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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''. The role was originated by

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 ...

, who first appeared on 3 July 2006. Duggan played the role for four years until her exit on 23 June 2010. Three months later, on 27 September 2010, the role was recast with

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 ...

. In August 2014, Jossa announced that she was expecting her first child. In December 2014, Jossa filmed her final scenes prior to taking maternity leave, which aired on 24 February 2015, following the show's 30th anniversary celebrations. She returned temporarily on 14 September 2015 for her father's murder trial before departing again on 2 October 2015. Lauren made a permanent return on 27 May 2016. In September 2017, it was announced that Jossa and Lorna Fitzgerald, who plays Lauren's sister Abi, had been axed by executive consultant John Yorke. Jossa finished filming with the show on 11 January 2018, and Lauren departed on 16 February 2018. In October 2022, it was confirmed that Lauren would return to the show on 12 December for the funeral of her step-grandmother

Dot Cotton 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 '' ...

). Her storylines have included running over her father

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'' ...

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

, supporting her mother

Tanya Branning 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 lea ...

(

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 Shake ...

) through cervical cancer, her friendships with

Lucy Beale Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell (from 1993 to 1996), Casey Anne Rothery (from 1996 until 2004), Melissa Suffield (from 2004 to 2010), and Hetti Bywater (fr ...

( Hetti Bywater) 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 Pa ...

(

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, ...

), a relationship with her cousin

Joey Branning Joey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by David Witts. Introduced on 22 June 2012 by producer Bryan Kirkwood, Joey is the estranged son of established character Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) and the ...

(

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 ...

), an affair with a married alcoholic

Jake Stone Jake Stone is the name of: *Jake Stone (singer) Bluejuice was an Australian band based in Sydney, active between 2000 and 2014. The group's final line-up consisted of lead vocalist Jake Stone, backing vocalist Stavros Yiannoukas, bassist Jami ...

(

Jamie Lomas James Lomas (born 21 April 1975) is an English actor, known for his soap opera roles as Warren Fox in ''Hollyoaks'' and Jake Stone in ''EastEnders''. Life and career Lomas was born in Manchester. Before joining ''Hollyoaks'' in 2006, he had ...

), engagement to

Peter Beale Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' who has been played by seven actors since being introduced in 1993. Francis Brittin-Snell portrayed the role from 1993 to 1996, followed by Alex Stevens from 1997 to 19 ...

( Ben Hardy), struggling to deal with Lucy's murder, giving birth to Peter's son Louie, a relationship with

Steven Beale Steven Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1998, Edward Savage from 1998 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2017. It was announced ...

( Aaron Sidwell) following the ending of her relationship with Peter, becoming attracted to Max's boss

Josh Hemmings 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 ...

(

Eddie Eyre Eddie Eyre (born Eddie Wilson on 24 July 1988) is a British actor who is known for his role in ''EastEnders'' as Josh Hemmings. Education Eyre was educated at Abingdon School from 1999 to 2006. He was trained at the London Academy of Music an ...

) who also becomes her own boss, having an abortion after becoming pregnant by Steven, dealing with his death, finding out her sister Abi is pregnant by Steven after an affair, working against Weylands plans for development on

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 ...

, falling from

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 ...

roof alongside Abi, and dealing with Abi's death following the fall.

Storylines

The eldest child and daughter of

(

) and

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), Lauren 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 ...

with her parents and younger sister,

Abi Branning Abi Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She was introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood on 3 July 2006 as an extension to the Branning family, along with father Max (J ...

( Lorna Fitzgerald) in July 2006. In 2007, Lauren discovers that her father is having an affair with her half-brother

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 ...

'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. Biograph ...

) fiancée,

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 ...

), after accidentally filming them kissing on her video camera. Lauren burns the footage onto a DVD and it is played on Christmas Day, exposing Max and Stacey's affair and resulting in the breakdown of Max and Tanya's marriage. Romantically involved with

(

Thomas Law Thomas John Law (born 17 December 1992) is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor, playing Peter Beale in the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2006 to 2010. He was the fifth actor to reprise the role, followed by Ben H ...

), Max disapproves of their relationship and demands Peter end the romance but ends up throttling him when they meet secretly in the café. Shortly after, Max is left comatose, following a hit-and-run. It is revealed that Lauren is responsible but Tanya confesses to the crime and is imprisoned, pleading guilty to attempted murder. This distresses Lauren who confesses to the police and is found guilty of GBH with intent, and is sentenced to two years under supervision. In 2008, paedophile Tony King (

Chris Coghill Christopher Coghill (born 11 April 1975http://web.researcha.com/iccquery/detail/?did=816979&c=uk) is an English actor, having had roles in '' Shameless'', '' Burn It'', '' Hotel Babylon'', ''The Bill'', ''New Tricks'', '' Doctors'', ''Holby City ...

), stepfather to her best friend,

(

), starts grooming her to replace Whitney. When Tony's paedophilia is revealed, Lauren is shocked to learn about his intentions. Unnerved, Lauren dumps Peter, who tells his friends that he and Lauren had a sexual experience in the allotments. However, the couple plan a reunion and Lauren tells him she is ready to have sex, but Max bans them from seeing each other. Lauren leaves Walford when the extent of Max's debt is revealed by bailiffs who remove the family's possessions. She returns briefly at Christmas, and dumps Peter again before seeing him kiss Zsa Zsa Carter (

Emer Kenny Emer Gwynne Morganna Kenny (born 10 October 1989) is a British actress and screenwriter. Career Kenny made her professional debut in the 2007 BBC television drama ''Coming Down the Mountain'', and, in 2009, she made her film debut in Phil Clayd ...

), causing a catfight between her, Zsa Zsa and Whitney. She attends Bradley's funeral after he falls from the roof of

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 wa ...

