{"id":26969,"date":"2022-12-11T22:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-12-11T21:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1752982"},"modified":"2022-12-11T22:53:51","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T21:53:51","slug":"eastenders-jacqueline-jossa-its-not-over-yet-for-the-brannings","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/eastenders-jacqueline-jossa-its-not-over-yet-for-the-brannings\/","title":{"rendered":"EastEnders\u2019 Jacqueline Jossa: \u201cIt\u2019s not over yet\u201d for the Brannings"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Lewis Knight\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 11 December 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Actress Jacqueline Jossa has said her return as Lauren Branning to EastEnders<\/a> shows that it is \u201cnot over yet\u201d for the Brannings.<\/p>\n

The popular character is returning as part of a special set of episodes<\/a> that pay tribute to the beloved character of Dot Branning (previously Cotton) who died off-screen earlier this month.<\/a><\/p>\n

The funeral episodes for Dot Branning come following the death of iconic actress June Brown at the age of 95 earlier this year.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jossa herself was axed from the soap in 2017 and Lauren was last seen on-screen leaving Walford in early 2018 for a life away from Albert Square with her baby son Louie Beale.<\/p>\n

Since then, it was revealed that Lauren was now residing in New Zealand, while Jossa herself went on to win I\u2019m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! 2019.<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking to RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other press at an event for Dot\u2019s funeral episodes, actress Jacqueline Jossa reflected on her return to the soap for the funeral of Dot Branning.<\/p>

Jossa revealed: \u201cI was quite scared and it\u2019s only been four and a half years, not 33. But it felt like 33 years. I was like \u2018I can\u2019t remember what I\u2019m doing\u2019. And then you walk in and you see people like Natalie [Cassidy] and Scott Maslen and then you\u2019re just like, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s Uncle Jack.\u2019 straightaway, you\u2019re like, at home. And I remember the people behind the cameras. The people holding the boom, on the show are still here. You notice that the same people it\u2019s friendly faces, you just feel like a family again, quite quickly, Richard [Lynn] as well. Wonderful. Like we worked together years and years ago, and he was one of my favourite directors. So it was like, genuinely being back at home, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

On her first scenes back: \u201cAgain, was really nervous. And I just felt rusty. I don\u2019t know whether people I didn\u2019t know it was good for people gonna see me as Lauren again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so, but then as soon as we, you know, in amongst it, and we\u2019re in the Vic and stuff and you. You see, you\u2019re talking about people that you know, and it\u2019s it\u2019s dark and you catching up with old friends. And literally, they feel like family, it just feels like you get straight back into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On being asked to return: \u201cI mean, it was just a WhatsApp message from my agent. \u2018You\u2019re not really free these two weeks, but you\u2019ve been asked\u2019 and I was like, \u2018We need to move everything I\u2019m going back was like yes, yes, yes. Yes.\u2019\u00a0<\/span>Like, that was literally a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jacqueline Jossa reprises her role as Lauren Branning in two episodes of EastEnders<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

When asked where Lauren is at this time in her life, Jossa said: \u201cI\u2019m not really sure. We can just make it up. She\u2019s just popping in. I feel like she\u2019s kind of there to let people know that there\u2019s still hope and a future for the Brannings and that it\u2019s not over yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauren also has a tense confrontation with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) in the Queen Vic about her affair with Lauren\u2019s absent dad Max Branning (Jake Wood).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I love how she defended Max, and I don\u2019t get it but she always does,\u201d laughed Jossa.<\/p>\n

Reminiscing about her own history with actress June Brown, Jossa revealed that she used to be scared of the iconic actress when she was younger.<\/p>\n

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Lauren Branning has a confrontation with Linda Carter in EastEnders<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Jossa admitted: \u201cI used to be terrified of June, only because it really was like what June says goes. And I was young, and she\u2019d just come in and she\u2019d have changed the whole script, but it would be for the better, genuinely. So I never really learned my lines properly when we were doing scenes because I knew she was going to come in and change them and then the director would have to be like, \u2018Are you cool with that?\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u201cYes, June said it. So we\u2019re doing it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I was really like, I was a fan of EastEnders before and then to come in and be part of her family. She already feels like your nan. You know, like, everyone watching at home when they watch this episode. It\u2019s like you literally are watching Grandma Dot. Like she\u2019s part of the furniture. She\u2019s your family. The whole of Britain will feel that. When you watch it, it feels like you\u2019re at her funeral. Yeah, I felt that all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jossa also described the involvement of June Brown\u2019s family to be a \u201cdream come true\u201d as some of her children appear briefly in the background of the funeral scenes<\/a> after requesting to join the cast for the episode.<\/p>\n

Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n