Former EastEnders star teases return in ‘never say never’ admission but it ‘won’t be’ with Max Branning
Max Branning’s Comeback Shakes Up Walford
EastEnders fans are buzzing after Jake Wood reprised his role as Max Branning earlier this year. Though Max hadn’t set foot in Walford since 2021, a flashback revealed he had been secretly involved with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan).
The drama intensified when Zoe vanished after borrowing £5,000 from Max to help track down her son — money she never repaid after a shocking assault by a private investigator. Now, Max is officially back on screen, gatecrashing daughter Lauren Branning’s wedding to Peter Beale.
But as whispers of more Branning family drama spread, fans are asking: will Max’s former wife Tanya be next to return?
Jo Joyner on a Tanya Branning Comeback
Jo Joyner, who famously played Tanya Branning from 2006 to 2013 (with later guest stints including Abi Branning’s funeral in 2018), has finally addressed the speculation.
Speaking to OK! while promoting the new season of Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, Jo admitted:
“I’ve always said never say never, you know? I am definitely way too busy in the next year to be coming back, so I won’t be returning with Jake. But yeah, I see my EastEnders family and it’s always so lovely to catch up. But a return to Walford? Not at the moment, let’s say that.”
Her comments suggest Tanya isn’t off the table forever — just not in time for Max’s explosive return storyline.
Life Away From the Square
In recent years, Jo has spent long periods working abroad, balancing her career with family life alongside husband Neil Madden and their teenage twins, Edie and Freddie.
She admitted the lifestyle hasn’t always been easy: “It’s feast or famine in this job. I was a year and a half solid away from home, and they’re amazing. They come out and see me, I come home when I can. It’s not a normal lifestyle, but it’s what they’ve grown up with. They’re really well-travelled and used to adventure.”
Now that her children are older, Jo says the juggling act is easier, adding: “They’re 15 now, they have a busier social life than me!”
Could Tanya Still Return One Day?
With Max back and Oscar Branning reintroduced (now played by Pierre Moullier), the Branning family legacy is far from over. And while Jo Joyner isn’t stepping back into Tanya’s shoes right now, her “never say never” hints leave the door wide open for a future return — one that fans would no doubt welcome with open arms.