We all watched with mouths open during last night’s Christmas Day EastEnders as Max Branning’s secret wife, Kirsty, turned up to stop his wedding to ex-wife, Tanya, in one of the best kept secret reveals the show has ever seen.

Now that the secret, which Jake Wood who plays Max admits he had to sign a secrecy contract promising to keep for the last year, is out the actress who plays Kirsty, Kierston Wareing, has spoken out about her new, high profile role.

Ever since Max has returned following the revelation last year that his ex-wife, Tanya, had cervical cancer, we knew he had been hiding something.
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It’s the question that every EastEnders fan has been dying to know since Max Branning returned to our screens earlier this year, but Jake Wood, who plays him, swears he won’t be telling anyone his characters secret – not even his wife!

Fans of the hit BBC1 soap have seen a desperate Max turn to bully- brother Derek (Jamie Foreman) to help pay off an unknown source regularly, with no word of what the money was for, or who it was going to.

This week saw a dramatic increase of pressure in the situation as Derek ended up getting brutally attacked when Max could not make the payment due to the cost of his up-coming wedding to ex-wife, Tanya (Jo Joyner).
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Ever since the news leaked that Walford baddie Derek Branning was to die over Christmas, it has of course prompted a Who Killed Derek frenzy, with bookmakers taking odds on who will be his killer…

However, the BBC haven’t actually revealed the manner and mode of Derek’s demise as yet, so he could die of natural causes, such as a heart attack, or of course, he could even commit suicide!

And today, bookie William Hill are running odds of 9/2 that he will do just that!

Previously – assuming he’s going to be murdered – a number of suspects were mooted, such as Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) if he finds out that Derek (Jamie Foreman) has been having an affair with his wife Kat (Jessie Wallace). Read more & comment »

As fans of EastEnders will know, Walford baddie Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) is to die over Christmas, and though it hasn’t yet been revealed what exactly he dies of – whether it’s natural causes or something more sinister – we do know that his funeral will air on January 4th…

After the jump, we have some new images for you of the funeral and as you’ll see, there’s not exactly a rush of people ready to deliver any moving tributes to Derek, and in fact only Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell) has anything like a kind word to say about him during the service.

Not even his brothers Max (Jake Wood) or Jack (Scott Maslen) seem to have a good word to say about Derek at his big send off, although that is most likely because on Christmas Day, Derek is due to spill the beans about Max’s big secret to the entire Branning clan… Read more & comment »

As fans of EastEnders will know, Derek Branning is being killed off at Christmas, which of course means that Jamie Foreman, who plays villainous Derek, is leaving the show…

And in an interview with TV Biz, it seems he’s not altogether happy with how his character has developed, or with being written out!

He began by saying that when he first learned about his character, and his difficult relationships with his son and daughter Joey (David Witts) and Alice (Jasmyn Banks) he had hoped that they might end up being close.

However, that of course hasn’t happened – with Joey at least – of which Jamie said, “I just hate having to play the same scene over and over again.

“After about four months of playing the same thing, it’s very difficult for actors to do… Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders will of course know that Albert Square baddie Derek Branning is set to die at Christmas, and though the details about his death are being kept firmly under wraps, it’s widely expected that Derek is going to be murdered…

The big question of course is, by whom?

Well, bookmakers are taking bets on whodunit and currently, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) is William Hill’s favourite to turn out to be a killer, with the assumption being that he tops Del after finding out he is the Branning brother who’s been having an affair with Alfie’s wife, Kat (Jessie Wallace).

However, there are other Walford residents in the frame too, and they include Derek’s brothers Max (Jake Wood) and Jack (Scott Maslen) and while my personal theory about what reason Max could have to bump off his brother is that it’ll transpire he had an affair with Tanya (Jo Joyner) I can’t see what reason Jack would have to kill him. Can you? Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders will most likely be aware that in forthcoming episodes, we’re set to see cousins Lauren and Joey Branning getting a good deal closer as they find it impossible to resist the attraction between them…

However, their verboten love sets off a chain reaction that, next week, will see them facing a life or death struggle to get out of a burning car when their joyride turns to disaster!

And today, we have behind the scenes pictures for you of Jacqueline Jossa and David Witts – who play Lauren and Joey – as well as other cast and production crew members filming the dramatic car crash, which happens after Joey steals the keys to his dad Derek’s jag.

