{"id":39210,"date":"2023-11-06T21:00:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T20:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1921347"},"modified":"2023-11-07T10:50:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T09:50:08","slug":"eastenders-confirms-penny-branning-return-after-15-years-away","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/eastenders-confirms-penny-branning-return-after-15-years-away\/","title":{"rendered":"EastEnders confirms Penny Branning return after 15 years away"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lauren Branning won’t return alone. <\/p>

By Helen Daly\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 06 November 2023 at 20:00 PM<\/p>

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Penny Branning is returning to Walford in yet another surprise twist by EastEnders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The daughter of Jack Branning (played by Scott Maslen) has lived abroad for 15 years but will return in the coming weeks to Albert Square.<\/p>\n

Fans will remember she\u2019s always had a troubled relationship with Jack and has been living in France with her mum, Selina.<\/p>\n

But she\u2019s returning to the East End with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) \u2013 but what has brought them back?<\/p>\n

Furthermore, in the promo picture below, why are they both wearing all black? Are they attending a funeral? And is it for the Christmas victim? Say it isn\u2019t Jack, EastEnders!<\/p>

Penny will be played by Kitty Castledine, a rising star who has recently graduated from London Academy of Music and Drama (LAMDA) only this summer.<\/p>\n

The role was previously played by Mia McKenna-Bruce, who is now starring in the acclaimed film How to Have Sex.<\/p>\n

Penny is Jack\u2019s only child from his first marriage to Selina Branning (Daisy Beaumont) and was left paralysed from the waist down when one of Jack\u2019s criminal associates ran her down and left her for dead.<\/p>\n

After guest appearances in 2008, Selina moved to France with Penny later that year, but Penny visited and caused trouble between Jack and his on-off love interest Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack), with Penny preferring her dad\u2019s other love interest at the time \u2013 his sister-in-law, Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner).<\/p>\n

In 2013, Jack left Walford for two years and went to live in France near Penny.<\/p>\n

\"Penny\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n

Speaking of joining the show, Castledine said: \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to start my EastEnders journey so soon out of drama school \u2013 I can\u2019t actually believe it! My whole family are EastEnders fans, and I remember sitting on my Nanny Kay\u2019s lap to tune in, and now they get to watch me in Albert Square.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inclusion of disabled talent on screen is so important to me as a wheelchair user, so I\u2019m thrilled to be playing a character as feisty and cool as Penny. She\u2019s thrown into the middle of the drama immediately, and I can\u2019t wait to see what she gets up to.\u201d<\/p>\n

EastEnders Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw added: \u201cIt\u2019s been a long time since Penny Branning was in Walford, and she\u2019s a very different person from the one our viewers might remember. Kitty is a terrific addition to the show, and we\u2019re looking forward to seeing Penny back in Albert Square.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clenshaw had previously hinted that Lauren wouldn\u2019t be returning alone<\/a>, but few would\u2019ve guessed it would spell the return of Penny, with some wondering if her devious dad, Max (Jake Wood) would be back.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n