Tanya Branning
Encyclopedia
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 27 September 2010. Tanya's storylines have included opening her own salon, giving birth to her third child, divorcing and then burying Max Branning
(played by Jake Wood
) alive, marrying Greg Jessop, starting an affair with Max and learning she has cervical cancer
.
(Jake Wood
) at eighteen. As a result, Tanya became estranged from her mother (her father died of cancer when she was in her early-teens) and from her sister Rainie
, who went on to become a drug-addicted prostitute. Max left his wife Rachel (Sukie Smith
/Pooky Quesnel
) and six-year-old son Bradley
(Charlie Clements
) to be with Tanya. Their daughter Lauren
(Madeline Duggan
until 2010, Jacqueline Jossa
thereafter) was born in March 1994, and they married in August 1994. She and Max also have a daughter called Abi
(Lorna Fitzgerald
) who was born in 1996.
after Max's car breaks down, not realising in fact Max is visiting his family. She finds out that he has had an affair with Gemma Clewes (Natalie J. Robb
) but forgives him. To make it up to her, Max buys 10 Turpin Road for Tanya, which she turns into a beauty salon named 'Booty'. Tanya after much pressure from Max gives birth to Oscar. Unbeknown to Tanya, Max has started an affair with Stacey Slater
(Lacey Turner
) who is Max's son's, Bradley
(Charlie Clements
) wife. When the affair is revealed on Christmas Day on a video recording recorded by Lauren, Tanya asks for a divorce and starts a relationship with Sean Slater
(Robert Kazinsky
). Tanya plots to bury Max alive and with the help of Sean, they drug Max and bury him in the woods. Tanya later feels guilty and digs him up and breaks up with Sean. Tanya then has to face her sister, Rainie
(Tanya Franks
) turning up as she did the year before, claiming she is clean of drugs, though tests positive, so Tanya orders her to leave.
Tanya then starts a relationship with Max's brother Jack
(Scott Maslen
) and Max tries to split them up. Tanya and Max later share a kiss, after Max is abducted and beaten by Jack. Max is run down in a deliberate hit-and-run. Tanya admits to the police that she tried to kill Max; however, Lauren was the true culprit. After the police find out Lauren was the driver, Max and Tanya suffer a bumpy relationship which ends up in Tanya forgiving Max and allowing him to move back in, but when she finds out they are in debt and Max has been hiding it, she leaves with Lauren and Oscar after finding out Booty was to close down, with Abi refusing to go with Tanya and staying with Max.
Tanya returns to Walford with her new fiance Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
). Rainie and her mum, Cora (Ann Mitchell
) arrive in Walford for her wedding, much to Tanya's dismay. On her wedding day, Max and Abi have a car crash and when Tanya finds out, she leaves the wedding after exchanging vows with Greg, and rushes to the hospital. There, she thinks Max is dead but when she sees him alive, Tanya and Max kiss. Tanya says that it was an accident and goes on her honeymoon with Greg. When she returns, Tanya and Max start an affair, and Greg buys the salon after the current owner, Roxy Mitchell
(Rita Simons) faces financial problems. Greg pushes Tanya to have another baby though Tanya is against the idea. Tanya allows Rainie and Cora to move in.
Tanya and Max plan to reveal their affair but Tanya finds out that she may have cervical cancer
. After discovering this, she breaks up with Max, but he decides to tell the truth to his fiancé, Vanessa Gold
(Zöe Lucker
) who reveals all to Greg. Heartbroken, Greg leaves Walford and when Max realises Tanya does not want to be with him either, he leaves too. Tanya later learns that she does have cervical cancer
and that she will need to undergo chemotherapy
and radiotherapy. She decides not to tell anyone, remembering when her father suffered from cancer. Tanya's behaviour becomes more erratic and she eventually throws Cora out after an argument. After keeping it a secret for many weeks, she confides in Lauren about this, but asks her to tell no one else. Struggling to cope with the burden of her mother's secret, Lauren asks Greg to visit. When Greg meets with Tanya, she reveals the truth about her illness but Greg is unable to handle the news and promptly leaves, with Lauren reasuring Tanya that they will come through the ordeal without him.