You can see those images after the jump, but first, in tonight’s trip to Walford, Derek (Jamie Foreman) is left seething with his brother Max (Jake Wood) after a reunion with an old flame doesn’t go to plan… Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders will know that there’s little love lost between Derek Branning and his son Joey, and since he turned up in Walford, Joey (David Witts) has done everything and anything he can to annoy, humiliate and generally put down his dad…

And with good reason, given that Joey claims Derek (Jamie Foreman) used to beat his mother. But it would appear that his sister Alice (Jasmyn Banks) never witnessed the assaults, because she of course loves her dad.

However, even her patience with Derek is going to wear thin next week when Joey claims that Derek punched him! But for once, Derek didn’t do anything, but nobody believes him.

It all begins when Derek manages to earn a black mark from Alice by insisting that she stop having self-defence lessons from Ray. She tells him that she has no intention of doing so, and adds that being able to fight back if she’s ever attacked again – she was of course mugged a few weeks ago – has boosted her confidence no end… Read more & comment »

EastEnders character Derek Branning is set to die in what’s been described as an “explosive” Christmas storyline, and though we don’t as yet know how Del meets his end, we do know that he will be buried in the New Year…

And on EastEnders’ website today, the BBC have posted some spoiler pics of Derek’s final journey, and in them, we see that his brothers Max (Jake Wood) and Jack (Scott Maslen) have bought a spray of flowers for Derek (Jamie Foreman) that spell out ‘Brother’.

We also see that his son Joey (David Witts) breaks down and is comforted by his sister Alice (Jasmyn Banks) as they prepare to say a final farewell to their dad…

Which given how antagonistic their relationship has been is something of a surprise! Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders will most likely know that villain Derek Branning – who’s played by Jamie Foreman – is due to die at Christmas, and almost as soon as the news broke about Derek’s demise, bookies began taking bets on who would finish Del off…

And so far, Derek’s brother Max Brannning (Jake Wood) is favourite at 6/1 to turn out to be the killer, with Christian Clarke (John Partridge) second at 7/1 and Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) in third place at 8/1.

As to Max turning out to be a killer, one theory that appeals to me most is that Max murders Derek when it’s revealed that he is in fact Lauren’s (Jacqueline Jossa) father… Read more & comment »

We reported last month how dodgy Derek Branning was reportedly leaving the award-winning BBC soap, EastEnders, at Christmas, and now it seems that there will be no return for the loathsome character, as cast have been spotted filming what is believed to be his funeral.

Christmas time is never normally a happy place for the residents of Walford (it’s a wonder the still celebrate it to be honest) and this year will be no exception, as a huge Branning family secret will revealed, resulting in not only a whole festive season of heartbreak, but the dramatic exit of villainous Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) from the clan.
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Well, it would seem that the rumours that Derek Branning is set to leave EastEnders at Christmas are true, as the actor who plays him, Jamie Foreman, has used his unemployment as a reason to get out of paying child support!

We reported earlier in the month how Derek was set to depart the show in the Christmas Branning secret exposure, chased away from Albert square by a gang of thugs as his dark and sinister past finally catches up with him.
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As we saw in last night’s episode of EastEnders, the financially troubled groom-to-be Syed Masood handed over his mother’s savings – unbeknownst to her – to city banker Danny Pennant (Gary Lucy) in the hope that he can double the money and get Syed (Marc Elliott) out of the doo doo…

We also saw that poor Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) was mugged outside the Vic, for which her dad Derek (Jamie Foreman) blamed Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner) because she had given Alice a makeover, which evidently Derek thought brought her to the attention of the mugger. More on that in a moment…

But first, as the title of this article states, when Danny turns up on the night of Syed’s stag do – he is of course set to wed Christian Clarke in a civil ceremony – nervous Syed is hoping that Danny has good news to tell him about his investment. Read more & comment »

EastEnders fans may be in for a treat this festive season, as more details of the big Christmas plot line, in which a HUGE Branning family secret will be revealed, has now been rumoured to include the departure of Derek Branning!

Fans of the show will know how Albert Square favourites, Tanya (Jo Joyner) and Max Branning (Jake Wood) are planning to tie the knot for a second time this Christmas, where a huge family secret will be uncovered and ruin yet another Branning Christmas.
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As fans of EastEnders may know, in forthcoming episodes, cousins Joey and Lauren Branning are set to fall for each other in a storyline that insiders say will be “gripping” viewing for fans this autumn.

And this week, while speaking to Inside Soap magazine, David Witts who plays Joey has revealed that his character falls head over heels for Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) but of course, given they’re related, their love is a very big taboo.

He said, “Joey’s very much under the impression that girls are lucky to be with him. He doesn’t really give them much respect.

“But with Lauren, there are real feelings.

“For the first time in his life, he falls in love with someone – but it’s a girl who’s forbidden. That’s karma for you!” Read more & comment »