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Jack Branning is a fictional character from the

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 exam. ...

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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

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 20 ...

. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of

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 ...

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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

Reenie Branning The following is a list of fictional characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1996, by order of first appearance. Michael Rose Michael Rose, played by Russell Floyd, first appears in Walford as a Market Inspecto ...

(Joy Graham) and the brother of April Branning (

Debbie Arnold Debbie Arnold (born 14 June 1955) is an English actress, producer and voice artist. She is known for her portrayal of April Branning in BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' between 1995 and 1996. Arnold has portrayed regular characters in ''EastEnder ...

Carol Jackson Carol Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as the mother of the Jackson family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned tem ...

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Lindsey Coulson Lindsey Coulson (born 13 April 1960) is an English actress, known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. For this role, she won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Coulson is also well known ...

Derek Branning Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 to 2012. Derek is the eldest child of Jim Branning (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham). ...

(

Jamie Foreman Jamie Foreman (born 25 May 1958) is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in ''Layer Cake'' (2004) and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'' (2005). Career Foreman played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldm ...

Suzy Branning Suzy Branning (originally known as Sue) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in 1996, and Maggie O'Neill in 2008, who began filming in May that year, and she ...

(

Maggie O'Neill Margaret "Maggie" O'Neill (born 15 November 1962) is an English actress. She is known for her television roles in ''Peak Practice'' (2000–2002), '' Shameless'' (2004–2007) and ''EastEnders'' (2008). In 1986 she appeared in the music video f ...

) and

Max Branning Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Wood took a four-month break from the show in 2011 and the character was absent between August and No ...

(

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''. ...

). The character was introduced to the show during a period when ''EastEnders'' was being routinely criticised in the media for its reliance on resurrecting old characters. The casting of Maslen provoked some controversy, being the first time an actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. It was quickly established that Jack is a morally ambiguous character with a murky past in the police force resulting in the paralysis of his young daughter,

Penny A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...

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Mia McKenna-Bruce Mia Sasha McKenna-Bruce (born 3 July 1997) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her role as Tee Taylor in ''Tracy Beaker Returns'' (2010–2012) and ''The Dumping Ground'' (2013–2018). She has since appeared in the iPlayer s ...

). Tabloid media have praised the character for his role as resident

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...

, commenting frequently on his good looks and attractiveness, although broadsheet press have been more critical of Maslen's acting. On 1 July 2019, Maslen filmed his 1000th episode as Jack. Maslen took a two-month break from the role in October 2010 to participate in the 2010 series of ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...

'', returning in December 2010. Maslen made an indefinite departure from the role on 15 October 2013 after six years on the show. Having turned down a chance to return to the role in April 2015, Jack made a previously unannounced return on 24 December 2015, before leaving once again on 1 January 2016. Maslen returned to filming during the same month and Jack returned on-screen on 1 March 2016. Since returning, his storylines have included reuniting with

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 ('' 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 United Kingdom i ...

), gaining custody of his son

Ricky Mitchell The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2010 listed by order of first appearance. Executive producer Diederick Santer left ''EastEnders'' on 26 February 2010, handing over to Br ...

(Henri Charles), finding out Ronnie had drowned on their wedding day and his subsequent grief over her death, a custody battle with Charlie Cotton (

Declan Bennett Declan William Bennett (born 20 March 1981) is an English singer-songwriter, actor and playwright. He gained prominence as a member of the band Point Break, before going on to perform on London's West End and as a solo musician. He is known on ...

) over his stepson

Matthew Mitchell Cotton The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins. January saw the arr ...

, supporting his great-niece

Tiffany Butcher 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), ...

(

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 ...

) over her rape and confronting her attacker, rejoining the police force, relationships with

Mel Owen Melanie "Mel" Owen (also Healy and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tamzin Outhwaite. Mel was introduced by executive producer Matthew Robinson and made her first appearance on 19 October 1998 ...

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Tamzin Outhwaite Tamzin Maria Outhwaite (; born 5 November 1970) is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, includi ...

) and

Denise Fox Denise Fox (also Wicks and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left ''EastEnders'' in early 2008 to give birth to her ...

(

Diane Parish Diane Parish (born 1 November 1969) is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006 Born in Chelsea, London and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Pari ...

), and discovering that Amy has been

self harming Self-harm is intentional behavior that is considered harmful to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues usually without a suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-injury and self-mutilatio ...

Storylines

Backstory

Jack is the youngest child of

(

) and

(Joy Graham) and brother of

Derek Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of '' Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler". Common variants of the name ar ...

(

Terence Beesley Terence Beesley (7 September 1957 – 30 November 2017) was an English actor. Early life Born in London to Irish parents, he studied at the City Lit in London in 1980, and then trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Ar ...

;

), Carol (

April April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. It is the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. April is commonly associated with ...

(

), Suzy (Julie Christian-Young;

) and Max (

). Having grown up in a large family in a poor area of East London, Jack regularly fought his older brother, Max, for the attentions of his father who was an alcoholic. He was very close friends with Michael Moon ( Steve John Shepherd), another local East End boy who went to school with him and had a closer relationship with him than he did with his brothers. As a teenager, Jack stole his grandfather's

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

medal, knowing that it was Jim's prized possession as his father had died in combat when he was only six years old, and blamed Max, causing a huge rift between Jim and Max and resulting in Max walking out in 1989. Despite Max and Jack being arch-rivals, they kept in touch as Jack was present at Max's wedding to

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 ...

) in 1994 and watched his nieces

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. ...

(

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 ...

;

Jacqueline Jossa Jacqueline Mary Osborne (''née'' Jossa) (born 29 October 1992) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for portraying Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2010 to 2022, and winning the nineteenth ser ...

) and Abi (

Lorna Fitzgerald Lorna Katie Fitzgerald (born 17 April 1996) is a British actress from Northampton. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Since leaving ''EastEnders'' in January 2018, Fitzgerald has develope ...

) grow up. Jack settled down with

Selina Selina () is a feminine given name, considered either a variant of Selene, the goddess and personification of the Moon in Greek mythology and religion, or a spelling variation of the name Celina, which is derived from the Roman name Cecilia, refe ...

(

Daisy Beaumont Daisy Beaumont (born 5 May 1974) is an English actress. Career Beaumont's television work includes a variety of shows, among others '' The Border'', ''EastEnders'', '' Hotel Babylon'', ''A Touch of Cloth'', ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', ''Mu ...

) and, after they married, they had a daughter,

(

). Jack built a career in the police force, but got involved in criminal activities and when they backfired, one of Jack's informants knocked Selina and Penny down in revenge for being accidentally sent down. Penny's spinal cord was severed, putting her in a wheelchair and, in the aftermath, Jack and Selina divorced and he retired from the police force.

2007–2013

Jack comes 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 ...

for his nephew

Bradley Branning Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Charlie Clements. 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 2 ...

's (

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 ...

) wedding to

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, Jack soaks

(

) when driving through a puddle, so she soaks him with her water bottle. A fight with Max leads to Jack's wedding invitation being revoked, so he stays at

The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

and helps Ronnie's sister Roxy (

Rita Simons Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer from London. She is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on screen ...

