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WALFORD’S bad boy Derek Branning gets to show his softer side – when his long-lost daughter turns up.
EastEnders fans are more used to seeing the hardman, played by Jamie Foreman, involved in fights, feuds and dirty dealings.
But it becomes apparent that he has a heart buried beneath his macho exterior when Alice, played by Jasmyn Banks, comes searching for answers from the father she has never met.
Jasmyn said: “I’ve been a fan of EastEnders forever and am thrilled to be cast as a Branning. It’s a privilege to be working alongside Jamie and I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for Alice.”
Executive producer Lorraine Newman said: “Jasmyn’s a great actress and we are delighted to have her join the cast. Alice will help us glimpse a softer side to Derek, and, being part of the Branning clan, there’s a lot of history for the pair to draw upon which gives us great potential for the future.”
EastEnders bad boy Derek Branning is in for a shock as his long-lost daughter Alice will soon be arriving in Walford.
Jasmyn Banks has been cast in the role of Alice, who turns up on Albert Square desperately searching for answers from the father she has never met.
Alice has been brought up by her overprotective mum and older brother Joey, who has always spoken ill of their estranged father.
When she heads to Walford, Alice wants to find out the truth about her dad for herself. Ever the optimist, nice girl Alice is eager and excited to meet Derek (Jamie Foreman) - but whether she'll be pleased by what she finds remains to be seen.
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Pictured: Jasmyn Banks as Alice Branning
As Alice has led a sheltered life, viewers will also be left to wonder how she'll fit in with the rest of the Brannings and the drama which surrounds the family.
Banks commented: "I've been a fan of EastEnders forever and am thrilled to be cast as a Branning. It's such a privilege to be working alongside Jamie and I can't wait to find out what's in store for Alice."
EastEnders' executive producer Lorraine Newman added: "Jasmyn's a great actress and we are delighted to have her join the cast as Alice Branning.
"Alice will help us glimpse a softer side to Derek and, being part of the Branning clan, there's a huge amount of history for the pair to draw upon which gives us great potential for the future."
EastEnders fans will see Alice's first scenes next month.
bit reminiscent of Johnny Allan and his daugther?
bad boy gangster with sweet naive daugther who has no idea what her dad is up to?
tammyy2j
14-04-2012, 16:28
She looks quite young what age is she suppose to be?
LostVoodoo
15-04-2012, 18:45
yeah, i was wondering how old she's supposed to be, maybe 16 or 17? she does look like she could be related to him though!
EastEnders bad boy Derek Branning is shocked as he comes face-to-face with his daughter Alice in tonight's (May 10) episode of the soap.
Derek (Jamie Foreman) starts the day in a bad mood as he says goodbye to Carol and the kids, who are going ahead with their move as they need to be closer to Bianca's prison.
Later, Derek becomes curious when he realises that a girl has been spying on him throughout the day. Finally losing his patience, he chases her out of The Vic and demands answers.
Derek fears that the stranger could be working for the police, but he's stunned when Alice reveals that she's actually his daughter…
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EastEnders airs tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One.
EastEnders newcomer Jasmyn Banks has promised that viewers will see a "lovely" side of Derek Branning when her character Alice joins Walford.
Alice, who is Derek's long-lost daughter, makes her first appearance on Albert Square this evening (May 10) after deciding to track down her dad.
Show bosses recently promised that Alice's arrival will allow fans to see Derek's softer side as he fights to win her approval.
Banks told All About Soap of the storyline: "He really wants a relationship with Alice, which is lovely. She thinks he's a nice guy who cares about his family.
"She makes him work to be part of her life, though. He has a lot to do to prove himself."
Discussing the other Brannings, the actress said: "She has no idea they even exist! They're an added bonus. It's a lot to take in - she gets to Walford and suddenly discovers there's this huge family she's a part of."
Banks explained that she was "thrilled" when she heard that EastEnders bosses had chosen her to play Alice.
"I was working in a bar when they called to say I got the part," she commented. "I've always been a fan of the show and I'm pleased to be joining such a great family."
EastEnders continues tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One.
EastEnders' Alice Branning finds herself at the centre of a family feud next week after she is mugged on the Square.