Tanya befriends a fellow cancer patient, Siobhan (Sara Stephens), but on a visit to the hospital for treatment, she is told that Siobhan had died. This causes Tanya to have a panic attack and she struggles to cope with the news for some time. She then decides to stop her therapy, although does not tell Lauren about this. Tanya is delighted when Jane returns to the Square but does not tell her about her illness. Shortly after, she goes on a night out with Lauren and gets very drunk, accidentally upsetting Carol Jackson
(Lindsay Coulson). The next day, Carol visits Tanya and becomes concerned about her behaviour, but Tanya reassures her that she is fine. Later, Tanya agrees to allow Cora to move back in, after she has been thrown out by Dot Branning
(June Brown
). Tanya's doctor Yusef Khan
(Ace Bhatti
) later confronts Tanya and asks why she has stopped her treatment. Tanya goes to the hospital where she tells her doctor that wants no more treatment as she does not have the strength to fight, despite the fact she could die.
Worried about her mother, Abi tells Jack her family is falling apart. Jack contacts Max, who returns to Walford with his brother Derek Branning
(Jamie Foreman
). Max insults Tanya, and Tanya throws him out. As Tanya starts to through her mother and sister out, Lauren reveals that Tanya has cancer, and confronts her about stopping her therapy. Tanya then reveals that Siobhan died, proving that the therapy does not always work. Abi is upset that Tanya does not trust her, but Tanya explains that she did not want her children worrying about her like she worried about her father. Tanya then tells Cora and Rainie the truth about how her father died—he did not die peacefully as they believed by was in constant pain so Tanya helped him to die. Tanya then locks herself in the bathroom and contemplates taking an overdose. Lauren then stops Max from leaving, telling him that Tanya has cancer. Max talks to Tanya, and she reveals her fears about her condition and reveals that she helped her sick father to die. Max then vows to support Tanya and they reunite. Tanya also reconciles with Cora and explains the circumstances around her father's death, though Rainie remains angry and tells Tanya she hopes the cancer is terminal. Tanya then resumes her treatment.
(Lacey Turner
) and Tanya's husband Max
(Jake Wood
), Joyner did not read any parts of the EastEnders scripts other than her own, as she felt her acting was improved by not knowing what Max did behind Tanya's back, and because she felt that she could better justify to herself why Tanya would not suspect Max of cheating if she in reality did not know what he was getting up to.
On 21 March 2008, Joyner revealed a script in which Tanya would bury Max alive. Speaking of when she first heard about the burial idea, the actress admitted: "I actually was really upset! I heard about the theory and I thought 'how are you going to get me there? She's not a killer!' "I did always say to Diederick [Santer] when this happened that as far as I was concerned, the only way she can kill Max is when she finds out on Christmas Eve in a blind fit of rage – that's the only time when she could be a murderer."
In a July 2008 interview with the Sunday People, Joyner revealed that she was disappointed that Tanya's wild child past had not been explored more in the aftermath of her character burying Max alive, saying "I didn't think Tanya would be as mumsy at first. She was quite hard in her past and it would have been fun to have that side come out. Tanya has a really naughty side. When she was young she was a lot like Stacey Slater. That hasn't really come out yet but she definitely has it in her." Joyner temporarily left the show in December 2009 for maternity leave. Her departure was facilitated through a storyline in which Max hid financial problems from the family and Tanya left him. The show's executive producer Diederick Santer
revealed that some planned storyline material for Max and Tanya was put on hold until Joyner's return from maternity leave. On 6 May 2010, Joyner filmed a single episode that was broadcast on 23 June, and she made her full-time return on 27 September 2010.
In an interview with Digital Spy
, Joyner admitted that she prefers playing a "feisty" character and would like to explore that side of Tanya. Joyner confirmed that she wants sparks to fly between her character and estranged husband Max. She added: "I hope it comes out. I think she's been a little bit calm and a little bit mumsy lately and I think if she's been away from Max for a while, she needs to come back with a bit more fight about her and have him on his knees a bit." Of her experiences as a mother, she added: "It's fantastic. It's full on but it's just been a whirlwind. I've just been so lucky."