) prepare for the reception. Deciding to stay, Jack comes between Ronnie and Roxy when he buys Scarlet Nightclub and offers Ronnie a partnership. Jack causes more disruption in the

Mitchell family The Mitchell family is a fictional family in ''EastEnders''. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil ( Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) bought the local garage – the Arches. Their sister Sam (Danniella ...

when he sets up Ronnie's cousin,

Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), Grant (Ross Kemp), s ...

(

Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has played since 1990. He was also the presenter of the game show, ''Britain's ...

), by taping him confessing to his part in

Kevin Wicks Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Phil Daniels. Kevin made his first appearance on February 17, 2006, when he was introduced onto the show alongside his two children, Carly (Kellie Shirley) a ...

' (

Phil Daniels Philip William Daniels (born 25 October 1958) is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in ''Quadrophenia'', Richards in '' Scum'', Stewart in ''Th ...

) death. Jack blackmails Phil with this, demanding the car lot for his silence, which he then rents to Pat Evans (

Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a gu ...

). Despite the Mitchells' animosity, Jack develops an attraction to Ronnie and a relationship starts. The other Mitchells, particularly Roxy, try to end the relationship. Jack's ex-wife, Selina, reappears briefly and they have sex, which Roxy discovers and she tells Ronnie, who is due to live with Jack. Ronnie ends the relationship. They reconcile, but Ronnie does not trust Jack and struggles to bond with his daughter, Penny. Jack and Roxy have sex while drunk. They agree to conceal this, but Roxy is pregnant and later gives birth to daughter

Amy Mitchell 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 ch ...

(Amelie Conway). Jack romances Tanya, who is now separated from Max. Jack supports Tanya and her children as they strive to cope after discovering Max's affair with Stacey and his departure. When Max returns, he is furious to discover that they are together. Max attempts to buy the family home but Jack outbids him, buying No. 5 Albert Square and sharing the residence with Tanya and the children. Max tries to break them up, but is unsuccessful. Max frames Jack, claiming Jack tried to kill him. Jack is arrested but soon released, due to his connections in the police force. In revenge, Jack takes Max hostage, beating and taunting him before abandoning him in an old warehouse. That night, Max is hit by a car and Jack is the main suspect. Max's daughter, Lauren, later confesses to her family, but Tanya tells the police she did it and is arrested. Tanya is forced to split from Jack. Jack demands a DNA test on Amy, Roxy's daughter. Reluctantly agreeing, Roxy assures him that her husband

Sean Slater Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Robert Kazinsky who made his first appearance on 22 August 2006. Sean's existence was revealed on 9 December 2005 when his sister Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner ...

(

Robert Kazinsky Robert John Appleby (born 18 November 1983), known professionally as Robert Kazinsky, is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Casper Rose in the Sky One drama ''Dream Team'', the Don in '' Captain Marvel'', Sean Slater in the BBC soa ...

) is Amy's father. Jack concentrates on re-building his relationship with Ronnie, with whom he now shares a flat. However, Jack's sister, Suzy reveals the true result, that Jack is Amy's father. Furious, Sean snatches Amy and persuades Roxy to join him on a trip but Sean tries to kill them by driving into a frozen lake. Jack and Ronnie save Roxy and Amy. Roxy tells Jack that he will have no contact with Amy and Ronnie refuses to reconcile with him. Jack tries establishing regular contact with Amy, leading Ronnie to leave Walford. Racing to the airport to stop her, Jack tells Ronnie that he loves her over the airport tannoy. They return to Walford together and Roxy agrees not to interfere. Ronnie and Jack discuss the possibility of a baby but he refuses, telling her she needs to grieve for her deceased daughter, Danielle Jones (

Lauren Crace Lauren Rose Crace (born 25 May 1986) is an English actress and radio presenter, known for her portrayal of Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2008 to 2009. Early life The daughter of contemporary writer Jim Crace and Pa ...

). Jack asks Ronnie to marry him but catches her piercing condoms. They argue and Jack leaves, but finds Ronnie's ring on the table when he returns. After telling Jack that Ronnie has left Walford, Roxy tries seducing Jack but he pushes her away. When Ronnie returns, Jack begs her to reunite with him, but she refuses. A few weeks later, she asks him to buy her out of the nightclub and to fund this, Jack sells the car lot to

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 ...

), Ronnie and Roxy's father who Ronnie despises. This distances Ronnie further from Jack. The feud between Jack and Phil recommences. Phil discovers that Jack is dealing drugs and when

Shirley Carter Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in ''EastEnders'', as she previously playe ...

(

Linda Henry Linda Varilis (''née'' Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama '' Bad Girls'' and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she has played since 2006. S ...

) buys drugs from one of his contacts, Phil forces Jack to buy them back. Humiliated, Jack employs Phil's sister Sam Mitchell (

Danniella Westbrook Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress, best known for originally playing Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off from 1990 to 2000 and 2009 to 2016. Away from ''EastEnders'', she has presented var ...

), infuriating Phil. Despite knowing that she is engaged to

Ricky Butcher Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ro ...

(

Sid Owen Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Strict ...

), Jack and Sam begin an affair. Archie intervenes and pays Jack to keep seeing Sam as part of his plan to take over The Queen Vic. He also tells Jack's niece and Ricky's ex-wife

Bianca Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. Variants * Blanche: French * Bianca: Italian * Bianka ( Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, German, English, French, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, C ...

(

Patsy Palmer Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is an English actress and DJ, known for her roles as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), and Bianca Jackson in the ...

) about the affair. Later, Bianca drags Sam into The Queen Vic by her hair and forces her to tell Ricky in front of Jack about the affair she was having. Jack is distraught as Roxy was about to give him Ronnie's address but when the affair is revealed, Roxy changes her mind and throws him out of the pub. Ronnie gets pregnant but she has a miscarriage when Archie pushes her against the bar in the pub during an argument. Jack comforts Ronnie and takes in Ronnie, Roxy and Amy when they are made homeless by Archie. Jack confronts Archie on Christmas Day 2009 and threatens to kill him if he hurts Ronnie again. Archie is murdered that day and an investigation begins. Four weeks later, Jack asks Ronnie to dinner, to which she agrees but not until after Archie's funeral. At the funeral, Jack offers DC Wayne Hughes (Jamie Treacher) to help with any "local information" he might need. He later sees Ronnie tearing up the flowers on Archie's grave and asks her why. She thinks he is accusing her of murder. She later sees him talking to

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 ...

), who is investigating the murder. Ronnie asks Jack how he would feel if he knew she had killed Archie, leading him to suspect her and also tells him, despite Jack's desire, that starting a relationship with him again is not what she wants. At his great-niece

's (

) birthday party, he cuts his hand and Tiffany tells him that she saw Bradley washing blood off his hands on Christmas Day. Jack confronts Bradley who eventually reveals that he found out from Stacey on Christmas Day that Archie had raped and impregnated her, and Bradley punched Archie. Jack urges Bradley to go to the police, saying that if he does not, Jack will. However, Max stops him and when DNA screening starts and Bradley gives a sample, Jack bribes Hughes to make the DNA samples disappear. Janine is arrested when someone plants Archie's mother's missing engagement ring in her flat and Jack hears from Hughes when she is being released. Jack offers Janine money to leave Walford and they accuse each other. He says that he did not set her up and

Ryan Malloy Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months, until he was revealed as the half-brot ...

