Tanya Branning

Tanya Branning (also Cross 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 leave. Following a guest appearance, Tanya eventually returned on 27 September 2010. On 1 April 2013, it was announced that Joyner would be departing the role and she made her final appearance on 28 June 2013. Tanya returned in February 2015 for two episodes as part of the show's 30th anniversary celebrations. Joyner made a surprise return to the role of Tanya for two episodes on 25 and 26 December 2017. She made two further appearances on 19 January 2018 and 16 February 2018, coinciding with the exits of her daughters Abi and Lauren, and Abi's death.

Tanya's storylines have included opening her own salon, giving birth to her third child, discovering her husband Max Branning (Jake Wood) had an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) before divorcing and then burying him alive with the help from her new partner Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky), marrying Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth), starting an affair with Max on her wedding day to Greg, dealing with her eldest daughter, Lauren Branning's (Madeline Duggan/Jacqueline Jossa) alcoholism, battling cervical cancer, discovering that Max has a secret wife, Kirsty Branning (Kierston Wareing) on their second wedding day, witnessing her daughters Lauren and Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) fall from the roof of The Queen Victoria public house and subsequently dealing with Abi's death, which leads to her mental breakdown.