Jack Branning
Encyclopedia
Jack Branning is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Scott Maslen
. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim
and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning
, Carol Jackson
, Derek Branning
, Suzy Branning
and Max Branning
. The character was introduced to the show during a period when EastEnders was being routinely criticised in the media for its reliance on resurrecting old characters. The casting of Scott Maslen provoked some controversy, being the first time an actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. It was quickly established that Jack is a morally ambiguous character, with a murky past in the police force resulting in the paralysis of his young daughter. Tabloid media have praised the character for his role as resident Romeo, commenting frequently on his good looks and attractiveness, although broadsheet press have been more critical of Maslen's acting.
(John Bardon
) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and brother of Derek
(Terence Beesley
), Carol
(Lindsey Coulson
), April
(Debbie Arnold
), Suzy
(Maggie O'Neill
) and Max
(Jake Wood
). Having grown up in a large family in a poor area of East London, Jack regularly fought his older brother, Max, for the attentions of his father who was an alcoholic. As a teenager, Jack stole his grandfather's World War II
medal, knowing that it was Jim's prized possession as his father had died in combat when he was only six years old, and framed Max, causing a huge rift between Jim and Max and resulting in Max walking out in 1989. Despite Max and Jack being arch-rivals, they kept in touch as Jack was present at Max's wedding to Tanya Cross
(Jo Joyner
) in 1994 and watched his nieces Lauren
(Madeline Duggan
/Jacqueline Jossa
) and Abi
(Lorna Fitzgerald
) grow up.
Jack settled down with Selina (Daisy Beaumont
) and on marrying, they had a daughter, Penny. Jack built a career in the police force but got involved in criminal activities and when they backfired, one of Jack's informants knocked Selina and Penny down in revenge for being accidentally sent down. Penny's spinal cord was severed, putting her in a wheelchair, and in the aftermath, Jack and Selina divorced and Jack retired from the police force.
on 29 October 2007 for his nephew Bradley Branning
's (Charlie Clements
) wedding to Stacey Slater
(Lacey Turner
). Upon his arrival, Jack soaks Ronnie Mitchell
(Samantha Womack) when driving through a puddle, so she soaks him with her water bottle. A fight with Max leads to Jack's invitation being revoked so he stays at The Queen Victoria
public house and helps Ronnie's sister Roxy Mitchell
(Rita Simons) prepare for the reception. Deciding to stick around, Jack comes between Ronnie and Roxy when he buys Scarlet Nightclub and offers Ronnie a partnership. Jack causes more disruption in the Mitchell family when he sets up Ronnie's cousin, Phil Mitchell
(Steve McFadden
), by taping him confessing to his part in Kevin Wicks
's (Phil Daniels
) death by selling him cut-and-shut
cars. Jack blackmails Phil with this, demanding the car lot for his silence (which he then rents to Pat Evans
(Pam St. Clement
).
Despite the Mitchells' animosity, Jack falls for Ronnie, and after kissing on Christmas Day 2007, they start dating. However, their relationship is rocky as the Mitchells, particularly Roxy, try splitting them up. Jack's ex-wife, Selina, reappears briefly and they have a one-night stand
, which Roxy finds out about and tells Ronnie, who is about to move in with Jack but changes her mind, ending their relationship. They reconcile briefly in April but Ronnie does not trust Jack and struggles to bond with his daughter, Penny. Raw from losing Ronnie, Jack and Roxy have a drunken one-night stand. Both regret it and agree not to tell anyone but Roxy is pregnant, giving birth to her daughter, Amy, on 14 November 2008.
Jack starts dating Tanya, who is now estranged from Max. Jack supports Tanya and her children as they struggle to cope after discovering Max's affair with Stacey and his departure. However, Max returns and is furious to discover that they are together. Max tries buying the family home but Jack outbids him, buying 5 Albert Square and moving in with Tanya and the children. Max tries coming between them but is unsuccessful. Much to Max's horror, Tanya forgives him and in desperation, Max tries framing Jack, claiming Jack tried to kill him. Jack is arrested but soon released, due to his connections in the police force. In revenge, Jack takes Max hostage, beating him and taunting him before abandoning him in an old warehouse. Later that night, Max is mowed down by a car and Jack is prime suspect. Max's daughter, Lauren, later confesses and, to save Lauren from prison, Tanya confesses to the police and is arrested in November 2008. While in prison, Tanya ends her relationship with Jack.
Depressed after losing Tanya, Jack demands a DNA test on Amy, Roxy's daughter. Roxy reluctantly agrees but tells him that Sean is Amy's father. Jack concentrates on re-building his relationship with Ronnie, with whom he now shares a flat. However, on Christmas Day 2008, Jack's sister Suzy reveals the true result – Jack is Amy's father. Furious, Sean snatches Amy and persuades Roxy to join him on a trip to Dagenham
. However, Sean tries to kill them by driving into a frozen lake. Jack and Ronnie appear and save Roxy and Amy. On returning to Walford, Roxy tells Jack that he will have no contact with Amy and Ronnie refuses to reconcile with him. Jack tries establishing regular contact with Amy, leading Ronnie to leave Walford. Racing to the airport to stop her, Jack tells Ronnie that he loves her over the airport tannoy. They return to Walford together and Roxy agrees not to interfere. Ronnie and Jack discuss having a baby but he refuses, telling her she needs time to grieve for her daughter, Danielle Jones
(Lauren Crace
). Jack asks Ronnie to marry him but catches her piercing condoms. They argue, and Jack storms out, but finds Ronnie's ring on the table when he returns. After telling Jack that Ronnie has left Walford for good, Roxy tries seducing Jack but he pushes her away. When Ronnie returns, Jack begs her to reunite with him, but she refuses. A few weeks later, she asks him to buy her out of the nightclub and to fund this, Jack sells the car lot to Archie Mitchell
(Larry Lamb
), Ronnie's father (who she despises). This distances Ronnie further from Jack.
The feud between Jack and Phil recommences. Phil discovers that Jack is dealing drugs and when Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
) buys drugs from one of his contacts, Phil forces Jack to buy them back. Humiliated, Jack employs Phil's sister Sam Mitchell
(Daniella Westbrook), infuriating Phil. Despite knowing she is engaged to Ricky Butcher
(Sid Owen
), Jack and Sam begin an affair. Archie intervenes and pays Jack to keep seeing Sam, part of his plan to take over The Queen Victoria pub. He also tells Jack's niece/Ricky's ex-wife Bianca
(Patsy Palmer
) about the affair. Later, Bianca drags Sam into The Queen Victoria and forces her to tell Ricky (in front of her uncle Jack) about the affair she was having. Jack is distraught as Roxy was about to give him Ronnie's address but when the affair is revealed, Roxy changes her mind and throws him out of the pub.