(

Neil McDermott Neil McDermott (born 15 December 1980) is a British stage and television actor, who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career McDermott appeared in the 2008 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Nex ...

) stops him from hurting Janine. Later, Jack receives another call from Hughes to say that someone has reported Bradley and he is about to be arrested. Jack tells Bradley he must leave Walford quickly, and says he will meet them soon and help them to go. However, Jack is delayed by police and when Bradley realises he has left his passport behind, he returns to the Square where police see him and chase him to the roof of The Queen Vic, where he stumbles and falls to his death. A distraught Stacey tells Max she killed Archie and then disappears afterwards, but Jack does not find out about this and tells Max at Bradley's funeral that the court has found Bradley posthumously guilty. Jack begins a relationship with

Chelsea Fox Chelsea Fox (also Atkins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010, and then Zaraah Abrahams from 2020 onwards. Benjamin was cast in the role and she left her role in the '' Harr ...

(

Tiana Benjamin Tiana may refer to: Places * Tiana, Catalonia, a town in the comarca of Maresme, Catalonia, Spain * Tiana, Sardinia, a comune (municipality) in the Province of Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy People * Tiana Alexandra (born 1961), Vietnamese-American a ...

) after helping her escape from a blind date. He organises a party for his niece, Lauren, at R&R, where Kylie (

Elarica Gallacher Elarica Johnson (; born 21 August 1989) is an English actress and model, best known for playing Hailey (aka Autumn Night) in ''P-Valley.'' Johnson also starred in ''A Discovery of Witches'', in which she played Juliette Durand. She played Kylie ...

) attempts to shoot Jack's nephew Billie (

Devon Anderson Devon Carlo Anderson (born 25 August 1987) is an English actor. Anderson's roles include Billie Jackson in ''EastEnders'' and Sonny Valentine in ''Hollyoaks''. Early life Anderson was born on 25 August 1987 in London. Acting career Anderson ...

) but Jack is shot instead as he pushes Billie out of the way. Jack is taken to hospital, where doctors tell his family he may be left with severe brain damage. He is put in a medically-induced coma and undergoes an operation due to swelling on his brain, which is successful. When he is brought out of the coma, it is discovered that he is paralysed down the left side of his body but it is not clear whether it is periodic or permanent. Jack then breaks up with Chelsea and attempts to phone Ronnie, but she does not hear her phone ringing as she is spending time with Jack's consultant, Mr. Steele (Simon Wilson). He starts to feel helpless and wants to give up, but after Max refuses to help him, he puts his phone out of reach and manages to pull himself up with one arm. Meanwhile, Chelsea suspects she might be pregnant with Jack's child, and wants to keep the baby but is unsure about telling Jack. However, when she takes another test, she finds out she is not pregnant and Jack never finds out. Max reveals to Jack that he saw Ronnie and Mr. Steele kissing, so Jack punches Mr. Steele out of jealousy. When Ronnie discovers this, she dumps Mr. Steele and rushes to see Jack, telling him that if he were to propose, she would not turn him down. Billie visits Jack to apologise, but Jack ignores his apology as it has taken him weeks to visit him, calling him cowardly. Billie leaves in tears and joins the army to make Jack proud of him. Ronnie visits again and is told that Jack was able to move his toe earlier. She thinks Jack needs better care, so decides to find him a place at a private clinic. Jack later hears from Max that there has been a fire at the club, and Ronnie tells him he is going to the clinic. However, she decides not to claim on the insurance to keep

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

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Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell (EastEnders), Billy Mitchell in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television ...

) out of trouble. Roxy hears from Max that Ronnie has no money and is not claiming, so she decides to pay for Jack's treatment and he is moved to the private clinic. Jack makes decent progress and when Ronnie visits him, they end up having sex. A few days later, having been discharged from hospital, Jack turns up in The Queen Victoria for Ronnie's birthday. Later, when they return to his flat, Jack asks Ronnie to marry him and she accepts. When he finds out that Archie raped Ronnie when she was 13 years old, he finds it hard to believe at first because she would have known about it for several years without telling anybody, however, he tells Ronnie he does believe her and vows to not let anyone hurt her again. He becomes frustrated when his progress at physiotherapy slows down. He is determined to walk at his own wedding but Max says he never will, and makes him angry, goading him into getting out of his wheelchair. Ronnie discovers that Sam is pregnant and tells Jack, asking if it could be his even though Sam insists it is Ricky's. After the baby is born, Sam admits she is unsure. Jack and Ronnie visit Sam and the baby in hospital. Even though Sam now says that baby

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

, is Ricky's, Bianca tells Jack he should see if Richard is his. He and Ronnie both agree and tell Sam, and Ricky agrees to a paternity test. Ronnie tells Jack whatever the result is, they will be okay. Sam reveals that the paternity test confirmed Ricky as the father. Ronnie and Jack are relieved and Ronnie reveals that she is pregnant with Jack's baby. However, a suspicious Bianca gets the paternity results for herself, and reveals that the father is actually Jack. Sam then tells them that Ronnie made her lie. Ronnie tells Jack she did not want to share him with anyone else, and Jack understands. Later, Sam visits Jack and Ronnie saying she cannot cope with the baby on her own, and asks them to have him. Ronnie and Jack agree but when they are due to meet, Sam does not turn up. Ronnie visits Sam and tells her to keep Richard but offers her money to leave Walford as when Jack finds out he will come looking for her. Ronnie returns to Jack but finds Sam has already dropped Richard off. Ronnie then meets Sam with cash and tells her to take Richard back but she will have to leave straight away. Sam leaves the next day. Before Billie's birthday, he visits Jack, but Jack tells him to leave, however, he goes to Billie's party. Billie and Kylie's friend Connor Stanley ( Arinze Kene) turns up and apologises to Jack on behalf of Kylie. Kylie is sentenced to 15 years in prison. The day before Jack and Ronnie's wedding, Jack helps Max take revenge on

Harry Gold Harry Gold (born Henrich Golodnitsky, December 11, 1910 – August 28, 1972) was a Swiss-born American laboratory chemist who was convicted as a courier for the Soviet Union passing atomic secrets from Klaus Fuchs, an agent of the Soviet Union, ...

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Linal Haft Linal Haft (born 23 March 1945 in Leeds) is an English actor, best known for playing controlling or manipulative characters in both film and television, most notably his role as businessman Harry Gold in the popular BBC soap opera ''EastEnders ...

) who is harassing his ex-wife

Vanessa Vanessa may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Vanessa'' (Millais painting), an 1868 painting by Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais * ''Vanessa'', a 1933 novel by Hugh Walpole * ''Vanessa'', a 1952 instrumental song written by Bernie ...