The nasty incident takes place just hours after Alice (Jasmyn Banks) has been given a makeover by Tanya and Poppy at the salon, keen to shed her 'daddy's little girl' image.
Alice's bad boy father Derek (Jamie Foreman) is far from impressed with her new look, and is infuriated further when - egged on by Tanya - she refuses to change it.
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Derek warns Tanya (Jo Joyner) that she will regret crossing him, and continues to complain about Alice's decision when she turns up at the Queen Vic to numerous compliments that evening.
Livid over the way her dad is behaving, Alice runs out upset and as she fumbles with her phone outside, she catches the attention of a mugger who pushes her over and snatches her bag.
Witnessing the incident, the pub's chef Ray Dixon (Chucky Venn) is there to help Alice - but he fails to catch the culprit, who quickly makes an escape.
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When Derek finds out what has happened, he thinks he knows exactly what is to blame for the attack - Tanya's makeover!
The family tension spills over to Abi's belated 16th birthday party the next day, as Derek continues to berate Tanya for drawing unwanted attention to his daughter by dolling her up.
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Alice isn't pleased when she finds out about Derek's latest misbehaviour, convinced that it was the fancy phone he bought her which caught the attention of the mugger - not the makeover.
When Alice tells Derek this, it seems that he may have to eat some humble pie - but will it be enough to restore peace among the Brannings?
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EastEnders airs these scenes next week on BBC One.
EastEnders star Jasmyn Banks has revealed that she wants her character Alice Branning to have a romance with Tamwar Masood.
Alice has been single since her short-lived relationship with Anthony Moon (Matt Lapinskas) resulted in his departure from Walford at the end of August.
Asked who Alice should date next, Banks told Take It Easy: "I know exactly who, Tamwar. Alice and Tamwar all the way! I keep talking about this because I want it to happen. They'd be really good together and sweet.
"I get on with Himesh Patel, who plays him, really well. He's great."
Banks also expressed excitement over this year's EastEnders Christmas episodes, which focus on unexpected surprises for the Brannings.
She said: "I feel really privileged - it was great for me to be part of such a significant story. It really hit me when we were filming the Christmas scenes. It's so exciting. I'm really looking forward to watching it myself."
On how viewers might react to the Christmas chaos in store, Banks added: "It's high drama, so they will be shocked and appalled at the same time. I think they'll be satisfied!"
EastEnders airs an hour-long episode on Christmas Day from 8.45pm on BBC One.
Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a445719/eastenders-jasmyn-banks-alice-should-date-tamwar.html#ixzz2FL3LAf7q
why would alice or joey stay around once derek dies
EastEnders newcomer Jasmyn Banks has said that she would like to star in a second live episode of the BBC soap.
BBC One aired a special in 2010 to celebrate the soap's 25th anniversary, while there were also live scenes in last summer's Olympic two-parter.
When asked whether she would do a live episode, Banks gushed: "I would be scared but I would really love to do something like that. It's kind of like doing theatre but obviously with a much bigger audience.
"There's something quite exciting about the adrenaline rush of doing something live. I'd secretly want a big storyline - I'd see it as a massive challenge that I'd love to set myself and face."
The actress, who has played Alice Branning since May last year, reserved special praise her late on-screen dad and former co-star Jamie Foreman whose alter ego Derek Branning was killed off at Christmas.
She recalled: "He was so great with looking after me and making sure I was happy. It was such a gift working with him. He was so willing to teach me everything he's learnt along the way. I met him in my audition which was really exciting and I really wanted to get the part because I got to read lines with him and I saw how amazing the job would be."
Teasing what is ahead for Alice, Banks summed up: "More heartache! It doesn't get much better for her as coming up really soon she's losing her job as well.
"But it might not all be so bad as she gets a new job working for Michael Moon so who knows what that will bring; hopefully some happy times for Alice. It will be exciting to see where that goes."
EastEnders star Jasmyn Banks has revealed that she is a lot wilder than her character.
The actress plays shy Alice Branning in the BBC One soap, but off screen prefers to party with her friend Pixie Lott.
"I don't see much of myself in Alice. I'm passionate as a person, not mouthy but I would stand up for myself," Banks told The People.