In February 2011, it was announced that filming had started on location for Greg and Tanya's wedding in April 2011. However, at the time it was unconfirmed whether they would actually marry, meaning that the couple's future would hang in the balance until the time of broadcast. The Daily Mail
reported that Tanya would flee the wedding to help Max and Abi when they are hurt in a serious accident, though they said that Tanya and Greg may have already exchanged vows.
in 2008 for the part of Tanya and also went on to win 'Best Dramatic Performance' at the 2008 British Soap Awards
and made the final four in the 'Best Actress' category. She has also received countless other nominations.
The character has been pivotal in the transformation of EastEnders. Christmas Day 2007 saw Tanya discover husband Max and stepdaughter-in-law Stacey's affair and was watched by 14.3 million viewers, making it the highest rated EastEnders episode in three years and the highest rated television broadcast of 2007. In March 2008 viewers watched Tanya bury husband Max alive. This was the most watched EastEnders episode of 2008 and the episode received 116 complaints from viewers.
The UK communications regulator Ofcom
later found that the episodes depicting the storyline were in breach of the 2005 Broadcasting Code. They contravened the rules regarding protection of children by appropriate scheduling, appropriate depiction of violence before the 9 p.m. watershed and appropriate depiction of potentially offensive content.
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 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:...
. 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 27 September 2010. Tanya's storylines have included opening her own salon, giving birth to her third child, divorcing and then burying 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...
(played by 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:...
) alive, marrying Greg Jessop, starting an affair with Max and learning she has cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
.
Backstory
Before appearing on screen, Tanya grew up on a council estate, dabbling with drugs and alcohol and falling pregnant by Max BranningMax 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:...
) at eighteen. As a result, Tanya became estranged from her mother (her father died of cancer when she was in her early-teens) and from her sister Rainie
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...
, who went on to become a drug-addicted prostitute. Max left his wife Rachel (Sukie Smith
Sukie Smith
Sukie Smith is a British actress and musician. Her credits include playing the role of Rachel Branning in EastEnders in 2006.Smith was born in Rochford, Essex, the daughter of bankers Paddy and David Smith...
/Pooky Quesnel
Pooky Quesnel
Joanna Quesnel, known professionally as Pooky Quesnel, is an English actress, screenwriter and singer.-Background:Quesnel was raised in Eccles, Lancashire, along with her six siblings. She read English at Oxford University before spending a year at drama school...
) and six-year-old son Bradley
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....
(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:...
) to be with Tanya. Their daughter 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:...
until 2010, 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...
thereafter) was born in March 1994, and they married in August 1994. She and Max also have a daughter called 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 :...
) who was born in 1996.
2006—
Tanya arrives in Albert SquareAlbert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
after Max's car breaks down, not realising in fact Max is visiting his family. She finds out that he has had an affair with Gemma Clewes (Natalie J. Robb
Natalie J. Robb
Natalie J. Robb is a Scottish actress born in Bellshill, Glasgow on 3 December 1974.- Personal life :Born Natalie Joy Robb, she is the youngest of three children. As a child, Robb attended weekend drama groups in Glasgow, where she was discovered by director Alan Macmillan, later going to the Royal...
) but forgives him. To make it up to her, Max buys 10 Turpin Road for Tanya, which she turns into a beauty salon named 'Booty'. Tanya after much pressure from Max gives birth to Oscar. Unbeknown to Tanya, Max has started an affair with 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...
) who is Max's son's, Bradley
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....
(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:...
) wife. When the affair is revealed on Christmas Day on a video recording recorded by Lauren, Tanya asks for a divorce and starts a relationship with Sean Slater
Sean Slater
Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Robert Kazinsky. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007...
(Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
). Tanya plots to bury Max alive and with the help of Sean, they drug Max and bury him in the woods. Tanya later feels guilty and digs him up and breaks up with Sean. Tanya then has to face her sister, Rainie
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...
) turning up as she did the year before, claiming she is clean of drugs, though tests positive, so Tanya orders her to leave.
Tanya then starts a relationship with Max's brother Jack
Jack Branning
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...
(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:...
) and Max tries to split them up. Tanya and Max later share a kiss, after Max is abducted and beaten by Jack. Max is run down in a deliberate hit-and-run. Tanya admits to the police that she tried to kill Max; however, Lauren was the true culprit. After the police find out Lauren was the driver, Max and Tanya suffer a bumpy relationship which ends up in Tanya forgiving Max and allowing him to move back in, but when she finds out they are in debt and Max has been hiding it, she leaves with Lauren and Oscar after finding out Booty was to close down, with Abi refusing to go with Tanya and staying with Max.