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Zöe Lucker Zöe Elizabeth Lucker (born 11 April 1974) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Sonya Leach in ''Coronation Street'' Tanya Turner in the ITV drama series, ''Footballers' Wives''; Vanessa Gold in the long-running BBC One soap o ...

), Max's girlfriend. They threaten Harry and tell him to stay away, but afterwards Jack is grabbed by two men and bundled into a car. The next day, nobody is able to find Jack but Max finds his phone. He drives Ronnie to the wedding and finds Jack in the boot of the wedding car, tied up and gagged. Max frees him and Jack and Ronnie get married. After, they leave for their honeymoon. After the honeymoon, Jack goes abroad on business and is unable to return to see Ronnie give birth to their son

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

. Before Jack returns, James dies due to cot death. Ronnie swaps their deceased baby with

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

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Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...

) and

Kat Moon Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the seco ...

's (

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Nationa ...

) newborn baby,

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

. Jack is introduced to Tommy as his own son, and bonds with him. However, he worries about Ronnie's state of mind when she struggles to cope. Jack sells his share in R&R and goes into business with Max at the car lot, renaming it Branning Brothers. He then meets Michael, Alfie's cousin who he knows from his youth, and invites him to stay but Ronnie finds out Michael is Tommy's real father and tells Jack to kick him out, which Jack eventually does. When Jack announces he and Michael are opening a boxing club, Ronnie is infuriated, so she lies that Michael came onto her. Jack punches Michael but Michael tells him that Ronnie is obsessed with him and has stolen a passport photo of him, which Jack later finds with Ronnie's things. He confronts her, but says is she does not know why she took it, but insists she does not want Michael near the baby. He quits the car lot to look after the boxing club full-time. He starts to worry about Ronnie's erratic behaviour. Eventually, she tells Jack that he is not the father, and hands Tommy back to Kat and Alfie. Tommy is taken into care and Jack says an emotional goodbye, while Ronnie is in police custody. Jack visits her in prison, but she tells him to forget he ever met her and find someone else. Jack goes into deep depression and begins drinking heavily. He meets Tanya's sister,

Rainie Cross Rainie Highway (also Cross and Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tanya Franks. Introduced as the drug-addicted sister of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), Franks has had three separate guest stin ...

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Tanya Franks Tanya Christine Franks (born 16 August 1967) is an English actress, producer and writer. She has had starring roles on the television shows ''Family Affairs'', ''The Bill'', ''Pulling (TV series), Pulling'', ''EastEnders'' and ''Broadchurch''. ...

), in the club and they have a one-night stand; however, Jack throws Rainie out the following morning. Max tries to help him along with Carol but he brutally beats Max, however, they reconcile on Max's birthday. Jack discovers Ronnie has been released on bail and decides to forgive her, asking her to move back in. On the day of Ronnie's hearing, Jack attempts to flee the country with her to Mexico. Michael frames her by taking Roxy's mobile and asking her to meet at the park. She finds Tommy alone and crying, and attempts to help him. Kat and Alfie then see Ronnie holding Tommy with disbelief, and after slapping her and getting Tommy back off her, Kat says that she will be laughing as Ronnie rots in jail. Later, Roxy finds out Michael did, in fact, frame Ronnie and he later admits this to her and Kat. At the hearing, Ronnie is sentenced to 3 years in prison, but Kat changes her mind and decides she does not want her to go to prison. Kat then runs over to Ronnie and says she forgives her, and that she agrees that they are the same. The two hold their hands to each other separated by the glass. Ronnie is then taken away, leaving Jack devastated. Jack continually tries to visit Ronnie in prison, but she refuses to see him. Michael taunts Jack by claiming he slept with Ronnie, and Jack beats him up in the toilets of The Queen Victoria. The fight is secretly witnessed by Michael's father

Eddie Moon Eddie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon ( Steve John Shepherd), Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline) and Anthony Moon (Matt Lapinskas). Along with his child ...

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David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...

) but he walks away as he thinks Michael set his stock on fire. Though Jack and Michael repair their friendship, Jack is dismayed when Michael organises an unlicensed boxing fight between his brother

Tyler Moon Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon (David Essex), half brother of Michael Moon (EastEnders), Michael (Steve John Shepherd) and Craig Moon (Elliot R ...

(Tony Discipline) and a seemingly unbeatable and violent opponent, all as part of Michael's revenge on his father. Though Tyler wins the fight, he is hospitalised and the friendship between Jack and Michael is strained further. Roxy goes on a night out with friends, leaving Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) babysitting Amy. When he leaves Amy alone for a while to get a DVD from Jack's flat, Amy runs herself a bath, gets in and almost drowns. When Ben finds her, Dr. Yusef Khan (

Ace Bhatti Ahsen Rafiq "Ace" Bhatti (born 13 September 1969) is a British actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He has appeared in numerous television series, including ''Cardiac Arrest'', '' Holding On'', '' NCS: Manhunt'', '' ...

) is called and revives her. When Jack arrives, he accompanies Amy to the hospital who is still in a critical condition. The next day, Roxy arrives and Jack accuses her of being neglectful. Jack then tells a social worker about Roxy's past and her family. After interviewing Roxy, the social worker awards temporary custody of Amy to Jack. He refuses to give Roxy access to Amy other than at pre-arranged times, and is annoyed when Abi allows Roxy to see Amy. When Abi tells Jack how her family is falling apart, Jack vows to bring Max back to Walford, as he left following the revelation of his affair with Tanya when she was married to

Greg Jessop Greg Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Stefan Booth. He is introduced as the fiancé of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), and first appeared on screen on 1 October 2010 to work on the reconstruction ...

(

Stefan Booth Stefan Booth (born 4 October 1979) is an English actor and singer, best known for playing Greg Jessop in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1 October 2010 to 21 October 2011. Background Booth went to school at Monkton Combe School in Bath ...

). Max returns to Walford with their brother, Derek. Jack is pleased to see Derek, but is concerned when it is revealed that Tanya has

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

. The court decides to award custody of Amy to Jack, however Roxy vows to appeal the decision. When Phil receives a text message saying "I know you killed Kevin", Phil believes Jack is behind the message, so confronts him. Jack denies this, and when he goes to give Phil the recording, he finds it missing, along with a file on all of Phil's past misdemeanors. Phil continues to suspect Jack however, and has Jack's car crushed as a warning. In revenge, Jack prevents Roxy from seeing Amy. Roxy then tells Jack that Ronnie is filing for a divorce from him. On Christmas Day 2011, Jack sees Roxy taunting him into letting her see Amy after showing the toy she was going to give her, so he relents, knowing that he may not be able spend another Christmas with Ronnie. Amy starts pinching and scratching other children at nursery, and

Whitney Dean Whitney Dean (also Carter) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shona McGarty. The character is the ward of long-running character Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and was introduced on 1 April 2008 when Pal ...