, while attempting to evade arrest by the police for the murder of

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 ...

). She celebrates her sixteenth birthday at a party in R&R

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, where her 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 brot ...

(

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 ...

) is shot by Kylie ( Elarica Gallacher). After attending Abi's birthday dinner, Lauren informs her father that she is going to spend the summer at a summer camp in the United States. Lauren (now played by

) returns from America earlier than expected, after being expelled from school for smoking cannabis. She reveals that she has a new boyfriend, Edward Brooks (Luke Striffler), but they split up because of the distance. Lauren attends her cousin Billie Jackson's (

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 Anderso ...

) birthday party and as a present, she gives him alcohol and he is found dead of alcohol poisoning the next morning. Billie's mother, Carol (

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 kno ...

) attacks Lauren, blaming her for encouraging Billie to drink. Lauren suspects that Max killed Archie after he tells her that Bradley was not the culprit and she notes his violent tendencies when he confronts

Jay Brown Jay Brown (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance on 14 December 2006. Jay's storylines since joining the programme have included being part of a ...

(

Jamie Borthwick Jamie Simon Borthwick (born 23 June 1994) is an English actor who has portrayed the role of Jay Brown in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. He is also known for his role in Not Going out as The kid who Kicks Lee Career Borthwick ha ...

) for making crude sexual remarks after she rejects his attempt to proposition her. Lauren confronts Max and he tells her that he is not the killer but knows who is; after seeing Max and Stacey together, Lauren realises that Stacey is the killer and tricks a confession out of her, which she records on her mobile phone. Lauren threatens to go the police, but agrees to keep quiet after discovering that Archie raped Stacey. However, on Christmas Day, Lauren hands

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 inv ...

) the recording and Stacey flees after Janine exposes her. Lauren develops a crush on Whitney's half-brother,

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 ...

), and they begin an affair. However, the relationship is threatened when Tanya finds out and the relationship ends when he flees after killing

Rob Grayson The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2011 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. The first main character ...

(

Jody Latham Jody Lee Latham (born 9 January 1983) is an English actor, best known for portraying the roles of Lip Gallagher in the British Channel 4 comedy-drama series '' Shameless'', Calum McKenzie in the ITV drama series '' The Fixer'' and Rob Grays ...

), who had been sexually exploiting Whitney for financial gain. Lauren discovers that Max and Tanya are having an affair, despite Tanya now being married to Greg Jessop (

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 ...

), Lauren threatens to kill Max unless the affair ends, but it secretly continues. The affair is soon exposed, causing Max to leave Walford. Lauren is angered by Tanya's actions, but is devastated to learn that Tanya has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Lauren promises to support her but struggles to cope with her mother's illness. She starts drinking excessively and almost ends

Darren Miller Darren Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Charlie G. Hawkins. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004 and departed in the episode broadcast on 20 September 2011. Storylines The Miller f ...

( Charlie G. Hawkins) and

Jodie Gold Jodie Gold is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kylie Babbington. She first appeared on screen on 7 June 2010. On 24 October 2011, it was announced that Babbington's contract would not be renewed and Jodie ...

's (

Kylie Babbington Kylie Jane Babbington (born 13 December 1987) is a British actress best known for her single television role, performing on '' EastEnders'' from June 2010 to November 2011. Babbington was born in Havering, London in 1987. She studied acting and ...

) relationship by having sex with Darren in the car lot – hours before the wedding. She also casually dates Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline) until realising Whitney is still in love with him. Max returns to Walford, and when Lauren learns that Tanya has stopped her treatment, begs him to stay and reveals her illness so he stays. Lauren's rebellion continues and she reunites with her old friend

( Hetti Bywater) at 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 soap opera '' EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a guest ap ...

) funeral. After getting drunk at the funeral, she is berated by her parents and given a private consultation with a GP. Lauren withdraws from school, and is employed at the car lot. She resumes drinking and tries to conceal this from her parents. Her drinking is so heavy that, on a night out, Lucy tells her to go home but Lauren ignores her, insisting that she is fine. Lucy loses her and she is found passed out in the street. Lauren tells her parents her drink was spiked before stating she is mature enough to make decisions. She then decides to move out. On her 18th birthday, a drunken Lauren belatedly arrives at a family party, organised by Tanya. After being sick, Lauren admits to her parents that she is uncontrollable and promises not to drink any more. She moves back home after not being able to cope with the laziness of her housemates. Lauren and Lucy go out where a drunken Lauren shares a kiss with a stranger, Dan, who drags her into his car. After Lucy manages to drag her out, they argue and Lauren storms off. Lucy finds her unconscious and takes her to hospital but Lauren discharges herself. Lauren returns home to find Lucy has already told Max, Tanya and Ian everything. Angry, Lauren argues with her family and leaves, meeting Dan. After she rejects his advances, Lauren goes to Lucy's house and Lucy tells her that she does not want anything more to do with her. Lauren meets her cousin,

(

), and is attracted to him. Her friendship with Lucy begins to improve after Lucy's father

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 ...

(

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 ...

) disappears and Lauren helps find him. Joey and Lucy start dating but Lauren learns that Joey had cheated with Whitney, and urges her to tell Lucy. Lucy ends the relationship and the girls take revenge by handcuffing him to playground equipment. Lauren decides to free him so he does not lose his job, and he tells her she is jealous that she did not get a kiss, so she slaps him. Joey is working at R&R when he sees Lauren flirting with a group of men so he throws them out and takes Lauren home. Lauren drunkenly kisses Joey but he rejects her. The following day, Joey explains that he rejected her because she was drunk and they kiss again. Lauren realises she cannot be with her cousin, so resists. Eventually, sexual tension mounts between them and they start a secret relationship. Joey's father

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 Graha ...