Tanya returns to Walford with her new fiance 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:...
). Rainie and her mum, Cora (Ann Mitchell
Ann Mitchell
Ann Mitchell is one of Britain's leading stage and television actresses. In 2011, she was cast as Cora Cross in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, the mother of Tanya Jessop and Rainie Cross. She was only to appear originally for 4 episodes but returned on 28 July 2011 as a regular character...
) arrive in Walford for her wedding, much to Tanya's dismay. On her wedding day, Max and Abi have a car crash and when Tanya finds out, she leaves the wedding after exchanging vows with Greg, and rushes to the hospital. There, she thinks Max is dead but when she sees him alive, Tanya and Max kiss. Tanya says that it was an accident and goes on her honeymoon with Greg. When she returns, Tanya and Max start an affair, and Greg buys the salon after the current owner, 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) faces financial problems. Greg pushes Tanya to have another baby though Tanya is against the idea. Tanya allows Rainie and Cora to move in.
Tanya and Max plan to reveal their affair but Tanya finds out that she may have cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
. After discovering this, she breaks up with Max, but he decides to tell the truth to his fiancé, Vanessa Gold
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"...
(Zöe 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:...
) who reveals all to Greg. Heartbroken, Greg leaves Walford and when Max realises Tanya does not want to be with him either, he leaves too. Tanya later learns that she does have cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
and that she will need to undergo chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and radiotherapy. She decides not to tell anyone, remembering when her father suffered from cancer. Tanya's behaviour becomes more erratic and she eventually throws Cora out after an argument. After keeping it a secret for many weeks, she confides in Lauren about this, but asks her to tell no one else. Struggling to cope with the burden of her mother's secret, Lauren asks Greg to visit. When Greg meets with Tanya, she reveals the truth about her illness but Greg is unable to handle the news and promptly leaves, with Lauren reasuring Tanya that they will come through the ordeal without him.
Tanya befriends a fellow cancer patient, Siobhan (Sara Stephens), but on a visit to the hospital for treatment, she is told that Siobhan had died. This causes Tanya to have a panic attack and she struggles to cope with the news for some time. She then decides to stop her therapy, although does not tell Lauren about this. Tanya is delighted when Jane returns to the Square but does not tell her about her illness. Shortly after, she goes on a night out with Lauren and gets very drunk, accidentally upsetting 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...
(Lindsay Coulson). The next day, Carol visits Tanya and becomes concerned about her behaviour, but Tanya reassures her that she is fine. Later, Tanya agrees to allow Cora to move back in, after she has been thrown out by Dot Branning
Dot Branning
Dorothy "Dot" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by June Brown since 1985. In a special episode entitled EastEnders: Dot's Story a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. Dot first appeared in EastEnders in July 1985 as the mother of...
(June Brown
June Brown
June Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
). Tanya's doctor 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...
) later confronts Tanya and asks why she has stopped her treatment. Tanya goes to the hospital where she tells her doctor that wants no more treatment as she does not have the strength to fight, despite the fact she could die.
Worried about her mother, Abi tells Jack her family is falling apart. Jack contacts Max, who returns to Walford with his brother 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...
(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...
). Max insults Tanya, and Tanya throws him out. As Tanya starts to through her mother and sister out, Lauren reveals that Tanya has cancer, and confronts her about stopping her therapy. Tanya then reveals that Siobhan died, proving that the therapy does not always work. Abi is upset that Tanya does not trust her, but Tanya explains that she did not want her children worrying about her like she worried about her father. Tanya then tells Cora and Rainie the truth about how her father died—he did not die peacefully as they believed by was in constant pain so Tanya helped him to die. Tanya then locks herself in the bathroom and contemplates taking an overdose. Lauren then stops Max from leaving, telling him that Tanya has cancer. Max talks to Tanya, and she reveals her fears about her condition and reveals that she helped her sick father to die. Max then vows to support Tanya and they reunite. Tanya also reconciles with Cora and explains the circumstances around her father's death, though Rainie remains angry and tells Tanya she hopes the cancer is terminal. Tanya then resumes her treatment.