Ronnie gets pregnant but she has a miscarriage when Archie pushes her against the bar in the pub during an argument. Jack comforts Ronnie and takes in Ronnie, Roxy and Amy when they are made homeless by Archie. Jack confronts Archie on Christmas Day and threatens to kill him if he hurts Ronnie again. Archie is murdered that day and an investigation begins. Four weeks later, Jack asks Ronnie to dinner, to which she agrees but not until after Archie's funeral. At the funeral, Jack offers DC Wayne Hughes (Jamie Treacher
) to help with any "local information" he might need. He later sees Ronnie tearing up the flowers on Archie's grave and asks her why and she thinks he is accusing her of murder. She later sees him talking to DCI Jill Marsden (Sophie Stanton
), who is investigating the murder. Ronnie asks Jack how he would feel if he knew she had killed Archie, leading him to suspect her. At his great niece Tiffany Dean
's (Maisie Smith
) birthday party, he cuts his hand and Tiffany tells him that she saw Bradley washing blood off his hands on Christmas Day. Jack confronts Bradley who eventually reveals that he found out from Stacey on Christmas Day that Archie had raped and impregnated her, and Bradley punched Archie.
Jack urges Bradley to go to the police, saying if he doesn't, Jack will. However, Max stops him and when DNA screening starts and Bradley gives a sample, Jack bribes Hughes to make the DNA samples disappear. Janine is arrested when someone plants Archie's mother's missing engagement ring in her flat, and Jack hears from Hughes when she is being released. Jack offers Janine money to leave Walford and they accuse each other. He says he did not set her up and Ryan Malloy
(Neil McDermott
) stops him from hurting Janine. Later, Jack receives another call from Hughes to say that someone has reported Bradley and he is about to be arrested. Jack tells Bradley he must leave Walford quickly, and says he will meet them soon and help them to go. However, Jack is delayed by police and when Bradley realises he has left his passport behind, he returns to the Square where police see him and chase him to the roof of The Queen Victoria, where he stumbles and falls to his death.
Jack begins a relationship with Chelsea Fox
(Tiana Benjamin
) after helping her escape from a blind date. He organises a party his niece Lauren at R&R, where Kylie (Elarica Gallacher
) attempts to shoot Jack's nephew Billie (Devon Anderson
) but Jack is shot instead as he pushes Billie out of the way. Jack is taken to hospital, where doctors tell his family he may be left with severe brain damage. He is put in a medically induced coma and undergoes an operation due to swelling on his brain, which is successful. When he is brought out of the coma, it is discovered that he is paralysed down the left side of his body but it is not clear whether it is periodic or permanent. Jack then breaks up with Chelsea and attempts to phone Ronnie, but she does not hear her phone ringing as she is spending time with Jack's consultant, Mr Steele (Simon Wilson). He starts to feel helpless and wants to give up, but after Max refuses to help him, he puts his phone out of reach and manages to pull himself up with one arm.
Max reveals to Jack that he saw Ronnie and Mr Steele kissing, so Jack punches Mr Steele out of jealousy. When Ronnie discovers this, she dumps Mr Steele and rushes to see Jack, telling him that if he were to propose, she would not turn him down. Billie visits Jack to apologise, but Jack ignores his apology as it has taken him weeks to visit him, calling him cowardly. Billie leaves in tears and then joins the army to make Jack proud of him. Ronnie visits again and is told that Jack was able to move his toe earlier. She thinks Jack needs better care so decides to find him a place at a private clinic. Jack later hears from Max that there has been a fire at the club, and Ronnie tells him he is going to the clinic. However, she decides not to claim on the insurance to keep Billy Mitchell
(Perry Fenwick
) out of trouble. Roxy hears from Max that Ronnie has no money and is not claiming, so she decides to pay for Jack's treatment and he is moved to the private clinic. Jack makes decent progress and when Ronnie visits him, they end up having sex. A few days later, having been discharged from hospital, Jack turns up in The Queen Victoria for Ronnie's birthday. Later, when they return to his flat, Jack asks Ronnie to marry him and she accepts. When he finds out that Archie raped Ronnie when she was 13 years old, he finds it hard to believe at first because she would have known about it for several years without telling anybody, however, he tells Ronnie he does believe her and vows to not let anyone hurt her again. He becomes frustrated when his progress at physiotherapy slows down. He is determined to walk at his own wedding but Max says he never will, and makes him angry, goading him into getting out of his wheelchair.
Ronnie discovers that Sam is pregnant and tells Jack, asking if it could be his even though Sam insists it is Ricky's. After the baby is born, Sam admits she is unsure. Jack and Ronnie visit Sam and the baby in hospital. Even though Sam now says that baby, Richard, is Ricky's, Bianca tells Jack he should see if Richard is his. He and Ronnie both agree and tell Sam, and Ricky also agrees to a paternity test. Ronnie tells Jack whatever the result is, they will be okay. Sam reveals that the paternity test confirmed Ricky as the father. Ronnie and Jack are relieved and Ronnie reveals that she is pregnant with Jack's baby. However, a suspicious Bianca gets the paternity results for herself, and reveals that the father is actually Jack. Sam then tells them that Ronnie made her lie. Ronnie tells Jack she did not want to share him with anyone else, and Jack understands. Later, Sam visits Jack and Ronnie saying she cannot cope with the baby on her own, and asks them to have him. Ronnie and Jack agree but when they are due to meet, Sam does not turn up. Ronnie visits Sam and tells her to keep Richard but offers her money to leave Walford as when Jack finds out he will come looking for her. Ronnie returns to Jack but finds Sam has already dropped Richard off. Ronnie then meets Sam with cash and tells her to take Richard back but she will have to leave straight away. Sam leaves the next day.
Before Billie's birthday, he visits Jack but Jack tells him to leave, however, he goes to Billie's party. Billie and Kylie's friend Connor Stanley (Arinze Kene
) turns up and apologises to Jack on behalf of Kylie. Kylie is sentenced to 15 years in prison. The day before Jack and Ronnie's wedding, Jack helps Max take revenge on Harry Gold (Linal Haft
) who is harassing his ex-wife Vanessa
(Zoe Lucker
), Max's girlfriend. They threaten Harry and tell him to stay away, but afterwards Jack is grabbed by two men and bundled into a car. The next day, nobody is able to find Jack but Max finds his phone. He drives Ronnie to the wedding and finds Jack in the boot of the wedding car, tied up and gagged. Max frees him and Jack and Ronnie get married. After, they leave for their honeymoon.