(

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 ...

) finds out when he sees Joey and Lauren passionately kissing in the car lot office. Derek threatens Lauren so she and Joey plan to leave Walford. As they drive away in Derek's car, a drunk Lauren loses control of the car and crashes into a shop. Derek helps rescue them from the burning building and makes Joey take the blame for the crash. At the hospital, Lauren tells Tanya about her relationship with Joey and Derek blackmails Joey to end it. Heartbroken and distraught, Lauren continues to drink and Tanya realises that Joey is still in love with Lauren. Lauren later drunkenly reveals her relationship with Joey to the rest of her family. Joey leaves Walford after Derek dies but returns and reunites with Lauren, where Lucy witnesses them kissing. When trying to justify her relationship, Lauren is shocked when Lucy calls her selfish and undeserving of Joey's love, so Lauren considers telling the police the truth about the car crash, but Joey convinces her not to. Lauren and Joey's relationship is publicly revealed, though people start to accept it. Lauren discovers that Tanya has lied about missing a hospital appointment, and as Tanya refuses to talk, Lauren starts drinking again. Lauren destroys her mother's wedding gown and cake before Tanya and Max remarry. She later bonds with Max's secret wife, Kirsty Branning (

Kierston Wareing Kierston Wareing (born 7 January 1976) is a British actress. Her first film role was the lead in Ken Loach's '' It's a Free World...'', followed by a supporting role in Andrea Arnold's ''Fish Tank'' – which won the BAFTA award for ‘Best Bri ...

), upsetting Tanya. Lauren finds out that Kirsty is pregnant, unaware that Kirsty is lying. At a party, Lucy spikes Lauren's drink so she drunkenly reveals that Kirsty is pregnant. Lauren falls out with Joey, who breaks up with her over her behaviour. She applies for a job as a waitress with Whitney at Ian's new restaurant but Lucy gets Joey to be Lauren's test customer so Lauren will fail. Whitney gets the job but purposely withdraws so that Lauren gets the job instead. She tries to make Joey jealous by kissing Tyler, who is engaged to Whitney, but it fails and Whitney ends their friendship and Lucy offers the job to Whitney. Lauren's drinking gets worse, though she believes she is not alcohol and tricks her step-grandmother

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 ...

(

) to give her money, which she uses to buy alcohol. Tanya is angry when she discovers this. Lauren then steals £20 from her grandmother's purse and when Tanya discovers this, she compares her to her aunt,

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 sti ...

(

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'', ''EastEnders'' and ''Broadchurch''. Franks is also the f ...

). Disgusted, Lauren attempts to buy more alcohol but Kirsty refuses to serve her, following Tanya's wishes. Lauren walks outside and confides in Joey but Lucy sees this and starts intimidating Lauren so she punches Lucy and smashes the café window. Lauren is arrested but Lucy decides not to press charges. Ian gives Lauren her waitress job back, but is sacked on the opening night for getting drunk and spills drink on a guest. Tanya and Max find bottles in Lauren's bedroom and decide to keep her locked in the house. She believes Lauren is showing no signs of withdrawal but Lauren reveals she has been drinking vodka from a water bottle, so Tanya realises she is addicted. Tanya keeps Lauren locked in her room but her withdrawal leads her to climb out of the window and Lauren says that nobody can stop her from drinking if she wants to. The next day, Tanya tells Lauren to leave after she destroys Abi's revision notes, and she stays with Max and Kirsty. Tanya asks Peter (now played by Ben Hardy) to spend time with Lauren, but their date is sabotaged by Lucy, so Lauren gets drunk again and leaves with a group of strangers. When she returns, her skin and eyes are yellow and she collapses in pain, so she is taken to hospital and diagnosed with

alcoholic hepatitis Alcoholic hepatitis is hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) due to excessive intake of alcohol. Patients typically have a history of at least 10 years of heavy alcohol intake, typically 8-10 drinks per day. It is usually found in association with ...

. She is warned that she could die if she doesn't stop drinking. Lauren returns and sees Joey so tries to find him. She confronts Lucy over her relationship with Joey, but Lucy refuses to answer, so Lauren concludes that they are together and tries to get a drink but is refused service. Tanya takes her home, where she admits that she cannot cope with her parents' constant arguing. Ultimately, Tanya blames herself and takes Lauren to a clinic in Exeter, believing a change of scene could help. Lauren, now a recovering alcoholic, returns to Walford and dislikes how people treat her, until Abi reminds her of the hurt she caused. Lauren reconciles and is heartbroken to discover that Joey slept with Whitney while she was away. Lauren leaves, taking a drink with her but chooses not to drink it. She attends counselling and meets

(

). She sees that he is married but learns that is separated. Lauren falls in love with him but finds out that he is still married to

Sadie Young The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2013, listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Lorraine Newman, executive producer until December 2013, when Dominic Trea ...

(

Kate Magowan Katie Victoria "Kate" Magowan (born 1 June 1975) is an English actress and producer. She has been in film, theatre, television and radio productions. Her best known role is Princess Una in the 2007 feature film ''Stardust''. She is married to a ...