Creation and development
In early reports of the character's arrival, her name was spelt Tania. This was later changed on the official BBC website. Joyner originally turned down the role as she had doubts over whether she could work in a soap opera. She said "It was a massive decision. I said no originally. Playing someone in a soap is a big responsibility. People are very protective of the soap and if you are rubbish you can't get away from it." Also, having worked quietly and successfully in the industry for eight years, Joyner was unsure if she would be comfortable with the level of fame being on EastEnders would bring her. During the affair storyline between Stacey SlaterStacey 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...
) and Tanya's husband 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:...
), Joyner did not read any parts of the EastEnders scripts other than her own, as she felt her acting was improved by not knowing what Max did behind Tanya's back, and because she felt that she could better justify to herself why Tanya would not suspect Max of cheating if she in reality did not know what he was getting up to.
On 21 March 2008, Joyner revealed a script in which Tanya would bury Max alive. Speaking of when she first heard about the burial idea, the actress admitted: "I actually was really upset! I heard about the theory and I thought 'how are you going to get me there? She's not a killer!' "I did always say to Diederick [Santer] when this happened that as far as I was concerned, the only way she can kill Max is when she finds out on Christmas Eve in a blind fit of rage – that's the only time when she could be a murderer."
In a July 2008 interview with the Sunday People, Joyner revealed that she was disappointed that Tanya's wild child past had not been explored more in the aftermath of her character burying Max alive, saying "I didn't think Tanya would be as mumsy at first. She was quite hard in her past and it would have been fun to have that side come out. Tanya has a really naughty side. When she was young she was a lot like Stacey Slater. That hasn't really come out yet but she definitely has it in her." Joyner temporarily left the show in December 2009 for maternity leave. Her departure was facilitated through a storyline in which Max hid financial problems from the family and Tanya left him. The show's executive producer Diederick Santer
Diederick 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...
revealed that some planned storyline material for Max and Tanya was put on hold until Joyner's return from maternity leave. On 6 May 2010, Joyner filmed a single episode that was broadcast on 23 June, and she made her full-time return on 27 September 2010.
In an interview with Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, Joyner admitted that she prefers playing a "feisty" character and would like to explore that side of Tanya. Joyner confirmed that she wants sparks to fly between her character and estranged husband Max. She added: "I hope it comes out. I think she's been a little bit calm and a little bit mumsy lately and I think if she's been away from Max for a while, she needs to come back with a bit more fight about her and have him on his knees a bit." Of her experiences as a mother, she added: "It's fantastic. It's full on but it's just been a whirlwind. I've just been so lucky."
In February 2011, it was announced that filming had started on location for Greg and Tanya's wedding in April 2011. However, at the time it was unconfirmed whether they would actually marry, meaning that the couple's future would hang in the balance until the time of broadcast. The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
reported that Tanya would flee the wedding to help Max and Abi when they are hurt in a serious accident, though they said that Tanya and Greg may have already exchanged vows.
Reception
Joyner won the 'Most Popular Actress' award at the Digital Spy Soap AwardsDigital Spy Soap Awards
The Digital Spy Soap Awards was an event that honoured the successes in British soap operas in 2007-8. It was hosted by the entertainment website Digital Spy....
in 2008 for the part of Tanya and also went on to win 'Best Dramatic Performance' at the 2008 British Soap Awards
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
and made the final four in the 'Best Actress' category. She has also received countless other nominations.
The character has been pivotal in the transformation of EastEnders. Christmas Day 2007 saw Tanya discover husband Max and stepdaughter-in-law Stacey's affair and was watched by 14.3 million viewers, making it the highest rated EastEnders episode in three years and the highest rated television broadcast of 2007. In March 2008 viewers watched Tanya bury husband Max alive. This was the most watched EastEnders episode of 2008 and the episode received 116 complaints from viewers.
The UK communications regulator Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
later found that the episodes depicting the storyline were in breach of the 2005 Broadcasting Code. They contravened the rules regarding protection of children by appropriate scheduling, appropriate depiction of violence before the 9 p.m. watershed and appropriate depiction of potentially offensive content.