After the honeymoon, Jack goes abroad on business and is unable to return to see Ronnie give birth to their son James. Before Jack returns, James dies due to cot death but Ronnie swaps their dead baby with Alfie
and Kat Moon
's newborn baby, Tommy. Jack is introduced to Tommy as his own son, and bonds with him. However, he worries about Ronnie's state of mind when she struggles to cope. Jack sells his share in R&R and goes into business with Max at the car lot, renaming it Branning Brothers. He then meets Michael Moon
(Steve John Shepherd
), Alfie's cousin who he knows from his youth, and invites him to stay but Ronnie finds out Michael is Tommy's real father and tells Jack to kick him out, which Jack eventually does. When Jack announces he and Michael are opening a boxing club, Ronnie is infuriated, so she lies that Michael came onto her. Jack punches Michael but Michael tells him that Ronnie is obsessed with him and has stolen a passport photo of him, which Jack later finds with Ronnie's things. He confronts her, but says is she does not know why she took it, but insists she does not want Michael near the baby. He quits the car lot to look after the boxing club full time. He starts to worry about Ronnie's erratic behaviour. Eventually, she tells Jack that he is not the father, and hands Tommy back to Kat and Alfie. Tommy is taken into care and Jack says an emotional goodbye, while Ronnie is in police custody. Jack visits her in prison, but she tells him to forget he ever met her and find someone else. Jack goes into deep depression and begins drinking heavily. He meets Rainie Cross
(Tanya Franks
) in the club and they have a one-night stand; however, Jack throws Rainie out the following morning. Max tries to help him along with Carol but he brutally beats Max but they reconcile the day after on Max's birthday. He discovers Ronnie has been released on bail, and decides to forgive her, asking her to move back in.
On the day of Ronnie's hearing, Jack attempts to flee the country with her, and stay in Mexico. Michael frames her by taking Roxy's mobile and asking her to meet at the park. She finds Tommy alone and crying, and attempts to help him. Kat and Alfie then see Ronnie holding Tommy with disbelief, and after slapping her and getting Tommy back off her, Kat says that she'll be laughing as Ronnie rots in jail. Later, Roxy finds out Michael did, in fact, frame Ronnie and he later admits this to her and Kat. At the hearing, Ronnie is sentenced to 3 years in prison but Kat changes her mind and decides she doesn't want her to go to prison. Kat then runs over to Ronnie and says she forgives her, and that she agrees that they are the same. The two hold their hands to each other separated by the glass. Ronnie is then taken away, leaving Jack devastated. Jack continually tries to visit Ronnie in prison, but she refuses to see him. Michael taunts Jack by claiming he slept with Ronnie, and Jack beats him up in the toilets of The Queen Victoria. The fight is secretly witnessed by Michael's father Eddie Moon
but he walks away as he thinks Michael set his stock on fire. Though Jack and Michael repair their friendship, Jack is dismayed when Michael organises an unlicensed boxing fight between his brother Tyler Moon
(Tony Discipline
) and a seemingly unbeatable and violent opponent, all as part of Michael's revenge on his father. Though Tyler wins the fight, he is hospitalised, and the friendship between Jack and Michael is strained further.
Roxy goes on a night out with friends, leaving Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) babysitting Amy. When he leaves Amy alone for a while to get a DVD from Jack's flat, Amy runs herself a bath, gets in and almost drowns. When Ben discovers her, Dr Yusef Khan
(Ace Bhatti
) is called and he revives her. When Jack arrives, he accompanies Amy to the hospital who is still in a critical condition. The next day, Roxy arrives, and Jack accuses her of being neglectful. Jack then tells a social worker about Roxy's past and her family. After interviewing Roxy, the social worker awards temporary custody of Amy to Jack. He refuses to give Roxy access to Amy other than at pre-arranged times, and is annoyed when his niece Abi Branning
(Lorna Fitzgerald
) allows Roxy to see Amy. When Abi tells Jack how her family is falling apart, Jack vows to bring Max back to Walford, as he left following the revelation of his affair with Tanya when she was married to Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
). Max returns to Walford with their brother Derek
(Jamie Foreman
). Jack is pleased to see Derek, but is concerned when it is revealed that Tanya has cancer. The court decides to award custody of Amy to Jack, however Roxy vows to appeal the decision. When Phil receives a text message saying "I know you killed Kevin", Phil believes Jack is behind the message, so confronts him. Jack denies this, and when he goes to give Phil the recording, he finds it missing, along with a file on all of Phil's past misdemeanors.
for his development of new, "strong characters", including Jack Branning, and Roxy and Ronnie Mitchell
. Speaking of this new wave of characters, he stated: "It feels like a new dynasty is emerging, which is important."
Prior to his introduction in October 2007, the character was referred to once, a week before his arrival. He is a member of the soap's Branning family
; his sister Carol
first appeared in the serial in 1993, while father Jim
had appeared from 1996. More recently, brother Max
and his own family were introduced in June 2006.
had been cast in the role of Jack. Previously best known for his role as DS Phil Hunter in ITV
police drama The Bill
, the media were quick to pick up on the fact his new role was notably similar - with TV critic
Jane Simon sarcastically commenting: "What a relief it must be for actor Scott Maslen to get a role that allows him to show off his incredible versatility." Maslen himself pointed out that the character of Jack was actually higher ranking than Phil Hunter, joking: "I've been promoted from playing a DS in Sun Hill!" Maslen's casting marked the first time an established actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. Speaking for the first time about his new role, Maslen said: "I was very sad to leave The Bill but after five years I wanted to explore new opportunities. The Bill afforded me some fantastic storylines. I'm really looking forward to playing Jack. He's an extremely competitive man who likes to win in business and in pleasure!"
who plays Ronnie, having known her since he was 16 years old, and being godfather
to her children.
The relationship between the two characters developed quickly from friendship to romance, with Janus commenting that due to her friendship with Maslen; "Our first kissing scene felt really uncomfortable, it was terrible, but we're over it now." Several media publications commented on the fact that the attraction between the two characters had been obvious, and bound to develop into more than a professional relationship.