), they split up but resume their affair, Max catches them and orders Lauren to end the relationship. Later that day, Joey asks Lauren to leave Walford with him but she decides to stay and resumes her affair with Jake. They are caught by Bella Young (Isobelle Molloy) when she walks in on Lauren getting dressed. Understanding how Bella feels, Lauren ends the affair. When Sadie learns of this, Lauren attempts to apologise to her but learns that Sadie and Bella have left. She tries to persuade Jake not to drink again but he angrily throws a bottle of wine at Lauren and injuring her face; however, she forgives him before he leaves Walford. Lauren is stunned to see Stacey in The Vic, Stacey tells Lauren she is not staying but they meet again at Dot's house. Cora decides to call the police, but Lauren stops her and makes amends with Stacey as they talk about Bradley. She overhears Max and Stacey talking about a recent kiss they had and is agitated, asking her to stay away from Max. She overlooks what she heard when Stacey reveals she is waiting for the police to arrest her for murdering Archie because she wants to clear Bradley's name. Lauren avoids Jake when he returns to Walford as he has fallen off the wagon and is staying on Ian Beale's sofa. Lucy asks Lauren to go into business with her. Although initially reluctant, Lauren agrees and they set up "LB Lettings". Lauren becomes suspicious that Lucy is dating Jake when he sets up the website for their business and Lucy begins arranging secret meetings. Lucy soothes her anxieties but she is seeing Max. Soon after, Lucy is found dead and Lauren is devastated. She leans on Peter for support in her grief, and is tempted to drink again but Cora talks her out of it. Determined to overcome her grief, Lauren starts up the business again and finds an email from someone wanting to meet on the night Lucy died. Believing Lucy went instead of her, Lauren tells the police but is not taken seriously, so she arranges to meet them herself. She is shocked when the person is revealed to be Jake and he chases her through Walford to try and stop her from going to the police. However, she does and he is arrested, although Lauren clearly has doubts if he did kill Lucy. When Peter falls out with his girlfriend,

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 ( Perry Fenwick) and Julie Perkins (Cathy Murphy), and an extension to the already ...

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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 ...

), Lauren comforts him and they kiss. However, Peter feels bad for cheating on Lola and leaves, but it is clear Lauren has feelings for him. Jake is released when evidence clears him of any involvement and makes peace with Lauren before leaving. Lauren starts dating

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 ...

) after they have a one-night stand but is shocked when Peter breaks up with Lola and tells Lauren he loves her after kissing her again. Lauren tells him that she wants to be with Dean and Peter vows to wait for her. When Peter is about to visit New Zealand, Lauren ends her relationship with Dean and tells Peter she loves him. Lauren and Peter later begin to get paranoid when they are followed. When they get a car registration, DS Summerhayes finds that it is a police car signed out to DS Cameron Bryant ( Glen Wallace) but she tells everyone that the registration number belongs to a reporter. On Halloween night, she encounters a mysterious person in a Halloween mask who follows her throughout the evening. This is later revealed to be Abi. Peter asks Lauren to

marry Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

him. Lauren accepts, but after finding out that Peter was selling drugs to Lucy, she tells him that she cannot marry him. On New Year's Day 2015, Max's girlfriend Emma Summerhayes (

Anna Acton Anna Acton (born 29 January 1977) is an English actress who is best known for her roles as Rochelle Barratt, the wife of a borough commander, in the ITV television series ''The Bill'', and DC Emma Summerhayes in the BBC One soap opera ''East ...

) is killed in a car accident after meeting someone who she thinks killed Lucy. Although Max tears up Emma's case notes, Lauren finds most of the pages and puts them together, suspicious about who killed Lucy. Lauren asks Peter to marry her and he accepts. However, after finding a previously torn off piece of a page from Emma's case files and trying to use Emma's phone, Lauren starts to doubt if she should marry Peter and drinks most of a half-bottle of whisky in Max's office. When Lauren nearly faints, Stacey buys her a test and discovers that Lauren is pregnant. Stacey confronts her about it but Lauren reveals that she knows who killed Lucy, but refuses to divulge the identity to the police. When Stacey calls the police, she is upset at her inability to keep a secret but hands in most of Emma's case files, while keeping the torn-off piece. She writes a card addressed to Jane, saying that Lucy was killed at home, and abruptly leaves to book an abortion. However, during the consultation, Peter interrupts her and offers to support her through all her issues. Lauren says she is confused and that she knows what happened to Lucy, leading him to discover the truth about the murder at home. When Peter decides to emigrate to New Zealand, he asks Lauren to go with him. She initially refuses, planning to join Tanya in Devon but after he tells her that his brother Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) is Lucy's killer, she changes her mind and decides to go to New Zealand. They dispose of Emma's remaining evidence and SIM card, deciding not to tell the police about Bobby being Lucy's killer. She says goodbye to Max and Abi and leaves with Peter, taking an outfit for their unborn child with them. A heavily pregnant Lauren returns for Max's murder trial, saying she knows who killed Lucy. As she threatens to tell everyone about Bobby, her waters break. She later gives birth to a baby boy who she names Louie, in honour of Peter's great-grandmother,

Lou Beale Lou Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Wing. Her first appearance is in the first episode, which was broadcast on 19 February 1985, and her last is in episode 362, first shown on 26 July 1988, ...

(

Anna Wing Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing (30 October 1914 – 7 July 2013) was an English actress who had a long career in television and theatre, known for portraying the role of Beale family matriarch Lou Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. ...

). Lauren convinces Abi to stop Max from going to prison and tells

Jane Beale Lesley Jane Beale (also Clarke and Collins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Laurie Brett. She made her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Sh ...

(

Laurie Brett Laurie Brett (born 28 March 1969) is a Scottish actress, best known for her roles as Jane Beale in the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders'' and Christine Mulgrew in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road''. Early and personal life ...

) that she is going to tell the truth but Max is found guilty, thanks to Phil bribing the jury foreman. Max is sentenced to 21 years imprisonment. Max discovers Lauren knew that he was innocent and disowns her. Lauren makes a statement to the Police claiming that Bobby killed Lucy but they do not believe her and she returns to New Zealand with Louie, vowing to come back and clear Max's name. In May 2016, Bobby puts Jane in a coma and confesses to killing Lucy, so Ian's mother Kathy Sullivan (

Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe, Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV Network, ITV's ''Footballers' Wi ...

