she needs." The couple were hailed as the nearest thing Walford had to ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''.
Explaining the characters' attraction, scriptwriter
Sarah Phelps
Sarah Phelps is a British television screenwriter, radio writer, playwright and television producer. She is best known for her work on ''EastEnders'', a number of BBC serial adaptations including Agatha Christie's ''The Witness For the Prosecuti ...
has said, "Bradley's gentleness makes Stacey a little bit gentler, and Stacey's toughness makes Bradley a little bit tougher."
Discussing the union between her character and Bradley, Turner has said, "I love working with Charlie – he's such a laugh. They're such different characters. It's nice, because it's not what anyone expected for her."
The couple were shown to face problems in August 2006, when Stacey declared she was pregnant with Bradley's child and, on the advice of his father,
Max (
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Red Dwarf''. ...
), Bradley convinced Stacey to have an abortion; Jane Simon of ''The Mirror'' described the episode as "incredibly powerful". Scriptwriter Sarah Phelps has described Stacey's abortion as "a dagger in
erheart
..Stacey thought that if this is what
radley
Radley is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish about northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of B ...
really wants
..'OK i'll go through with it', but she really didn't want to. He broke her heart."
Bradley and Stacey were shown to grow steadily apart after this, as Bradley invested time in a new job he acquired in city bank, neglecting Stacey's needs and ignoring her depression over her lost baby. When Bradley purposefully excluded Stacey from a work function, she showed up anyway and humiliated him in front of his colleagues. In scenes shown directly after, Bradley dumped Stacey, declaring that the reason that he wanted to abort their baby was because he could not bear the idea of bringing up a child with Stacey.
The end of Stacey and Bradley's relationship facilitated a plot twist that saw Stacey seducing Bradley's father Max. In episodes that aired on Christmas Day 2006, Stacey slept with Max as payback for Bradley's mistreatment. A BBC insider commented, "Stacey likes the idea that even if Bradley doesn't want her, his dad does."
In December 2009, Clements was asked if he wanted Bradley and Stacey to get back together. He replied: "Yes I do. I love working with Lacey. We have a great friendship and bounce off one another on screen."
Departure and death
On 13 November 2009, it was announced that Clements had quit the show and would depart in 2010, saying it is "time to move on and take on some new roles".
Executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Execu ...
promised "a big exit" for the character, saying "I know viewers will miss him hugely, just as all of us who have worked with him will miss him too."
Santer commented in December 2009: "I always see departures as an opportunity. They're a shame if a much-loved actor wants to move on, but they're a chance to give characters an exciting and significant exit. Bradley's departure relates to some of the stories we're playing either side of the 25th anniversary and I can certainly promise a memorable exit for him."
Show producers denied that Bradley would kill himself after becoming a suspect for
the murder
"The Murder" is a cinematic score written and composed by Bernard Herrmann for the horror- thriller film '' Psycho'' (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The score, its second movement in particular, is well recognized as one of the most famous ...
of character
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990— ...
, played by
Larry Lamb
Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
, who was killed off on 25 December 2009. Bradley discovered that Archie had raped Stacey and got her pregnant so confronted Archie by punching him twice in the face. At the end of the
live episode on 19 February 2010, Bradley died after falling from the roof of the Queen Victoria pub while being pursued by a policeman.
Reception
In 2006, actor Charlie Clements received a TV Quick and TV Choice award for "Best Soap Newcomer" for his role as Bradley.
''EastEnders'' received criticism for their portrayal of Bradley from resident of the
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
town where the character allegedly hailed from,
Tring
Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...
.
Some residents of Tring believed that scriptwriters of the east London-based soap had portrayed their town as "snobbish", and there were complaints to Tring's Mayor, Mike James, who claimed that a lot of people were quite offended by the new character, who plays golf and drinks
soya milk
Soya may refer to:
Food
* Soya bean, or soybean, a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean
* Soya sauce, see soy sauce, a fermented sauce made from soybeans, roasted grain, water and salt
Places
* Sōya District, ...
.
A spokesperson from the soap apologised for the offence caused: "The character of Bradley Branning was by no means set to cause offence to the residents of Tring. In fact Tring was chosen after one of our storyline conferences in Tring, as the production team thoroughly enjoyed their stay
..Bradley is by no means a snob. He has led a sheltered life because his dad left him when he was young. His mother wanted to teach him the value of money so encouraged him to get a job, which is why he worked as a caddy at the local golf course. He has a dairy intolerance and is allergic to nuts".
Bradley's death was voted the third most emotional moment in television entertainment in a 2010 poll of 3,000 British people conducted by
Freeview HD
Freeview is the United Kingdom's sole digital terrestrial television platform. It is operated by Digital UK Ltd and DTV Services Ltd, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. It was launched on 30 October 2002, taki ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Branning, Bradley
EastEnders characters
Fictional bankers
Fictional businesspeople
Fictional salespeople
Television characters introduced in 2006
Male characters in television