As the character's personality developed, questions were raised over whether his intentions and motivations were good or bad, with Maslen explaining: "I call him amoral; neither good nor bad. He gets what he wants out of the situation but that isn’t necessarily just a selfish thing. He’s not an evil character, but if there are people that are threatening him, his business or his family, he will do whatever he needs to do to eliminate that problem."
In April 2011, it was reported by The Sun that Jack would have a one-night stand in May after trying to get over the loss of his son. It was said that Jack would return to his wild ways and bed Tanya's sister, Rainie Cross
(Tanya Franks
). An insider said, "Jack's a real mess. He's lost his son and his wife. Rainie is there for him."
commenting: "At last. Someone remotely attractive comes to Albert Square." The Mirror similarly referred to him as "the new hunk on the Square", as well as "the hottest property on EastEnders". Inside Soap
praised Maslen's transition between roles, declaring his performance as Jack to be "flawless". However, The Times
were more critical, writing of 2007's New Year's Eve episode: "The alleged erotic tension between Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Janus) and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) was so underplayed as to be invisible."
He was nominated at the 2011 Inside Soap Awards
for 'Best Actor'.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by Scott Maslen
Scott Maslen
Scott Alexander Maslen is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's The Bill and now Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders.-Early and personal life:...
. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim
Jim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning
April Branning
April Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Debbie Arnold. April is the second eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning, and sister of Carol Jackson, Derek, Suzy, Max and Jack Branning.- Storylines:...
, Carol Jackson
Carol Jackson
Carol Ann Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's...
, Derek Branning
Derek Branning
Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 onwards. Derek is the eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning . He made his first appearance on 29 April 1996 and departed not long after...
, Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maggie O'Neill, but was played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in 1996. O'Neill began filming in May 2008, and she made her first on-screen appearance on 8 July 2008....
and Max Branning
Max Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
. The character was introduced to the show during a period when EastEnders was being routinely criticised in the media for its reliance on resurrecting old characters. The casting of Scott Maslen provoked some controversy, being the first time an actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. It was quickly established that Jack is a morally ambiguous character, with a murky past in the police force resulting in the paralysis of his young daughter. Tabloid media have praised the character for his role as resident Romeo, commenting frequently on his good looks and attractiveness, although broadsheet press have been more critical of Maslen's acting.
Backstory
Jack is the youngest child of JimJim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
(John Bardon
John Bardon
John Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders...
) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and brother of Derek
Derek Branning
Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 onwards. Derek is the eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning . He made his first appearance on 29 April 1996 and departed not long after...
(Terence Beesley
Terence Beesley
Terence Beesley is an English actor and writer. He was born in London to Irish parents and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art....
), Carol
Carol Jackson
Carol Ann Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's...
(Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson is an English actress, best known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.- Career :...
), April
April Branning
April Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Debbie Arnold. April is the second eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning, and sister of Carol Jackson, Derek, Suzy, Max and Jack Branning.- Storylines:...
(Debbie Arnold
Debbie Arnold
Jeanette Debbie Arnold is an English actress and voice artiste. She is best known for her work on British television, although she is also a veteran stage actress. She is one of the top voiceover artistes in England.-Career:Arnold was born into showbusiness...
), Suzy
Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maggie O'Neill, but was played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in 1996. O'Neill began filming in May 2008, and she made her first on-screen appearance on 8 July 2008....
(Maggie O'Neill
Maggie O'Neill
-Biography:The youngest of six Catholic brothers and sisters, born to head teacher parents, O'Neill grew up in the Midlands, where she was educated at a convent school, and after being inspired by a sixth-form drama teacher, "fell" into acting....
) and Max
Max Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
(Jake Wood
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
). Having grown up in a large family in a poor area of East London, Jack regularly fought his older brother, Max, for the attentions of his father who was an alcoholic. As a teenager, Jack stole his grandfather's World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
medal, knowing that it was Jim's prized possession as his father had died in combat when he was only six years old, and framed Max, causing a huge rift between Jim and Max and resulting in Max walking out in 1989. Despite Max and Jack being arch-rivals, they kept in touch as Jack was present at Max's wedding to Tanya Cross
Tanya Branning
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
(Jo Joyner
Jo Joyner
Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress who is best known for her role as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in which she has appeared since June 2006.-Career:...
) in 1994 and watched his nieces Lauren
Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006 played by Madeline Duggan, was absent from 23 June to 27 September 2010, and returned as played by Jacqueline Jossa.-Storylines:...
(Madeline Duggan
Madeline Duggan
Madeline Elizabeth Duggan is an English actress best known for her portrayal of Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Personal life:...
/Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Mary Jossa is an English actress from Bexley, London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lauren Branning.Jossa was born in the London Borough of Bexley...
) and Abi
Abi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...
(Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Katie Fitzgerald is a British actress from Northampton. She lives in Hunsbury. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the British soap opera EastEnders.- Personal life :...
) grow up.
Jack settled down with Selina (Daisy Beaumont
Daisy Beaumont
Daisy Beaumont is a British actress, arguably most known for her work parodying celebrities such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Victoria Beckham and Katie Price on the Channel 4 comedy show Star Stories...
) and on marrying, they had a daughter, Penny. Jack built a career in the police force but got involved in criminal activities and when they backfired, one of Jack's informants knocked Selina and Penny down in revenge for being accidentally sent down. Penny's spinal cord was severed, putting her in a wheelchair, and in the aftermath, Jack and Selina divorced and Jack retired from the police force.
2007—
Jack comes to WalfordWalford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
on 29 October 2007 for his nephew Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal....
's (Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements is an English actor, best known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance.-Biography:...
) wedding to Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
(Lacey Turner
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner is an award-winning English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role for which she has won 33 awards...
). Upon his arrival, Jack soaks Ronnie Mitchell
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
(Samantha Womack) when driving through a puddle, so she soaks him with her water bottle. A fight with Max leads to Jack's invitation being revoked so he stays at The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
public house and helps Ronnie's sister Roxy Mitchell
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
(Rita Simons) prepare for the reception. Deciding to stick around, Jack comes between Ronnie and Roxy when he buys Scarlet Nightclub and offers Ronnie a partnership. Jack causes more disruption in the Mitchell family when he sets up Ronnie's cousin, Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
), by taping him confessing to his part in Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Phil Daniels. He made his first appearance on 17 February 2006...
's (Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
) death by selling him cut-and-shut
Lemon (automobile)
A lemon is a car, often new, that is found to be defective only after it has been bought. Any vehicle with numerous, severe issues can be termed a "lemon", and, by extension, any product with flaws too great or severe to serve its purpose can be described as a "lemon".-Origin:The use of the word...
cars. Jack blackmails Phil with this, demanding the car lot for his silence (which he then rents to Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...