) telephones Lauren and tells Ian that she and Peter are returning. However, when Lauren arrives with Louie, Ian is surprised to see his stepson

( Aaron Sidwell) instead of Peter. Lauren tries to reconcile with an angry Abi, who is furious that Lauren did not tell her that Bobby killed Lucy. Lauren and Steven try to make Ian understand their relationship and why Peter has not returned. When Max is due to have a court hearing following Bobby's confession, Lauren and Abi write a letter saying they will wait for him in the pub, asking Stacey to deliver it. Stacey returns, saying she missed the hearing but passed the letter to his solicitor. Max is released but does not meet Lauren, so she goes home. The letter is returned and she runs outside to see Max leaving in a taxi. Lauren helps Abi get her job back in The Vic and decides to party with her friends. Lauren catches Abi and Lee and assumes that Abi is making a move on him, however Abi drunkenly reveals that she and Lee previously had sex. Lauren promises not to tell Whitney even though Steven tells her to. That same day, Lauren helps Whitney do a pregnancy test, which is positive. Lauren later warns Lee that she knows about his sex with Abi but says she will not say anything because it would mean ruining Whitney's happiness. When Whitney does eventually find out about Lee's unfaithfulness, Lauren supports her. She later starts a business as a web designer, with her first client being

Belinda Peacock The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2001, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke. The first character to be introduced ...

(

Carli Norris Carli Jo Norris (born 23 June 1974) is an English actress, known for her roles as Anoushka Flynn in '' Doctors'', Martha Kane in ''Hollyoaks'' and taking over the role of Belinda Peacock in ''EastEnders''. Career In June 1997, just before off ...

). Steven is annoyed when Lauren buys a new laptop following a burglary at the Beales' restaurant. Steven tells Lauren he needed a way to pay debts and she promises not to tell Ian the truth about the burglary as long as they are honest with each other in future. Lauren is excited when Louie says his first word: "mama". Steven gets him to say "dada" and records a video. Lauren sends it to Peter, which upsets Steven as he sees himself as Louie's father, but Lauren says Peter will always be Louie's father. When Jane discovers Steven has been stealing money from the restaurant, he explains he borrowed it to pay Peter's debts as he is drinking heavily and getting into fights, and Lauren does not know the whole truth. When Lauren learns this, she is angry that he was not honest and considers visiting Peter. Steven says he wanted to protect her and Louie, and going to New Zealand out of guilt or pity will be a mistake, so she decides not to go. Lauren starts to worry that her relationship with Steven has become stale but she does manage to seduce him until they are interrupted. While visiting Max at work, Lauren meets

(

) and they share an attraction. Lauren insists on meeting up with him to see what happens. Josh suggests that Lauren apply for a job at the company he works for, Weyland & Co, where Max also works. Lauren is shocked that Josh is one of the interviewers as she thought he worked on the photocopier, so she leaves but Josh follows; she slaps him for lying but they kiss. Meanwhile, Steven is eager for a baby with Lauren but she would rather concentrate on her career, so Steven starts piercing holes in his condoms. Lauren reaches the final two for the job and Max asks Josh not to employ Lauren, and he makes sure someone else gets the job, however, Josh visits Lauren at home and offers her a different job, and he meets Steven and realises Lauren is in a relationship and has a child. Thanks to Abi, Steven becomes paranoid about Lauren and Josh's relationship and starts tracking Lauren's whereabouts via a mobile app. Lauren finds out she is pregnant, and books an appointment to discuss an abortion, soon after revealing her intentions to Abi, as she is not ready to have a second child. Max tells a disbelieving Lauren that Josh is engaged, then Josh admits he is getting married in November. Lauren surprises and annoys Abi by arranging a secret Father's Day visit from Oscar for Max, neglecting to tell Abi about it. However, this drives Abi to reveal the abortion to Steven, though he decides not to confront Lauren. Lauren tells Josh that she loves Steven but admits that there are no "fireworks", and tells Josh that she will not cheat on him, unaware that Steven has been spying on her with a secret camera. Unaware that Abi and Steven have embarked on an affair, Lauren realises she does not love Steven and plans on returning to New Zealand to make amends with Peter. However, Steven learns about her plans and lies to her that he has an inoperable brain tumour. Lauren is wracked with guilt and decides to remain in Walford. In another desperate attempt to keep her, Steven spontaneously proposes to her in the Queen Vic, which she accepts. Lauren then resigns from Weyland & Co and starts planning her and Steven's wedding, however, after a fire which he started at Ian's restaurant, he dies. Lauren is devastated. Abi tries to tell her that she is pregnant with Steven's baby but Lauren misinterprets it as gloating about her own abortion, so Abi says that she wishes Lauren died instead and that she never deserved Steven's love, causing Lauren to start drinking again. On the day of Steven's funeral, Lauren finds out he lied about having a brain tumour and destroys his wreaths. When she finds out that Steven has been cremated, she refuses to scatter his ashes. Abi decides to leave Walford to visit Tanya and when Lauren learns of this, she asks if she and Louie can join her. Abi agrees and they leave Walford together; unbeknownst to Lauren, Abi is secretly taking Steven's ashes with her. Lauren returns and moves back in with Ian and asks Josh for her job back. Josh accepts and flirts with Lauren but she rejects him again, but after numerous attempts, Lauren eventually gives into temptation and kisses Josh. When Josh's former fiancée, Imogen (Alexandra Sinclair) arrives unexpectedly at the office, she belittles Lauren and tells her that Josh dislikes children. To confirm this, Lauren asks Josh if he would like to spend time with her and Louie; he reluctantly accepts, but implies that they should go as a couple instead which displeases Lauren. Josh later tries to declare his love for her and asks why they cannot be together; she explains that they are different people and that she is a recovering alcoholic. Kathy advises Lauren to move on from Steven and pursue Josh, which she does and they start a relationship. Lauren discovers Weyland & Co's Project Dagmar, a plan to develop Albert Square into luxury apartments, and photographs a scale model. She threatens to publicise the project but her boss

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, whe ...

