As we reported earlier, ITV were celebrating last night as it was revealed that their primetime soap Emmerdale had thrashed rival BBC drama EastEnders in the viewer ratings on Tuesday night…

And it’s been widely speculated of late that the dwindling number of EastEnders viewers is down to the “cast exodus” which has seen some of the show’s biggest names leaving the soap in recent months.

Among those who’ve left, or are about to leave, is Jo Joyner, who of course plays Tanya Branning, and yesterday, she filmed her final scenes as the long-suffering mum. Read more & comment »

As we reported a while ago, it had been rumoured that EastEnders star Jo Joyner was to join the “exodus” of the soap’s cast by leaving her role as Tanya Branning.

And today it’s been confirmed that she will indeed be leaving the BBC soap later this year, though as yet, it hasn’t been revealed how the character of Tanya will be written out.

Of her decision to leave the show, Jo said, “I love playing Tanya and being part of such a great show… Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders have reacted angrily to the news that yet another cast member is leaving – Steve John Shepherd who plays Michael Moon has recently quit the show – and many have branded the soap “unrecognizable” as a whole host of cast members have departed in recent months.

And it seems that annoyance is being reflected in the soap’s viewing figures, which fell to around 6.36 million during last Thursday’s episode. To put that into context, Coronation Street was viewed by 9.5million of us last Monday night.

The Daily Mirror reports that fans have taken to internet forums to express their anger over the ever-changing faces on the show, with one viewer writing, “It will take a genius to save the train-wreck that is EastEnders.” Read more & comment »

We reported last week that Kirsty Branning (Kierston Wareing) is set to become pregnant later this year, much to Max Branning’s horror…

However, according to the Mail Online, she’s not the only Branning who’ll find herself hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet as Max’s ex-wife Tanya (Jo Joyner) is also apparently going to become pregnant after a night of passion with Phil Mitchell!

Phil (Steve McFadden) and Tanya will share a bed in upcoming episodes after Tanya gets drunk during a romantic dinner with Walford’s hard man Phil. However, the next morning, as she’s suffering a horrible hangover, Phil will reassure her that they didn’t have sex… Read more & comment »

Coming up in next week’s EastEnders, Tanya Branning and Phil Mitchell are set to become something of an item, and even end up spending the night together after a booze fuelled date!

The plot twist begins on Monday, March 18th when Tanya (Jo Joyner) spots that Phil (Steve McFadden) has dozed off in the café…

Bemused, she wakes him, and the two begin chatting, finding a bond in the fact that neither has a very high opinion of the other. However, they’re interrupted when Sharon (Letitia Dean) returns to inform Tanya that she’s just seen Max (Jake Wood) flat-hunting on the Square. Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders may know that Jo Joyner, who plays Tanya Branning, is set to leave the show for a few weeks in order to spend time with her young family…

And of course, given the intense drama that’s focused on the arrival and subsequent departure of Tanya’s love rival Kirsty – who married Max Branning last summer – Jo may well be in need of a break!

The storyline has of course dominated the soap’s plotlines for weeks now, and earlier this week, we saw Tanya telling Max it was over between when he confessed that he still has feelings for Kirsty… Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders will know that Tanya Branning is having to put up with having a glamorous cuckoo in her nest in the form of Max’s wife Kirsty, however, in next week’s episodes, things are going to take a surprising turn…

That turn being that Kirsty (Kierston Wareing) apparently admits defeat and vows to leave Walford. And not only that, she signs the divorce papers that Tanya (Jo Joyner) had drawn up – having previously scrawled the word ‘NEVER’ across the document in red lippy – and hands them to a befuddled Max (Jake Wood).

But surely it can’t be that easy? Read more & comment »

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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The Branning family are in for a dramatic Christmas, what with deep dark secrets being revealed, and the death of Branning brother Derek…

However, on the flip side, Tanya Branning gets good news next week when her latest MRI scan comes back giving her a clean bill of health, and of course, there’s her wedding to Max on Christmas Eve to look forward to.

And in today’s Sun TV magazine, Jake Wood and Jo Joyner, who of course play Max and Tanya, have been talking about their characters’ dramatic Christmas and they also discussed the ever so long running Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) affair plotline, which of course will see one of the Branning me being unmasked at Kat’s lover in the episode that airs on December 20th.

However, speaking first about the big secret that Max and Derek (Jamie Foreman) have been harbouring – but which Derek is going to make public knowledge on Christmas Day – Jake said, “I got very excited when I read the scripts!” Read more & comment »

‘Tis the season to be jolly in Walford, and all through the Square, the E20 residents are gearing up not only for the festive season but also for Max and Tanya Branning’s second trip down the aisle…

And we have a bunch of pictures for you of the stag and hen nights, as well as some glamorous shots of Jake Wood and Jo Joyner, who of course play Max and Tanya, as well as some of Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie, who look a good deal happier than their characters Kat and Alfie Moon are set to be this Christmas!

We also have a newly released trailer for the soap’s dramatic Christmas storylines, which of course include – finally – finding out who Kat’s mystery man is, and Derek Branning shuffling off the mortal coil… Read more & comment »

This is the moment that EastEnders Cora Cross is finally reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption 38 years ago, as Ava Hartman makes her Albert Square debut in tonight’s EastEnders.

Fans of the show will know how, after discovering that her half-sister was alive despite her mother telling her she had been still born, Tanya tracked down Ava in a bid to get to know her sister, without revealing her identity earlier this week.
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With news that Cora Cross’ long-lost daughter, Ava, will be turning up in Albert Square later this month, fans of EastEnders will be interested to know that she is not coming alone!

Fans of the hit BBC soap will know how after Tanya (Jo Joyner) discovered a birth certificate for a sister she never knew she had, her mother, Cora (Ann Mitchell) told her that the baby girl, named Ava, had died shortly after birth. However, reports emerged last month that this was, in fact, not the case, and Ava is very much still alive and kicking.
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As we reported yesterday, Cora Cross, who is of course Tanya Branning’s mum, is set to confess that she lied to Tanya when she claimed that her first-born daughter Ava died at birth…

Tanya (Jo Joyner) of course had no idea that her mother had had any children other than herself and her wayward sister Rainie, until she stumbled across Ava’s birth certificate in an earlier episode of EastEnders.

However, as mentioned, Cora told Tanya that Ava had died soon after she was born, but in a heart to heart with her friend Patrick (Rudolph Walker) in an upcoming visit to Walford, we’ll hear that in fact Ava was put up for adoption.

And while speaking to Soaplife about the plotline, Ann Mitchell who of course plays Cora, has revealed that her character was “forced” to give up her baby because the infant’s father was black… 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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