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Shona McGarty Shona McGarty (born 14 October 1991) is an English actress and singer who portrays Whitney Dean in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Before joining ''EastEnders'', McGarty had been involved in amateur musical theatre for six years, in ...

) tells Roxy and Jack about this. They later talk and agree to not argue in front of Amy. Roxy realises it is the first time they have spoken properly since Amy was born, and they start to compliment each other as parents, which leads to sex. They continue with the custody battle, and Roxy soon discovers that Jack forged her signature to get Amy a passport. Roxy threatens to report this, and Jack drops the case so Roxy gains custody of Amy. Derek then continues to urge Jack to use dirty tactics to get Amy back, but makes things worse by telling Jack lies. Eventually, Derek pays a friend to have Roxy killed, but this does not happen and Jack confronts Derek saying that anything that happens to Roxy also happens to Amy. When Jack apologises to Roxy, she punches him and says that he is an unfit parent, saying that Penny is proof of this. Jack agrees and tells Max that he will not allow what happened to Penny happen to Amy.

(

) poaches the builder that Jack has hired. Jack argues with Denise, leading to her barring him from the Minute Mart. He later accidentally soaks her with water while washing his car. Jack then agrees to go on a blind date set up by Tanya and

Zainab Masood Zainab Khan (also Masood) is a character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nina Wadia.

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Nina Wadia Nina Wadia (born 18 December 1968) is a British actress and comedian. She is known for portraying Zainab Masood in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Aunty Noor in Citizen Khan Mrs Hussein in the BBC comedy ''Still Open All Hours'', and for st ...

), but is horrified when he discovers it is with Denise. After the pair throw insults at one another, Denise throws water in his face and storms out. Jack later expresses his attraction to

Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...

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Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...

), who has jilted her fiancé

John Hewland The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2012 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. He stepped down from the role in April. ...

(

Jesse Birdsall Jesse Birdsall (born 13 February 1963) is an English actor, known for his roles as Marcus Tandy in the BBC1 soap opera '' Eldorado'', Nick Beckett in the adventure series '' Bugs'' (1995–1999), football manager Roger Webb in ''Footballers' Wiv ...

). They flirt and, when Sharon is desperate for money, he buys her engagement ring. Sharon decides to stay at the B&B, but Jack invites her to stay at his flat, where they have sex. Sharon constantly seduces him afterwards and on Sharon's terms, knowing about her addiction to painkillers, they start dating. However, their relationship starts to shake when Sharon agrees to a plan in order to gain custody of

Lola Pearce Lola Pearce is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Danielle Harold. She is introduced as the granddaughter of Billy Mitchell (EastEnders), Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and Julie Perkins (Cathy Murphy), and a ...

's (

Danielle Harold Danielle Amy Louise Harold (born 30 May 1992) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Lola Pearce in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', which she played from 2011 to 2015, and reprised the role from 2019 to 2023. Career Before H ...

) baby, pretending to be Phil's fiancée, which makes Jack jealous; however, the lie becomes too much for Phil, so Sharon stops playing the part. Jack and the rest of his family fall out with Derek, and when he suffers a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

on Christmas Day, he, along with Max, Kat and Derek's son

Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horac ...

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David Witts David Peter S. Witts (born 30 June 1991) is a British actor and model, best known for his portrayal of Joey Branning in the long-running British television soap opera, ''EastEnders'', in which he appeared from 2012 to 2013. Early life Witts a ...

), do nothing to help him as he suffers. Jack tries to pull the group together in hiding this from the police. Phil jaunts the fact to Jack that he is still in love with Sharon on New Year's Eve, prompting a paranoid Jack to propose to her in an argument. However, on the same night, Phil proposes also, but Sharon says yes to Jack. However, he is still unnerved by Phil and sees him an opponent for his lover. When Sharon's son,

Dennis Rickman Jr The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2012 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. He stepped down from the role in April. ...

(Harry Hickles) starts a fight at school, Jack admits he taught Denny to box, angering Sharon. Jack receives a letter from Ronnie saying she is due to be released from prison. He visits Ronnie in secret and realises he will never love Sharon like he loved Ronnie, so he jilts her moments before they are due to marry, and leaves Walford for a while. When he returns, he is stunned to discover that Sharon is now with Phil. Michael is not happy when he sees Jack, saying that he has found it hard to cope with a business on his own and a child on his own. Eventually, Jack sells his share of the boxing gym to Michael's estranged wife

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 ...

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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 ...

), and runs the car lot with Max, angering Michael. When Max is put in prison, having been set up by

Carl White Carl White is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Daniel Coonan. He first appears in the 4660th episode, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 20 June 2013. Carl is the ex-boyfriend of Kirsty Brannin ...

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Daniel Coonan Daniel Coonan is a British actor. Early life Coonan was brought up in Haringey, in north London, moving to Plymouth, Devon in his teens, where he took up acting lessons. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Career Afte ...

), Jack supports the rest of the Brannings. Ronnie is released from prison and returns to Walford, though Jack initially refuses to speak to her. Eventually they have an emotional conversation about their baby and reunite with a romantic kiss. She then moves back in with him, angering Phil, who forces her to choose between Jack and her family. She chooses Jack, and Jack buys an engagement ring, but when she tells him she does not want another baby, fearing going through the pain of losing James again, he breaks up with her. Jack soon realises that he will never be able to get over his past with Ronnie as long as he stays in Walford, so he leaves for France to reconnect with his daughter Penny. Ronnie shares a tender goodbye with him before watching him leave Walford in his car.

2015–present

Jack returns to visit Dot and Amy for Christmas in December 2015. Ronnie is initially annoyed but later kisses him. He then finds out she tried to have

Vincent Hubbard Vincent Hubbard is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Richard Blackwood. He was introduced by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins during the show's 30th anniversary celebrations, and was later reve ...

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Richard Blackwood Richard Clifford Blackwood (born 15 May 1972) is a British actor, presenter and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Channel ...

) killed but admits he has missed her and they reignite their relationship. At

Mick Carter Mick Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' played by Danny Dyer, making his first appearance in the show in the episode originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 25 December 2013. Dyer's casting was annou ...

's (

Danny Dyer Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...

) stag party, he and Mick kiss as part of a dare. Mick later tells Jack that Roxy's fiancé

Dean Wicks Dean Wicks (known as Deano in his initial stint) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by Matt Di Angelo. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters o ...

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Matt Di Angelo Mario Angelo S Constantinou (born 1 May 1987), professionally known as Matt Di Angelo, is a British actor and singer, best known for his role as Dean Wicks in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. He also portrayed Sean Kennedy in the BBC drama s ...

) raped his wife,

Linda Carter Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kellie Bright. She first appeared on 19 December 2013 and her casting was announced alongside her on-screen partner, Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer). Linda was ...

(

Kellie Bright Kellie Denise Bright (born 1 July 1976) is an English actress. Her roles include Linda Carter in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', for which she won the 2015 British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance, Julie in ''Ali G I ...

