Lauren Branning

Lauren Branning (also Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The role was originally played by Madeline Duggan, 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 to Jacqueline Jossa. In September 2017, it was announced that Jossa and Lorna Fitzgerald, who portrayed Lauren's sister Abi, had been axed by executive consultant John Yorke. She initially departed in the episode broadcast on 16 February 2018, before returning for a cameo four years later for the funeral of Lauren's step-grandmother, Dot Cotton (June Brown). Then, in 2023, she made an unannounced appearance alongside Peter Beale (Thomas Law), after which it was confirmed Jossa would be returning as Lauren on a permanent basis.

Her storylines during her original stint have included running over her father Max Branning (Jake Wood), alcoholism, supporting her mother Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner) through cervical cancer, her friendships with Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) and Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), a sexual relationship with her first cousin Joey Branning (David Witts), an affair with a married alcoholic Jake Stone (Jamie Lomas), engagement to Peter Beale (Ben Hardy), struggling to deal with Lucy's murder, giving birth to Peter's son Louie Beale, a relationship with Peter's half-brother Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell) following the ending of her relationship with Peter, becoming attracted to Max's boss Josh Hemmings (Eddie Eyre) 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, falling from the Queen Victoria roof alongside Abi and dealing with Abi's death following the fall.

Since her return in 2024, Lauren's storylines have included being framed for drug trafficking by her cousin Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine), reuniting with Peter, clashing with Peter's mother Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), sleeping with Whitney's fiancée Zack Hudson (James Farrar), being injured during a crowd crush and stampede, falling pregnant by Peter again, battling a painkiller addiction, exposing Cindy's adultery with her ex-husband's estranged son Junior Knight (Micah Balfour), being a suspect in the "Who Attacked Cindy?" storyline, giving birth to second son Jimmy Beale with Cindy's help, finding out that Jimmy has coloboma and is severely sight-impaired, marrying Peter and dealing with the return of her estranged father, Max.