(Pam St. Clement
Pam St. Clement
Pamela Ann Clement , known by the stage name Pam St. Clement, is an English actress. She has played Pat Evans in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 1986, and is now one of the programme's longest-serving cast members. St. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011 and will...
).
Despite the Mitchells' animosity, Jack falls for Ronnie, and after kissing on Christmas Day 2007, they start dating. However, their relationship is rocky as the Mitchells, particularly Roxy, try splitting them up. Jack's ex-wife, Selina, reappears briefly and they have a one-night stand
One-night stand
Originally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
, which Roxy finds out about and tells Ronnie, who is about to move in with Jack but changes her mind, ending their relationship. They reconcile briefly in April but Ronnie does not trust Jack and struggles to bond with his daughter, Penny. Raw from losing Ronnie, Jack and Roxy have a drunken one-night stand. Both regret it and agree not to tell anyone but Roxy is pregnant, giving birth to her daughter, Amy, on 14 November 2008.
Jack starts dating Tanya, who is now estranged from Max. Jack supports Tanya and her children as they struggle to cope after discovering Max's affair with Stacey and his departure. However, Max returns and is furious to discover that they are together. Max tries buying the family home but Jack outbids him, buying 5 Albert Square and moving in with Tanya and the children. Max tries coming between them but is unsuccessful. Much to Max's horror, Tanya forgives him and in desperation, Max tries framing Jack, claiming Jack tried to kill him. Jack is arrested but soon released, due to his connections in the police force. In revenge, Jack takes Max hostage, beating him and taunting him before abandoning him in an old warehouse. Later that night, Max is mowed down by a car and Jack is prime suspect. Max's daughter, Lauren, later confesses and, to save Lauren from prison, Tanya confesses to the police and is arrested in November 2008. While in prison, Tanya ends her relationship with Jack.
Depressed after losing Tanya, Jack demands a DNA test on Amy, Roxy's daughter. Roxy reluctantly agrees but tells him that Sean is Amy's father. Jack concentrates on re-building his relationship with Ronnie, with whom he now shares a flat. However, on Christmas Day 2008, Jack's sister Suzy reveals the true result – Jack is Amy's father. Furious, Sean snatches Amy and persuades Roxy to join him on a trip to Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
. However, Sean tries to kill them by driving into a frozen lake. Jack and Ronnie appear and save Roxy and Amy. On returning to Walford, Roxy tells Jack that he will have no contact with Amy and Ronnie refuses to reconcile with him. Jack tries establishing regular contact with Amy, leading Ronnie to leave Walford. Racing to the airport to stop her, Jack tells Ronnie that he loves her over the airport tannoy. They return to Walford together and Roxy agrees not to interfere. Ronnie and Jack discuss having a baby but he refuses, telling her she needs time to grieve for her daughter, Danielle Jones
Danielle Jones (EastEnders)
Danielle Jones is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lauren Crace. The character appeared between 18 August 2008 and 3 April 2009. Crace's casting in the role was announced in July 2008, when she was described as a love interest for fellow new character Callum Monks...
(Lauren Crace
Lauren Crace
Lauren Rose Crace is an English actress known for playing Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.-Biography:The daughter of contemporary English writer Jim Crace, Lauren Rose Crace was born in Birmingham, West Midlands...
). Jack asks Ronnie to marry him but catches her piercing condoms. They argue, and Jack storms out, but finds Ronnie's ring on the table when he returns. After telling Jack that Ronnie has left Walford for good, Roxy tries seducing Jack but he pushes her away. When Ronnie returns, Jack begs her to reunite with him, but she refuses. A few weeks later, she asks him to buy her out of the nightclub and to fund this, Jack sells the car lot to Archie Mitchell
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb.The character of Archie is the father of already established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell , and a member of the Mitchell family, who have appeared in the soap since 1990...
(Larry Lamb
Larry Lamb (actor)
Lawrence Douglas "Larry" Lamb is an English actor who has worked frequently in television. He is best known for playing one of the greatest villains of British soap Archie Mitchell in the BBC television soap EastEnders, Michael Shipman in the BBC television show Gavin & Stacey and Mischievous...
), Ronnie's father (who she despises). This distances Ronnie further from Jack.
The feud between Jack and Phil recommences. Phil discovers that Jack is dealing drugs and when Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
Linda Henry
Linda Henry is an English actress, best known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV television drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.- Early life :...
) buys drugs from one of his contacts, Phil forces Jack to buy them back. Humiliated, Jack employs Phil's sister Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)
Samantha Margaret Priscilla "Sam" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to be introduced, Sam entered as a 15-year-old school girl in July 1990, played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but was reintroduced...
(Daniella Westbrook), infuriating Phil. Despite knowing she is engaged to Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
), Jack and Sam begin an affair. Archie intervenes and pays Jack to keep seeing Sam, part of his plan to take over The Queen Victoria pub. He also tells Jack's niece/Ricky's ex-wife Bianca
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
(Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
) about the affair. Later, Bianca drags Sam into The Queen Victoria and forces her to tell Ricky (in front of her uncle Jack) about the affair she was having. Jack is distraught as Roxy was about to give him Ronnie's address but when the affair is revealed, Roxy changes her mind and throws him out of the pub.
Ronnie gets pregnant but she has a miscarriage when Archie pushes her against the bar in the pub during an argument. Jack comforts Ronnie and takes in Ronnie, Roxy and Amy when they are made homeless by Archie. Jack confronts Archie on Christmas Day and threatens to kill him if he hurts Ronnie again. Archie is murdered that day and an investigation begins. Four weeks later, Jack asks Ronnie to dinner, to which she agrees but not until after Archie's funeral. At the funeral, Jack offers DC Wayne Hughes (Jamie Treacher
Jamie Treacher
Jamie Treacher is an English actor best known for playing DC Wayne Hughes in the British soap opera EastEnders. He is the son of former EastEnders actor Bill Treacher.-References:...
) to help with any "local information" he might need. He later sees Ronnie tearing up the flowers on Archie's grave and asks her why and she thinks he is accusing her of murder. She later sees him talking to DCI Jill Marsden (Sophie Stanton
Sophie Stanton
Sophie Stanton is an actress and playwright. She is known for her role as Detective Chief Inspector Jill Marsden in the television series EastEnders , Rose in 'Dressing For Breakfast' and as Dilly in The Wilsons...