). Jack removes Amy from Roxy's care and warns Roxy that Dean is controlling her. She later realises that he is right, so she ends her relationship with Dean. Jack is furious that Ronnie did not tell him about Dean's history, but reconciles with her while helping Billy propose to his former wife

Honey Mitchell Honey Mitchell (also Edwards) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Emma Barton. She made her first appearance in the show on 22 November 2005. The character left the show on 2 September 2008. Barton briefly ...

(

Emma Barton Emma Louise Barton (born 26 July 1977) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for the role of Honey Mitchell in ''EastEnders'' which she has portrayed on and off since November 2005. Before her role in ''EastEnders'', Barton appeared ...

), and Jack decides to stay in Walford for Ronnie. When Roxy arrives at Ronnie's house desperate for her help after Dean attempts to rape her, Jack, unaware of Roxy's ordeal, persuades Ronnie not to answer the door. Roxy leaves without Amy when she returns from the police station. Before leaving, she has a conversation with Ronnie, leading to Ronnie telling Jack that she needs a break and they cannot love each other again as she is broken and he leaves with Amy, promising her they will return to Walford soon. Jack returns when Honey calls him, but when Ronnie sees him, she runs away. As Jack leaves, Ronnie gets in his taxi and they kiss. Ronnie and Jack admit their feelings for each other, but when Ronnie is unable to commit, Jack decides to leave again and is collected by Delphine Rousseau ( Emmanuelle Bouaziz). After seeing something on social media, Ronnie believes that Jack and Delphine are getting married and rushes to the venue to stop it. When Ronnie enters the hall, Jack is a guest at Delphine's wedding. Ronnie and Jack then have passionate sex in the shower. Later, Delphine tells Ronnie not to break Jack's heart, so Ronnie leaves. However, Jack goes to Walford and tells Ronnie that he wants to spend his life with her and they kiss. Jack returns to France, but comes back when he buys Max's old house, intending to convert it into apartments. Jack then discovers that Ronnie killed

(

) and is angry until she explains it was in self-defence. Jack and Ronnie are later confused when undertaker

Les Coker The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2012 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. He stepped down from the role in April. ...

(

Roger Sloman Roger Sloman (born 19 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work in theatre, film, and television. Early life and education He grew up and was educated in South East London. He trained to be a teacher and then went to East 15 acting sch ...

) reveals that he has received an email informing him that Ronnie has died, which unnerves Jack but does not worry Ronnie. Jack believes that

Hannah Reynolds Hannah Reynolds may refer to: * Hannah Reynolds (soccer) * Hannah Reynolds (EastEnders) {{hndis, Reynolds, Hannah ...

(Mia Jenkins) is responsible, and she is arrested. Jack becomes good friends with one of his builders

Andy Flynn Andy Flynn may refer to: *Andy Flynn (footballer) Andrew Flynn (1895 – ?) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back. He played for Mexborough, Exeter City, York City and Boston Town. Career Born in Sheffield, West ...

(

Jack Derges Jack Derges is a British actor known for portraying the role of Andy Flynn in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Derges made his acting debut in the 2007 ''Casualty'' episode "Core Values" as Private Haydon; he returned to the show in 2 ...

) and when he discovers that he has nowhere to live, Jack and Ronnie allow him to move in with them. However, it is later revealed that Andy is responsible for the email and is stalking Ronnie in revenge for Danielle, his adoptive sister. This is later revealed and Jack punches Andy, and after apologising to Ronnie and revealing that he grew to like her, Andy leaves Walford. When Roxy begins dealing drugs, Jack refuses to let her near Amy. Jack finally agrees for Roxy to see Amy, however, Amy goes missing the same time that Roxy's drugs are missing. It is assumed that Amy has taken the drugs but in hospital Amy reveals that she has not. Jack decides to file for full custody of Amy, devastating Roxy. When Sam returns to Walford with their son Ricky (Henri Charles), Jack refuses to have anything to do with him. However, at

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. ...

's (

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''.Glenda Mitchell Glenda Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Glynis Barber. The character first appeared in the programme on 7 January 2010. She was axed in February 2011 and departed on 8 March 2011. She returned ...

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Glynis Barber Glynis Barber (born Glynis van der Riet; 25 October 1955) is a South African actress. She is known for her portrayals of Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in the British police drama ''Dempsey and Makepeace'', Glenda Mitchell in ''EastEnders'', DCI Grace ...

), identify the bodies. Later, when Amy and Ricky ask where Ronnie and Roxy are, Jack says that they have "gone away" and will never come back, leaving them confused. They question Jack and Max about Ronnie and Roxy, so Jack's stepmother,

Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in fl ...

(

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 ...

), explains to them with sensitivity that they are "God's angels" and are watching them in heaven. Frustrated with everyone taking pity on him and struggling to cope with Ronnie's death, Jack announces that, after the funeral, he will move to Ongar with the children. Jack is informed by the liaison officer that the coroner's report reveals Roxy suffered a cardiac arrest in the pool from which he concludes that cocaine contributed to her death, so he blames her for Ronnie's death. After Ronnie and Roxy's funerals, Glenda tells Jack she intends to take custody of Matthew. Her son Danny Mitchell (

Liam Bergin Liam Bergin (born 24 November 1985) is a British actor of Irish and Trinidadian descent. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2008. He is currently best known for playing Danny Mitchell in ''EastEnders'' and Rupe ...

) tries to bribe Jack in return for changing her mind, but Jack beats him up. Glenda tells Jack she is not doing it for financial gain. Realising that Glenda is being sincere and that he needs help, Jack asks Glenda to move in with him. An inquest rules that Ronnie and Roxy's deaths were due to misadventure and drugs in Roxy's system did not contribute, but Jack still blames Roxy for Ronnie's death. Jack is angered when Glenda gets Amy's ears pierced and throws Glenda out but later realises her intentions were good and agrees to still let her be part of Amy, Ricky and Matthew's lives. He refuses to commemorate Roxy with a headstone but reconsiders when Stacey reminds him that it is only punishing her family and Amy. Several months later, Jack decides he needs to move on with his life, but still struggles to cope. Max makes contact with Matthew's father, Charlie Cotton (

), and he returns the next day, telling Jack that they need to talk about Matthew. Jack is reluctant to let Charlie spend time with Matthew as Matthew does not know him. However, Max convinces him otherwise. Unbeknownst to Jack, Max and Charlie are secretly plotting against him. When Dot lets Jack know of Charlie's plan to return to Ireland with Matthew, Jack is infuriated. He declares that Charlie will never get custody of Matthew as this would mean breaking his promise to Ronnie. When Charlie says that Ronnie got what she deserved, Jack punches Charlie, only to be stopped by Max who tells Jack he may have lost his chances of keeping Matthew. Max is later disappointed when he learns from Jack's solicitor that Jack still has a strong chance of keeping Matthew, despite his fight with Charlie. Max visits Charlie and later, Jack is arrested for assaulting Charlie, though unbeknownst to Jack, Max has attacked Charlie to make his injuries worse and allowed Jack to take the blame. However, the charges against Jack are dropped. Charlie's wife,

Liz Cotton The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

(Michelle Connolly), speaks to Jack and Jack realises what is best for Matthew and gives Charlie residence of Matthew. Charlie promises that Jack can still see Matthew, though Jack is unaware that Max has paid Charlie to not contact Jack again. Realising he cannot cope with looking after Amy and Ricky as a single parent, Jack later hires

Ingrid Solberg The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

(Pernille Broch) to be their nanny. However, after she shows repeated lateness, Jack offers her to move in with him and when the children start to like her, they decide to go camping together with Honey and her children,

Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...