(

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 film ...

), who is also Josh's father, convinces Lauren that the project has fallen through due to investors dropping out at the last minute and she deletes the photo. Josh confirms this, having only just heard about the project. However, it emerges that this was a lie and that Weyland & Co have bought several properties in Albert Square and are evicting business owners. Lauren refuses to give an eviction notice to Ian, so is fired. She discovers that Max is involved in the plan to con the residents. Willmott-Brown destroys Max's contract, revealing that he has also been manipulated, but Josh gives Lauren a copy as he is entitled to his share. Lauren asks Max for the truth or she will destroy the copy, but he destroys it himself, saying that he knew about Abi's affair with Steven and her pregnancy and that his plan was to exact revenge on those who abandoned him. Later, Josh tells Lauren that he can stop the development by revealing that Willmott-Brown bribes members of Walford Council. Josh asks Lauren to stall Willmott-Brown and Fi Browning (

Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an actress, presenter and celebrity chef. Early life Faulkner was born in Merton, London, to David Faulkner and Julie (née Day). She lived in Esher and was educated at Tiffin Girls' School in ...

) at a press launch so he can get evidence of the bribes, so she chains herself to their property, but is arrested for breach of the peace. Lauren is cautioned and released, and then kisses Josh when he says he has left Weyland, though his plan has failed. Josh is offered a new job in Glasgow and Lauren agrees to move there with him. Ian disapproves of her relationship with Josh when he catches them kissing which causes Lauren to slap Ian, but Kathy convinces him that Josh is not like his father. On Christmas Day, Max gives Lauren a thoughtful Christmas present and she tells him that he needs medical help. Tanya returns to take Lauren and Abi away from Walford, revealing that Max killed Steven and tried to kill Jane. Lauren and Abi reject Max. Max goes to the roof of The Vic where he plans to kill himself by jumping off, but Lauren and Abi climb on to the ledge to try and stop him. As Max agrees to come down, Lauren slips and she and Abi both fall off. They are taken to hospital, where Lauren has surgery on her pelvis, which is fractured, and Abi has a CT scan and is declared brainstem dead. When Lauren starts physiotherapy, she becomes frustrated with not being told the truth about Abi and breaks down when she sees her. Lauren slaps Max for lying to her about Abi's condition and is devastated by Abi's death. Lauren is distraught when Abi's life support is withdrawn. Before Abi's funeral, Lauren lies to Max that it has already taken place because Tanya does not want him there, however, he realises it is a lie. On the day of the funeral, Lauren tells Whitney about her planned move to Scotland with Josh and Whitney asks her to be sure that she actually loves him or if she is only with him because he is good with Louie. After the service, she sees Max going into the chapel and tells him that she needs to leave, before hugging him and crying. Lauren then takes Louie from Josh and walks away without him. Cora later reveals that Lauren has moved to New Zealand, possibly reuniting with Peter. Several months later, Ian agrees to babysit Louie while Lauren and Peter patch up their relationship. Shortly afterwards, Kathy calls Ian to tell Lauren and Peter that Bobby is being released from prison. However, Ian tells her that Lauren is refusing to forgive Bobby for ruining her relationship with her dad and causing Abi's death. In February 2020, Jack reveals to Max that Lauren and Peter have split up again and he has been aiding Lauren with money. In November 2020, Lauren's house in New Zealand burns down and she asks Peter, who is back in Walford, to send over money. Later, Max makes plans to visit Lauren with his lover

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 ...

), but eventually leaves for New Zealand alone when Linda rejects him. Lauren briefly returns to Walford in December 2022 for Dot's funeral, where she comforts Jack and her cousin Sonia Fowler (

Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress. She has played Sonia Fowler in ''EastEnders'' since 1993, appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror '' Psychoville'' and was a contestant on the seventh series of ''Strictly Come Dan ...

). She explains that Tanya has been aiding Cora who injured her hip, and they are both unable to attend. She also explains that she is not on speaking terms with Max after she caught him in bed with her best friend and argues with Linda over her breaking Max's heart after their affair. Later, Lauren was among with other Walford residents at Sonia's house to celebrate Dot's life.

Creation and development

Casting and characterisation

Lauren is described by the BBC website as an "outsider" and "doesn't care what people think". It continues: "Lauren is very quick on the uptake and picks up on everything going on around her but knows it doesn't pay to have loose lips. She's learnt the hard way that secrets destroy people. And this has made her vulnerable." Lauren Branning was introduced in 2006 by executive producer

Kate Harwood Kate Harwood is a British television producer. She became managing director of the revived Euston Films in summer 2014. Early life Kate graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Drama and Theatre Arts in 1981 before becoming an ...

. She and her immediate family—father Max (

), mother Tanya (

) and sister Abi ( Lorna Fitzgerald)—are an extension of the popular and long-running Jackson/Branning clan, who have appeared in the series since 1993. It was announced in May 2006 that Lauren would be played by actress

. Duggan was replaced by Jacqueline Jossa, with Duggan's final scenes airing on 23 June 2010.