), who is investigating the murder. Ronnie asks Jack how he would feel if he knew she had killed Archie, leading him to suspect her. At his great niece Tiffany Dean
Tiffany Dean
Tiffany Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher , though originally she was believed to be Bianca's daughter with a man named Nathan Dean...
's (Maisie Smith
Maisie Smith
Maisie Lily Smith is an English actress. She has appeared in the feature film The Other Boleyn Girl and has played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2008.- Career :...
) birthday party, he cuts his hand and Tiffany tells him that she saw Bradley washing blood off his hands on Christmas Day. Jack confronts Bradley who eventually reveals that he found out from Stacey on Christmas Day that Archie had raped and impregnated her, and Bradley punched Archie.
Jack urges Bradley to go to the police, saying if he doesn't, Jack will. However, Max stops him and when DNA screening starts and Bradley gives a sample, Jack bribes Hughes to make the DNA samples disappear. Janine is arrested when someone plants Archie's mother's missing engagement ring in her flat, and Jack hears from Hughes when she is being released. Jack offers Janine money to leave Walford and they accuse each other. He says he did not set her up and Ryan Malloy
Ryan Malloy
Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months until he was revealed as the half brother of established character Whitney Dean...
(Neil McDermott
Neil McDermott
Neil McDermott is a British stage and television actor who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders from April 2009 until 2011.-Career:...
) stops him from hurting Janine. Later, Jack receives another call from Hughes to say that someone has reported Bradley and he is about to be arrested. Jack tells Bradley he must leave Walford quickly, and says he will meet them soon and help them to go. However, Jack is delayed by police and when Bradley realises he has left his passport behind, he returns to the Square where police see him and chase him to the roof of The Queen Victoria, where he stumbles and falls to his death.
Jack begins a relationship with Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tiana Benjamin. She first appeared on 5 May 2006 and was joined by her mother Denise and her half sister Libby. Benjamin announced her departure from the show in April 2010...
(Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Opium Benjamin is a British actress best known for playing Chelsea Fox in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders.Benjamin trained at The Anna Scher Theatre School in London....
) after helping her escape from a blind date. He organises a party his niece Lauren at R&R, where Kylie (Elarica Gallacher
Elarica Gallacher
Elarica Gallacher, born 21 August 1989 in London is a British model and actress, with a mother of African origin and an English father. She is best known for the role of the waitress in the bar of the London Underground in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She also participated in...
) attempts to shoot Jack's nephew Billie (Devon Anderson
Devon Anderson
Devon Carlo Anderson is an English actor who has been acting since an early age and became a CBBC presenter on BBC One and the CBBC Channel...
) but Jack is shot instead as he pushes Billie out of the way. Jack is taken to hospital, where doctors tell his family he may be left with severe brain damage. He is put in a medically induced coma and undergoes an operation due to swelling on his brain, which is successful. When he is brought out of the coma, it is discovered that he is paralysed down the left side of his body but it is not clear whether it is periodic or permanent. Jack then breaks up with Chelsea and attempts to phone Ronnie, but she does not hear her phone ringing as she is spending time with Jack's consultant, Mr Steele (Simon Wilson). He starts to feel helpless and wants to give up, but after Max refuses to help him, he puts his phone out of reach and manages to pull himself up with one arm.
Max reveals to Jack that he saw Ronnie and Mr Steele kissing, so Jack punches Mr Steele out of jealousy. When Ronnie discovers this, she dumps Mr Steele and rushes to see Jack, telling him that if he were to propose, she would not turn him down. Billie visits Jack to apologise, but Jack ignores his apology as it has taken him weeks to visit him, calling him cowardly. Billie leaves in tears and then joins the army to make Jack proud of him. Ronnie visits again and is told that Jack was able to move his toe earlier. She thinks Jack needs better care so decides to find him a place at a private clinic. Jack later hears from Max that there has been a fire at the club, and Ronnie tells him he is going to the clinic. However, she decides not to claim on the insurance to keep Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)
William "Billy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Perry Fenwick, who made his first appearance on 2 November 1998. Billy was seen when Phil went to visit his godson Jamie. However, he didn't arrive in the Square until 2 August 1999, almost a year after...
(Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick is an English film and television actor. He has one sister, Tracey, and two brothers, Faron and Lee. He is, also, the second cousin of Georgina Hagen, who played Lauren Waters in the series of Britannia High....
) out of trouble. Roxy hears from Max that Ronnie has no money and is not claiming, so she decides to pay for Jack's treatment and he is moved to the private clinic. Jack makes decent progress and when Ronnie visits him, they end up having sex. A few days later, having been discharged from hospital, Jack turns up in The Queen Victoria for Ronnie's birthday. Later, when they return to his flat, Jack asks Ronnie to marry him and she accepts. When he finds out that Archie raped Ronnie when she was 13 years old, he finds it hard to believe at first because she would have known about it for several years without telling anybody, however, he tells Ronnie he does believe her and vows to not let anyone hurt her again. He becomes frustrated when his progress at physiotherapy slows down. He is determined to walk at his own wedding but Max says he never will, and makes him angry, goading him into getting out of his wheelchair.
Ronnie discovers that Sam is pregnant and tells Jack, asking if it could be his even though Sam insists it is Ricky's. After the baby is born, Sam admits she is unsure. Jack and Ronnie visit Sam and the baby in hospital. Even though Sam now says that baby, Richard, is Ricky's, Bianca tells Jack he should see if Richard is his. He and Ronnie both agree and tell Sam, and Ricky also agrees to a paternity test. Ronnie tells Jack whatever the result is, they will be okay. Sam reveals that the paternity test confirmed Ricky as the father. Ronnie and Jack are relieved and Ronnie reveals that she is pregnant with Jack's baby. However, a suspicious Bianca gets the paternity results for herself, and reveals that the father is actually Jack. Sam then tells them that Ronnie made her lie. Ronnie tells Jack she did not want to share him with anyone else, and Jack understands. Later, Sam visits Jack and Ronnie saying she cannot cope with the baby on her own, and asks them to have him. Ronnie and Jack agree but when they are due to meet, Sam does not turn up. Ronnie visits Sam and tells her to keep Richard but offers her money to leave Walford as when Jack finds out he will come looking for her. Ronnie returns to Jack but finds Sam has already dropped Richard off. Ronnie then meets Sam with cash and tells her to take Richard back but she will have to leave straight away. Sam leaves the next day.