(Grace) and

Will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

(Freddie Phillips). When Jack is reminded that this is the first family trip without Ronnie, Ingrid comforts him telling him that he is venting his grief to the people he cares about. When their chemistry begins to grow, Jack and Ingrid share a passionate kiss which he instantly begins to regret. However they later decide to remain friends and Ingrid continues to look after Amy and Ricky. When the residents learn that Max has been involved in a redevelopment plan of Albert Square with

James Willmott-Brown James Willmott-Brown (also credited as Willmott-Brown and Mr Willmott-Brown) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by William Boyde. The character originally appeared in Albert Square from 1986 to 1989, where ...

(

William Boyde William Boyde (born March 1953) is a British actor, best known for his work on the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1986–1989, 1992, 2017). He was educated at Cheltenham College where he appeared as an extra in the film If...which was filme ...

), Jack supports him and discovers Max is self-harming. Jack, Lauren and Abi confront Max about the redevelopment plan where he reveals that his motive was for revenge, as everyone had abandoned him when he went to prison. Max then breaks all of Jack's family photos and tells him that their family is worth nothing. Despite this, Jack refuses to give up on Max. However, Charlie returns to Walford with Matthew and exposes the full extent of Max's betrayal to Jack. Jack is heartbroken when he learns that Max paid Charlie to take Matthew away from him and he also disowns Max, telling him that he is a lost cause and can never change. However, on the anniversary of Ronnie's death, Jack and Max reunite when Jack comforts Max when he breaks down due to Abi being critically ill. After Abi's funeral, Jack tries to woo

(

) after she returns to Walford and rents a sports car, which initially impresses her but her son, Hunter Owen (Charlie Winter) sabotages the car so it will not start, fearing that Jack would replace his late father Steve Owen (

Martin Kemp Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in ''EastEnders''. He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also a ...

). Despite Hunter's attempts to stop it, Mel eventually starts a relationship with Jack. Jack proposes marriage to Mel, however, before she can respond, they are interrupted by Mel's estranged husband Ray Kelly (

Sean Mahon Seán Mahon is an Irish stage and screen actor. He is known for playing Nicky Giblin in the Broadway production of '' The Seafarer'', Richard Hannay in the Broadway production of ''The 39 Steps'' and Michael Hess (the lost son) in the award-winni ...

). Jack comforts Rainie and they have sex. Jack tells Rainie to keep it a secret from Max, but they kiss again and realise that Amy has spotted them together. Jack panics over whether Amy is aware of their fling, and they are unaware that she has videoed them kissing. Jack becomes suspicious of Ray and his suspicions intensify when he notices that Jeff Reynolds (Andres Williams) is afraid of Ray. Jack shares his doubts with Mel, however, Ray manages to charm her and turn her against Jack. Ray confronts Jack and threatens to expose his past as a police officer and the events that led to Penny becoming paralyzed if he doesn't stay away from Mel. Rainie's mother

Cora Cross Cora Cross is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Ann Mitchell. Cora is the mother of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks) and Ava Hartman ( Claire Perkins) and the grandmother of Lauren (J ...

(

Ann Mitchell Ann Mitchell (born 22 April 1939) is a British stage and television actress. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she starred as Dolly Rawlins in the crime series ''Widows'' as well as the sequels '' Widows 2'' and ''She's Out'', all writte ...

) returns and reveals Jack and Rainie's liaison to Max, who confronts Jack and attacks him. In February 2019, Ray's corpse is discovered in Walford Common. Jack witnesses Mel being taken in for questioning and realises that Mel has used him as her alibi on the night of Ray's disappearance. Despite being reluctant, Jack gives Mel a false alibi and demands to know the truth. Mel reveals that Hunter shot Ray in a desperate attempt to stop him from strangling her. Jack tells Mel to report it to the police, but she pleads with him to help her and Hunter flee Walford. Jack agrees to help them escape, but tips off the police about Mel's plans to flee the country with Hunter, leading to his arrest. Mel cannot forgive Jack, and he leaves to visit Penny in France. When Amy goes missing, Jack is devastated. He later discovers that Sean Slater has taken her in hopes of a reconciliation with Roxy. Jack is furious and takes him to Ronnie and Roxy's grave. Sean is infuriated when Jack blames Roxy for Ronnie's death and they end up fighting. In May 2019, Jack becomes close to resident

(

) and Mick attempts to play match-maker by pushing Jack towards Denise. They go on a date and agree to start dating. Jack's happiness is short-lived when he beats up drug dealer Fraser Shelton (Shanu Hazzan) when he finds out that he has raped his grand-niece

(

). Jack is tipped off by one of his friends in the police, Muski, that there is a warrant out to arrest him, and he asks Denise to provide him with an alibi. When Jack refuses to tell her the truth, Denise briefly ends the relationship. Jack confides in Max about what he has done, and Max suggests that Jack runs away, but he is later arrested. Despite facing charges for grievous bodily harm, Jack is released. He later decides to rejoin the police. When Hunter escapes from prison, he decides to take revenge on Jack for reporting him to the police. He sneaks into Jack's house with a gun aiming to shoot him but instead attacks Denise when she sees him. He finds Jack at The Queen Vic and holds him at gunpoint, attempting to use him as a shield to escape. His plan spirals out of control and leads to Ben Mitchell (

Max Bowden Max Bowden (born 31 December 1994) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Justin Fitzgerald in the BBC One school-based drama series ''Waterloo Road (TV series), Waterloo Road'', and his portrayal of Ben Mitchell (EastEnders), Be ...

) getting shot.

(

) and Jack's feud is reignited in December 2019, when Phil becomes convinced that Sharon is having an affair. When he sees Sharon and Jack together, along with her necklace in his house, Phil believes that Sharon is cheating on him with Jack. Phil decides to get revenge by beating Jack and threatening to shoot him. Jack begs for his life and persuades Phil that he has moved on from Sharon. In April 2022, Jack is surprised to see Ricky’s (now Frankie Day) mother Sam (now

Kim Medcalf Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for taking over the role of Sam Mitchell in the long-running BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', between 2002 and 2005 and from 2022 onwards. Career '' ...

) back in Walford. Sam tells him it’s just a short business visit. She decides she needs Jack’s help and threatens to take Ricky back with her to Spain, if Jack does not help her to scare away her adversary Jonah Tyler (Mark Mooney). Jack reluctantly agrees and lets Sam move in with him and Denise when she has nowhere to go. Sam continuously winds up Denise, and also conspires with Phil to blackmail Denise into giving her £50,000 to buy Ruby’s club from

Ruby Allen A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

(

Louisa Lytton Louisa Claire Lytton (born 7 February 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Ruby Allen in '' EastEnders'' and Beth Green in ''The Bill''. She also finished fourth in the fourth series of '' Strictly Come Dancing'' in 20 ...