Recast

On 9 May 2010 it was announced that Duggan had been axed from the soap by executive producer

Bryan Kirkwood Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as ...

and that she had already filmed her exit scenes. Her final episode was broadcast on 23 June 2010. In August 2010, it was announced that the character would be returning later in the year, now played by

. Of her casting in the show, Jossa said "I was so excited when I got the call to say I'd got the part in ''EastEnders''. I've always been a massive fan of the show and it's a dream come true. The character of Lauren Branning will be really fun to play and there are some exciting things coming up". Kirkwood said "I'm delighted to welcome Jacqueline Jossa to Albert Square. Jacqueline's portrayal of Lauren has all the classic Branning qualities of toughness, cynicism and sensitivity. Jacqueline is set to be at the heart of Walford drama for some time to come". It was reported that Lauren's return would show a more grown-up side to the character, who will cause trouble but also show a softer side as she attempts to find love. Jossa's first appearance was on 27 September 2010. Jossa said that when she first got the part of Lauren, she "worried unnecessarily". Talking to ''PA'', Jossa said that working with Joyner and Wood was not as scary as she thought. She commented: "There was less pressure than I thought there was going to be. When I first started I got really scared and worked up, thinking everyone's going to hate me. They've been there four years and then I'm coming in to be their daughter – it was a bit surreal. And then two weeks later I felt completely comfortable, everyone was cracking jokes and I thought, 'Oh... I built it up a bit!'"

Storyline development

Lauren's primary storylines concerned a school girl romance with

(

), a friendship with the delinquent

(

Melissa Suffield Melissa Holly Suffield (born 24 December 1992) is a former English actress from London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' as Lucy Beale. Her first appearance on the show was 28 October 2004, and her last was on 27 Au ...

), and being caught in the middle of her warring parents, who separated in the serial in 2007 when Tanya discovered Max was cheating on her with

(

), Lauren's half brother

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

's wife. In the storyline, Lauren played an integral part in the discovery of the affair; as a result of a practical joke, Lauren unwittingly recorded Max and Stacey kissing on video camera, and sent the recording to Bradley as a Christmas present in December 2007 as means of revenge on her father. Despite a change of heart, the recording was seen by the entire Branning family on Christmas Day, an episode that drew 13.9 million viewers, 55.3% of the total audience share. The character became involved in one of ''EastEnders most controversial storylines in 2008, when she was groomed by a

paedophile Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...

, Tony King (

). Tony King had been introduced in September 2008 as the fiancé of Lauren's cousin

Bianca Jackson Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted ...

(

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 ...

). However, in a plot twist, it was revealed that Tony was already in a sexual relationship with Bianca's 15-year-old stepdaughter

(

). After losing interest in Whitney, Tony turns his attentions to 14-year-old Lauren. An insider said: "He has got away with abusing Whitney for years but it seems one young girl isn't enough." In April 2011, it was announced that Lauren is to have a relationship with already established character,

. An ''EastEnders'' insider commented: "Sparks will fly when Ryan and Lauren begin their relationship. Max is certainly someone not to mess with. He's already very protective of his daughters and Ryan isn't exactly his favourite person after his relationship with Stacey, who Max will always hold a torch for." Jossa explained that upon Lauren finding out about Tanya's cancer, viewers see a different side to Lauren. She told '' Inside Soap'': "Immediately, there's a change in her – with Tanya so sick, Lauren has to grow up. You'd expect her to dive into the drink again or something like that, but she's right there for Tanya from the minute she finds out what's going on." She continues: "Tanya is still convinced she'll be fine, but then she finds out that the cancer has begun to spread. Tanya's really vulnerable at that point and it's Lauren who's saying, 'We're going to fix this and everything will be fine'. She's there for her mum the whole time – shopping, cooking, cleaning, looking after Abi and Oscar. She really wants to help Tanya and actually enjoys the responsibility."

Alcoholism

In January 2012, Jossa praised her storyline in which Lauren starts binge drinking due to the stress of her mother suffering from cancer. Jossa commented on the storyline saying that teenagers should take binge drinking more seriously. She said: "It's good ''EastEnders'' have done the storyline. It highlights that teenagers who people label irresponsible could be doing it to deal with worries they are keeping to themselves. What they actually need is help or someone to talk to. At first to Lauren drinking was a laugh. Then it became a way of forgetting – she has carried the burden of keeping her mum's illness secret." Speaking about Lauren's love life, Jossa added: "I always want Lauren and Fatboy to get together. They would make such a cute couple." Jossa predicted in November 2012 that Lauren will revert to her old ways after her latest relationship break-up. When asked if Lauren would start drinking again, Jossa said that Lauren did not really stop and that alcohol is her "comfort blanket". 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 that Lauren's binge drinking will "come to a head" in Spring 2013. Newman commented "Lauren's obviously very troubled. A huge amount of what we're seeing now is to do with what's been going on with her parents for such a long time. It's a tough one covering the issue of binge drinking because inevitably, in order for it to have sufficient impact, it has to go on for a considerable amount of time. There's a real danger that it will become unpalatable and that you won't have too much empathy for the character." Newman also added that the binge drinking storyline will come to a conclusion in 2013. In March 2013, it was revealed that Lauren is to have her drink spiked by her friend Lucy Beale. Lauren gave up her binge drinking to save her relationship with Joey but Lucy cannot stand seeing them happy together and decides she wants Joey back after a brief fling. Lucy spikes Lauren's drink and Lauren becomes extremely drunk and makes a fool of herself. Joey dumps Lauren as he thinks she has drinking behind her back and Lauren's life spirals out of control. An insider told the '' Daily Star'' "It's going to be emotional to watch Lauren go through it all again as she's already been through so many battles with the bottle." Hetti Bywater said that she will continue her scheming until she gets Joey back.