Before Billie's birthday, he visits Jack but Jack tells him to leave, however, he goes to Billie's party. Billie and Kylie's friend Connor Stanley (Arinze Kene
Arinze Kene
-Career:Kene has appeared in stage productions such as playing Simba in The Lion King, Daddy Cool, and in June 2009 played strutting lothario Raymond LeGrendre in the musical Been So Long, based on Ché Walker's 1998 play, which opened at the Young Vic...
) turns up and apologises to Jack on behalf of Kylie. Kylie is sentenced to 15 years in prison. The day before Jack and Ronnie's wedding, Jack helps Max take revenge on Harry Gold (Linal Haft
Linal Haft
Linal Haft, sometimes known as Lionel Haft, is a British actor.- Biography :Haft made his acting debut in an episode of Homicide as Harry Bruce in 1968. He went on to play his second role later the same year, as Adams in an episode of Contrabandits...
) who is harassing his ex-wife Vanessa
Vanessa Gold
Vanessa Gold is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She is portrayed by Zöe Lucker, and has appeared in EastEnders since 4 June 2010. A "dynamic and assured" businesswoman, Vanessa was created by series consultant Simon Ashdown to be "a Zöe Lucker-type"...
(Zoe Lucker
Zöe Lucker
Zöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress best known for playing the roles of Tanya Turner on ITV's Footballers' Wives and Vanessa Gold in EastEnders.-Career:...
), Max's girlfriend. They threaten Harry and tell him to stay away, but afterwards Jack is grabbed by two men and bundled into a car. The next day, nobody is able to find Jack but Max finds his phone. He drives Ronnie to the wedding and finds Jack in the boot of the wedding car, tied up and gagged. Max frees him and Jack and Ronnie get married. After, they leave for their honeymoon.
After the honeymoon, Jack goes abroad on business and is unable to return to see Ronnie give birth to their son James. Before Jack returns, James dies due to cot death but Ronnie swaps their dead baby with Alfie
Alfie Moon
Alfred William "Alfie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005...
and Kat Moon
Kat Moon
Kathleen "Kat" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to November 2004, then returned in May 2005...
's newborn baby, Tommy. Jack is introduced to Tommy as his own son, and bonds with him. However, he worries about Ronnie's state of mind when she struggles to cope. Jack sells his share in R&R and goes into business with Max at the car lot, renaming it Branning Brothers. He then meets Michael Moon
Michael Moon (EastEnders)
Michael Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve John Shepherd. The character is a second cousin once removed of Alfie Moon , who first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to Tommy Moon, whose mother is Alfie's wife Kat...
(Steve John Shepherd
Steve John Shepherd
-Career:Shepherd first became known in 1996, when he played the role of Jo, the law clerk, in the critically acclaimed BBC drama This Life. He remained in the role for two series...
), Alfie's cousin who he knows from his youth, and invites him to stay but Ronnie finds out Michael is Tommy's real father and tells Jack to kick him out, which Jack eventually does. When Jack announces he and Michael are opening a boxing club, Ronnie is infuriated, so she lies that Michael came onto her. Jack punches Michael but Michael tells him that Ronnie is obsessed with him and has stolen a passport photo of him, which Jack later finds with Ronnie's things. He confronts her, but says is she does not know why she took it, but insists she does not want Michael near the baby. He quits the car lot to look after the boxing club full time. He starts to worry about Ronnie's erratic behaviour. Eventually, she tells Jack that he is not the father, and hands Tommy back to Kat and Alfie. Tommy is taken into care and Jack says an emotional goodbye, while Ronnie is in police custody. Jack visits her in prison, but she tells him to forget he ever met her and find someone else. Jack goes into deep depression and begins drinking heavily. He meets Rainie Cross
Rainie Cross
Lorraine "Rainie" Cross is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Tanya Franks. Rainie was introduced as the drug-addicted sister of Tanya Branning . After having three separate guest stints in 2007 , 2008 and 2010 , she returned on 12 April 2011 as a...
(Tanya Franks
Tanya Franks
Tanya Christine Franks is an English-based actress, writer and producer, who is most known for starring roles on television in Family Affairs, The Bill, Pulling and the role of Rainie Cross in EastEnders. Franks is also the founder of Stock-pot Productions, a theatre and media production company...
) in the club and they have a one-night stand; however, Jack throws Rainie out the following morning. Max tries to help him along with Carol but he brutally beats Max but they reconcile the day after on Max's birthday. He discovers Ronnie has been released on bail, and decides to forgive her, asking her to move back in.
On the day of Ronnie's hearing, Jack attempts to flee the country with her, and stay in Mexico. Michael frames her by taking Roxy's mobile and asking her to meet at the park. She finds Tommy alone and crying, and attempts to help him. Kat and Alfie then see Ronnie holding Tommy with disbelief, and after slapping her and getting Tommy back off her, Kat says that she'll be laughing as Ronnie rots in jail. Later, Roxy finds out Michael did, in fact, frame Ronnie and he later admits this to her and Kat. At the hearing, Ronnie is sentenced to 3 years in prison but Kat changes her mind and decides she doesn't want her to go to prison. Kat then runs over to Ronnie and says she forgives her, and that she agrees that they are the same. The two hold their hands to each other separated by the glass. Ronnie is then taken away, leaving Jack devastated. Jack continually tries to visit Ronnie in prison, but she refuses to see him. Michael taunts Jack by claiming he slept with Ronnie, and Jack beats him up in the toilets of The Queen Victoria. The fight is secretly witnessed by Michael's father Eddie Moon
Eddie Moon
Edward "Eddie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon , Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon . Along with his children, Eddie was introduced to bring a "new generation" of the Moon family to the programme...
but he walks away as he thinks Michael set his stock on fire. Though Jack and Michael repair their friendship, Jack is dismayed when Michael organises an unlicensed boxing fight between his brother Tyler Moon
Tyler Moon
Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael and Craig Moon , brother of Anthony Moon and cousin of Alfie Moon...
(Tony Discipline
Tony Discipline
Tony Discipline is an English actor. His best known role to date is the character of Tyler Moon, the youngest son of already established character Eddie Moon and on-screen brother of Anthony and Michael Moon .-Career:Discipline has had only one major role to date, Tyler Moon...
) and a seemingly unbeatable and violent opponent, all as part of Michael's revenge on his father. Though Tyler wins the fight, he is hospitalised, and the friendship between Jack and Michael is strained further.
Roxy goes on a night out with friends, leaving Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) babysitting Amy. When he leaves Amy alone for a while to get a DVD from Jack's flat, Amy runs herself a bath, gets in and almost drowns. When Ben discovers her, Dr Yusef Khan
Yusef Khan
Doctor Yusef Khan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ace Bhatti. Yusef is the father of Afia Khan and former husband of Zainab Masood . He appears from 23 November 2010. Described as strong-willed, he arrives as Walford's new general practitioner....