) - threatening to tell the police that Denise knew the truth about Vincent's death if she does not give her back the money Phil paid, to open her salon "Fox & Hair". Denise reluctantly agrees, but throws Sam out.

Creation

Background

Jack Branning was one of several new characters to join the ''EastEnders'' cast in the second half of 2007. At a time when the show was undergoing media criticism for its resurrection of old characters, John Yorke, the BBC's controller of drama production, defended the show's ability to create interesting, new characters. He praised the show's executive producer

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 Exec ...

for his development of new, "strong characters", including Jack Branning and Roxy and

. Speaking of this new wave of characters, he stated: "It feels like a new dynasty is emerging, which is important." Prior to his introduction in October 2007, the character was referred to once, a week before his arrival. He is a member of the soap's

Branning family The Branning family, together with the Jackson family are a fictional, extended family in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Introduced in 1993 were the Jackson family, consisting of Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson), her partner and later husban ...

; his sister Carol first appeared in the serial in 1993, while father

had appeared from 1996. More recently, brother Max and his own family were introduced in June 2006.

Casting

was cast in the role of Jack. Previously best known for his role as DS Phil Hunter in

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

police drama The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eithe ...

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'', the media were quick to pick up on the fact his new role was notably similar - with TV

critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...

Jane Simon sarcastically commenting: "What a relief it must be for actor Scott Maslen to get a role that allows him to show off his incredible versatility." Maslen himself pointed out that the character of Jack was actually higher ranking than Phil Hunter, joking: "I've been promoted from playing a DS in Sun Hill!" Maslen's casting marked the first time an established actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. Speaking for the first time about his new role, Maslen said: "I was very sad to leave ''The Bill'' but after five years I wanted to explore new opportunities. ''The Bill'' afforded me some fantastic storylines. I'm really looking forward to playing Jack. He's an extremely competitive man who likes to win in business and in pleasure!"

Development

Upon announcing his casting, Maslen described the character of Jack as "an extremely competitive man who always likes to win in business and in pleasure". He mentioned that there would be an "instant attraction" between Jack and fellow newcomer Ronnie Mitchell, and explained that he already had a longstanding friendship with

who plays Ronnie, having known her since he was 16 years old, and being godfather to her children. The relationship between the two characters developed quickly from friendship to romance, with Womack commenting that due to her friendship with Maslen; "Our first kissing scene felt really uncomfortable, it was terrible, but we're over it now." Several media publications commented on the fact that the attraction between the two characters had been obvious, and bound to develop into more than a professional relationship. As the character's personality developed, questions were raised over whether his intentions and motivations were good or bad, with Maslen explaining: "I call him amoral; neither good nor bad. He gets what he wants out of the situation but that isn’t necessarily just a selfish thing. He's not an evil character, but if there are people that are threatening him, his business or his family, he will do whatever he needs to do to eliminate that problem." In April 2011, it was reported that Jack would have a one-night stand in May after trying to get over the loss of his son, and bed Tanya's sister,

(

Departure (2013)

In February 2013, it was announced that Maslen had quit his role as Jack and would leave the show later in the year at the end of his current contract. Maslen said, "I've loved playing Jack, and who wouldn't want to work on one of the most successful British TV series, but I've been offered many other roles and just not been able to explore them in the past, simply because of time and commitments to ''EastEnders'', and so now it feels like the time to tread a new path for a while. I've played Jack for five and a half years and had some fantastic storylines, but it's now time to have a break from him and try something different. I'm incredibly attached to Jack, his family and ''EastEnders'', but as an actor I'd like to take on some new challenges for a bit. EastEnders is just incredible, it's phenomenally rewarding and I love working here, but now it's time to move on to pastures new." Executive producer

Lorraine Newman Lorraine Newman (born 1978) is a British scriptwriter, television producer, and the executive producer of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2012 to 2013. Newman, who has worked on ''EastEnders'' for "nearly 20 years", received the role of ...

said, "Since October 2007, Scott Maslen has brought the wonderful Jack Branning to life on our screens. From Scott's heart-wrenching portrayal of a grieving father, to Jack's determination in the coming week to take on Phil Mitchell, the variety in Scott's material shows his fabulous range as an actor. Scott will remain on your screens until late in the year, and there is plenty more drama to be played out before his departure."

Reintroduction (2015)

Maslen made a surprise return as Jack on 24 December 2015 and departed once again on 1 January 2016. He returned full-time on 1 March 2016. Maslen said: "I'm looking forward to working with

Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive Pr ...

. I worked with him before when he was a storyliner there. I'm really looking forward to working with him and the newer faces. There's so many exciting things going on at the minute. It was like I hadn't left. It felt a bit strange because there are new characters who I don't know - but that fits with the story. When you go away for a while and come back, there's always new people you gotta icget to know and that's part of the fun of it. It felt great!"

Reception

Much media response to the character has centred around Maslen's good looks, with the ''

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'' commenting: "At last. Someone remotely attractive comes to Albert Square." '' The Mirror'' similarly referred to him as "the new hunk on the Square", as well as "the hottest property on ''EastEnders''". ''

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...

'' praised Maslen's transition between roles, declaring his performance as Jack to be "flawless". However, ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' were more critical, writing of 2007's New Year's Eve episode: "The alleged erotic tension between Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) was so underplayed as to be invisible." A reporter writing for the '' Inside Soap Yearbook 2017'' (released in November 2016) described Jack's return as "a great arrival", before adding that he "made a very attractive birthday gift for Walford's Ronnie". Maslen was nominated for 'Best Actor' at the 2011 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. In August 2017, Maslen was longlisted for Best Actor at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards. He did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist. Scenes broadcast on 3 January 2017, in which Jack struggles to tell Amy and Ricky that Ronnie and Roxy have died, were praised by bereaved children's charity Grief Encounter. A spokesperson for the charity said, "We are very thankful that such a high profile TV show has chosen to bring such a relevant issue to the forefront. Children's grief is normally a taboo subject, which needs to be talked about openly. ''EastEnders'' has handled the subject with an honest outlook, in that so many parents don't know how to tell their children the truth." The charity's founder, Dr Shelley Gilbert, said the storyline was "so important to highlight the real struggle parents have when telling their young children that mummy or daddy has died" and said that Jack was having a "very real response in not knowing when and how to tell the children".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Branning, Jack EastEnders characters Fictional British police officers Fictional criminals in soap operas Fictional businesspeople Fictional salespeople Television characters introduced in 2007 Male villains Fictional characters with disabilities Male characters in television Police misconduct in fiction Fictional British police detectives Fictional torturers

Storylines

Backstory

2007–2013

2015–present

Creation

Background

Casting

Development

Departure (2013)

Reintroduction (2015)

Reception

See also

References

External links