Relationship with Joey Branning

In September 2012, Alison Rowley of ''Digital Spy'' said that Lauren will fall in love with her cousin

(

). An ''EastEnders'' insider told the '' Daily Star'' that it will be a huge storyline across the autumn. The insider said "Lauren hits the booze and shows her vulnerable side to Joey. He's there for her and feels very protective. The more time they spend together the more they start to realise their feelings for each other are not just that of cousins." As the chemistry between the pair intensifies, they try to hide the relationship from their parents. The insider said that it is a powerful force and that the attraction between them is so strong that it will take something huge to "stop them jumping into bed". Daniel Kilkelly later revealed that Lauren and Joey will be in a "horrifying" car crash. Filming for scenes begun on 10 September and is thought that the on-location filming will continue through the week. The details of the storyline are being kept under wraps but ''Digital Spy'' reports that Lauren will joyride her uncle

's (

) car but it goes horribly wrong and their lives are left hanging in the balance when Lauren loses control of the car and goes through a shop window. An insider commented "Everyone is really excited about these scenes. It's going to be a huge storyline for us in a few weeks' time, so it's definitely one for the fans to watch out for." The storyline will reportedly air in November 2012 and is said to be one of the show's biggest moments of the year. Lauren is later dumped by Joey after Derek blackmails him. Witts said that Joey will find life "really hard" after dumping Lauren. Derek suggests to Joey that if he tells the police that he was driving the car that drunken Lauren crashed, she can avoid a prison sentence. Joey agrees to the deception to help Lauren but is later horrified when Derek threatens to tell the police the truth unless he gets his own way. Speaking to ''

Soaplife ''Soaplife'' was a 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 d ...

'', Witts said "Joey must either move in with Derek and be a respectful and loving son, or dump Lauren. If Joey takes either of those options, Derek won't tell the police that Lauren was driving the car. Joey's love for Lauren is massive, but not quite as massive as his hatred for Derek. He decides to become the villain and lie that he never loved her. He'll take the flack because that will make it easier for her to move on without him." Witts also added that it will be "really hard" as he keeps making out to Lauren that he is not interested. Witts also said that Joey would be making a mistake if he told Lauren about Derek's blackmail. He commented "She's very headstrong and she'd say that she doesn't care about getting into trouble with the law. It would all end in tears. Everyone would find out as Lauren's the sort of person who'd blurt everything out, and it would cause even more of a mess. Joey very much thinks he's doing the right thing." Tony Discipline said that he does not mind watching Jossa's, his real-life girlfriend's scenes and that he supports the Joey and Lauren plot commenting "I don't find it strange to watch – it is part of the job. We always support each other and Jacqueline always asks me how it looks. But it is part of our job."

Departure (2018)

On 10 September 2017, it was announced that Jossa had been axed from the show by executive consultant John Yorke, along with Lorna Fitzgerald. An official spokesperson said: "We can confirm Jacqueline and Lorna will be leaving. They have been wonderful to work with and we wish them all the best for the future." Their exit story started airing during the Christmas period of 2017. Jossa's departure aired on 16 February 2018. In December 2019, after Jossa won the nineteenth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'', it was revealed she had been asked back to ''EastEnders'' as Lauren four months previously by producers

Kate Oates Kate Oates (born 1979 or 1980) is a British television producer, who was born in Nottingham and graduated from Warwick University. She began her career working as a researcher and editorial assistant for Germaine Greer, before becoming a script ...

and Jon Sen, however she turned the offer down in favour of ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!''.

Return (2022)

In October 2022, Jossa was announced as one of several former cast members who would be returning to ''EastEnders'' for the funeral of

(

), in a special tribute episode following Brown's death in April 2022. Speaking of her return, Jossa said: "Coming back to ''EastEnders'' for Dot's funeral was a no-brainer, and it was a real honour to be invited back. I had a lot of fun but, of course, it was bittersweet. It was amazing to be back, but hard to be filming this storyline. I can tell the viewers know that Dot gets the beautiful send-off that she deserves. June was the light and joy of ''EastEnders''. I had so much fun working with her, the incredible stories and how infectious and witty she was. June is a legend and I miss her very much."

''Lauren's Diaries''

Following Jossa's first appearance, Lauren started appearing in her own internet spin-off series, ''Lauren's Diaries'', and a second series started in 2011.

Reception

'' Inside Soap'' commented on Lauren's recasting describing Lauren played by Duggan was "a pretty lass, but pretty unimpressive" and that played by Jossa she has acquired "an attitude as severe as her fringe". Jane Simon from the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...

'' said that Lauren played by Jossa "brings some badly needed oomph to the part". Jossa won Best Newcomer at the

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...

2012. Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood commented: "I'd like to say a huge congratulations to our girl, Jacqueline Jossa, for her amazing success. It's well-deserved recognition of Jacqueline's beautiful, truthful and moving portrayal of Lauren Branning." A writer for the ''Daily Mirror'' said that all of Lauren's problems are caused by her being a Branning. In August 2017, Jossa was longlisted for Sexiest Female at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards, while Steven's brain tumour lie to Lauren was longlisted for Best Shock Twist. Jossa's Sexiest Female nomination made the viewer-voted shortlist, but she lost out to Natalie J. Robb, who portrays Moira Dingle in ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...

''. The scene in which Lauren and Abi fall from the roof of The Queen Vic was awarded "Scene of the Year" at the 2018

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies gi ...

, tying with '' Doctors'' who also won the same award for "The Bollywood Proposal".

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Branning, Lauren EastEnders characters Television characters introduced in 2006 Fictional market stallholders Child characters in television Fictional salespeople Fictional alcohol abusers Fictional cannabis users Fictional beauticians Fictional waiting staff Fictional female businesspeople Fictional characters involved in incest Female characters in television Teenage characters in television

Storylines

Creation and development

Casting and characterisation

Recast

Storyline development

Alcoholism

Relationship with Joey Branning

Departure (2018)

Return (2022)

''Lauren's Diaries''

Reception

See also

References

External links