(Ace Bhatti
Ace Bhatti
Ahsen Rafiq "Ace" Bhatti is a British actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He has starred in numerous television series, including New Street Law, Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, The Sarah Jane Adventures as Haresh Chandra and in EastEnders playing Yusef...
) is called and he revives her. When Jack arrives, he accompanies Amy to the hospital who is still in a critical condition. The next day, Roxy arrives, and Jack accuses her of being neglectful. Jack then tells a social worker about Roxy's past and her family. After interviewing Roxy, the social worker awards temporary custody of Amy to Jack. He refuses to give Roxy access to Amy other than at pre-arranged times, and is annoyed when his niece Abi Branning
Abi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...
(Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Katie Fitzgerald is a British actress from Northampton. She lives in Hunsbury. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the British soap opera EastEnders.- Personal life :...
) allows Roxy to see Amy. When Abi tells Jack how her family is falling apart, Jack vows to bring Max back to Walford, as he left following the revelation of his affair with Tanya when she was married to Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth is an English actor and singer currently starring in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Greg Jessop. He left the series in August 2011 and will return to the show.-Background:...
). Max returns to Walford with their brother Derek
Derek Branning
Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 onwards. Derek is the eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning . He made his first appearance on 29 April 1996 and departed not long after...
(Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in Layer Cake and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist . He played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth and also featured in Elizabeth , Gangster No. 1 and Sleepy Hollow...
). Jack is pleased to see Derek, but is concerned when it is revealed that Tanya has cancer. The court decides to award custody of Amy to Jack, however Roxy vows to appeal the decision. When Phil receives a text message saying "I know you killed Kevin", Phil believes Jack is behind the message, so confronts him. Jack denies this, and when he goes to give Phil the recording, he finds it missing, along with a file on all of Phil's past misdemeanors.
Background
Jack Branning was one of several new characters to join the EastEnders cast in the second half of 2007. At a time when the show was undergoing media criticism for its resurrection of old characters, John Yorke, the BBC's controller of drama production, defended the show's ability to create interesting, new characters. He praised the show's executive producer Diederick SanterDiederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
for his development of new, "strong characters", including Jack Branning, and Roxy and Ronnie Mitchell
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
. Speaking of this new wave of characters, he stated: "It feels like a new dynasty is emerging, which is important."
Prior to his introduction in October 2007, the character was referred to once, a week before his arrival. He is a member of the soap's Branning family
Branning family
The Branning family are a fictional, extended family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.Before the show began, consisted of Jim Branning, his wife Reenie and their three sons, Derek, Max and Jack, and three daughters, Carol, Suzy and April....
; his sister Carol
Carol Jackson
Carol Ann Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's...
first appeared in the serial in 1993, while father Jim
Jim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
had appeared from 1996. More recently, brother Max
Max Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
and his own family were introduced in June 2006.
Casting
It was first announced on 13 July 2007 that actor Scott MaslenScott Maslen
Scott Alexander Maslen is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's The Bill and now Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders.-Early and personal life:...
had been cast in the role of Jack. Previously best known for his role as DS Phil Hunter in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
police drama The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
, the media were quick to pick up on the fact his new role was notably similar - with TV critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
Jane Simon sarcastically commenting: "What a relief it must be for actor Scott Maslen to get a role that allows him to show off his incredible versatility." Maslen himself pointed out that the character of Jack was actually higher ranking than Phil Hunter, joking: "I've been promoted from playing a DS in Sun Hill!" Maslen's casting marked the first time an established actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. Speaking for the first time about his new role, Maslen said: "I was very sad to leave The Bill but after five years I wanted to explore new opportunities. The Bill afforded me some fantastic storylines. I'm really looking forward to playing Jack. He's an extremely competitive man who likes to win in business and in pleasure!"
Development
Upon announcing his casting, Maslen described the character of Jack as "an extremely competitive man who always likes to win in business and in pleasure". He mentioned that there would be an "instant attraction" between Jack and fellow newcomer Ronnie Mitchell, and explained that he already had a longstanding friendship with Samantha JanusSamantha Janus
Samantha Zoe Womack is an English actress, singer and director, both on television and stage. In recent years she has been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Branning in EastEnders, but made her name in the early 1990s as Mandy Wilkins in Game On, and also represented the United Kingdom in...
who plays Ronnie, having known her since he was 16 years old, and being godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
to her children.
The relationship between the two characters developed quickly from friendship to romance, with Janus commenting that due to her friendship with Maslen; "Our first kissing scene felt really uncomfortable, it was terrible, but we're over it now." Several media publications commented on the fact that the attraction between the two characters had been obvious, and bound to develop into more than a professional relationship.
As the character's personality developed, questions were raised over whether his intentions and motivations were good or bad, with Maslen explaining: "I call him amoral; neither good nor bad. He gets what he wants out of the situation but that isn’t necessarily just a selfish thing. He’s not an evil character, but if there are people that are threatening him, his business or his family, he will do whatever he needs to do to eliminate that problem."
In April 2011, it was reported by The Sun that Jack would have a one-night stand in May after trying to get over the loss of his son. It was said that Jack would return to his wild ways and bed Tanya's sister, Rainie Cross
Rainie Cross
Lorraine "Rainie" Cross is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Tanya Franks. Rainie was introduced as the drug-addicted sister of Tanya Branning . After having three separate guest stints in 2007 , 2008 and 2010 , she returned on 12 April 2011 as a...
(Tanya Franks
Tanya Franks
Tanya Christine Franks is an English-based actress, writer and producer, who is most known for starring roles on television in Family Affairs, The Bill, Pulling and the role of Rainie Cross in EastEnders. Franks is also the founder of Stock-pot Productions, a theatre and media production company...
). An insider said, "Jack's a real mess. He's lost his son and his wife. Rainie is there for him."
Reception
Much media response to the character has centred around Maslen's good looks, with the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
commenting: "At last. Someone remotely attractive comes to Albert Square." The Mirror similarly referred to him as "the new hunk on the Square", as well as "the hottest property on EastEnders". Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
praised Maslen's transition between roles, declaring his performance as Jack to be "flawless". However, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
were more critical, writing of 2007's New Year's Eve episode: "The alleged erotic tension between Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Janus) and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) was so underplayed as to be invisible."
He was nominated at the 2011 Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
for 'Best Actor'.