Former EastEnders star Jo Joyner teases return to the soap – despite declaring they were ‘bored’ of the role
A former EastEnders favourite has hinted she could one day return to Albert Square – despite previously insisting she had grown ‘bored’ of the role.
Jo Joyner, 48, who became a household name as Tanya Branning, first arrived on the BBC soap in 2006 and quickly cemented her place at the centre of some of its most dramatic plotlines.
She last appeared briefly in 2018 for the emotional storyline surrounding her daughter Abi’s death.
The actress, who has two children, was a linchpin of Walford during her original stint from 2006 to 2009.
Among her most memorable moments was the explosive Christmas episode in which Tanya discovered that husband Max, played by Jake Wood, was having an affair with Stacey Slater.
Now, with EastEnders revisiting some of its most iconic family dynamics and even resurrecting familiar faces, Jo has suggested she might not be finished with the Square just yet.
Former EastEnders favourite Jo Joyner (pictured) has hinted she could one day return to Albert Square – despite previously saying she had grown ‘bored’ of the role
Jo (L) who became a household name as Tanya Branning, first arrived on the BBC soap in 2006 and quickly cemented her place at the centre of some of its most dramatic plotlines
Speaking on Love Island star Amy Hart‘s Mum’s Club podcast, the actress responded when asked about completing the ‘Branning family card game’
‘You know what really made me laugh the other day because [Jake] sent me a picture from set and I saw how tall my son is, Oscar,’ Jo began.
‘I said, “Do they know he’s the Hobbit?” before adding of her potential return to the soap: ‘No, not this year. Never say never, but I have got a lot on this year, so no.’
Her words mark a softer stance compared with comments made in recent years. In 2022, Jo revealed the real reason she stepped away from EastEnders, admitting the constant intensity of soap life had taken its toll.
She told the Sunday Mirror: ‘If I come out of a drama I always try to look for a comedy.
‘You can’t just do it constantly for years in misery, otherwise you end up with a Walford frown. It gets to you.’
Jo, who has moved between drama and comedy projects throughout her career, also confirmed that producers had deliberately left the door ajar for a possible return.
In 2023, she expanded on her decision in an interview with The Sun’s TV Mag: ‘As soon as you got bored of one thing, you got a different thing, a new adventure.’
Now, with EastEnders revisiting some of its most iconic family dynamics and even resurrecting familiar faces, Jo has suggested she might not be finished with the Square just yet
Among her most memorable moments was the explosive Christmas episode in which Tanya discovered that husband Max, played by Jake Wood (R),was having an affair with Stacey Slater
Jo first appeared in EastEnders in 1999 in a smaller role before being cast as Tanya Branning, making her a familiar face to soap audiences for more than two decades
She also fondly recalled the famous Christmas Day reveal of Max’s affair, describing it as one of the show’s finest examples of character-driven storytelling.
She said: ‘That Christmas special, one of the things I love about that as well, was that it was a real testament to great writing and investment in stories and characters, because a lot of Christmas specials for things, they throw a lot of money at it, lots of stunts and things…
‘We had a rain machine and, apart from that, we just had the actors on one set so that was quite unusual. It shows that without good writing, it’s all nothing.’
Jo first appeared in EastEnders in 1999 in a smaller role before being cast as Tanya Branning, making her a familiar face to soap audiences for more than two decades.
But for now, her busy schedule means she will not be reprising the role this year.