"That's the one thing I struggle with. I just feel like telling Alice, 'Come on - stop being so wet'. I'm used to being the confident and bubbly person in the group. To be honest I felt a bit robbed of my identity.
"Now everyone knows I'm not like Alice. I've got a wild side, I love to party. I haven't fallen out of a club, but if you're talking about being horribly drunk, I've been guilty of it.
"That's how me and Pixie got close, everyone would go home and we would stay out. She can drink more than me as I'm such a lightweight, I have to watch myself otherwise it's game over."
Banks added that if Alice is going to be passionate about anything, it will be protecting Scarlett during Michael Moon's (Steve John Shepherd) custody battle with Janine (Charlie Brooks).
EastEnders tar Jasmyn Banks has revealed that she wants her character Alice Branning to have a romance with Michael Moon.
Viewers have seen that Alice has a crush on the Walford schemer, but the attraction has only been one-sided so far.
Michael (Steve John Shepherd) is impressed by Alice next week when she finds a way to become his baby daughter Scarlett's nanny. This will give her the opportunity to spy on Janine Butcher on his behalf.
Banks told All About Soap of Alice's feelings for Michael: "She's going through all sorts of emotions, but she's definitely attracted to him. Alice is naïve, though - she believes he does appreciate her and what she's done.
"She's blinded by her feelings for him, and too ready to make excuses for him. Alice only wants to see the good in Michael - I think she's still holding out hope that he wants to be with her too."
She added: "I would absolutely love them to get together - it could be fantastic in a really dark way. I have people coming up to me in the street all the time, wanting to know if it's going to happen!"
To make matters more complicated, Alice finds herself bonding with Janine (Charlie Brooks) as they spend time together, which could leave her with divided loyalties.
Banks said: "They actually find some common ground, and it's quite nice for Alice as she finds herself not being told what to do for once. She makes it clear to Janine that she won't be bossed around.
"I think Alice and Janine start to see something in each other's personalities - it's a nice moment to watch them starting to bond."
EastEnders continues tomorrow (May 9) at 7.30pm on BBC One.
EastEnders actress Jasmyn Banks has expressed sadness over co-star Steve John Shepherd's decision to bow out as Michael Moon.
The pair are currently sharing most of their scenes together as Banks's character Alice Branning is supporting Michael in his battles with estranged wife Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).
Michael's feud with Janine will be his final storyline as Shepherd recently announced his intention to leave the BBC show.
Banks told Inside Soap: "Oh my goodness, Steve is a genius! When we're working together, I have to use the rehearsal time to get the giggles out of the way. Having said that, nine times out of 10, Steve will make me laugh when it's so inappropriate!
"Sometimes whoever is directing the scene will use it in the episode, so it looks as if Alice is twinkling at Michael. In reality, it's actually me smiling inappropriately because Steve's making me laugh!"
She continued: "I'm devastated that Steve is going to be leaving the show. I feel like I've learned so much from working with him. Steve is great to talk to and he's always got an interesting book under his arm. I'm hoping that our paths will cross again some day. Who knows how heavily Alice will feature in Michael's exit storyline?"
Whatever happens, Banks added that Alice's storylines will soon be heading in a surprising direction.
She said: "The stuff that's coming up for Alice is brilliant - it's completely out of the blue."
EastEnders actress Jasmyn Banks has expressed sadness over co-star Steve John Shepherd's decision to bow out as Michael Moon.
The pair are currently sharing most of their scenes together as Banks's character Alice Branning is supporting Michael in his battles with estranged wife Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).
Michael's feud with Janine will be his final storyline as Shepherd recently announced his intention to leave the BBC show.
Banks told Inside Soap: "Oh my goodness, Steve is a genius! When we're working together, I have to use the rehearsal time to get the giggles out of the way. Having said that, nine times out of 10, Steve will make me laugh when it's so inappropriate!
"Sometimes whoever is directing the scene will use it in the episode, so it looks as if Alice is twinkling at Michael. In reality, it's actually me smiling inappropriately because Steve's making me laugh!"
She continued: "I'm devastated that Steve is going to be leaving the show. I feel like I've learned so much from working with him. Steve is great to talk to and he's always got an interesting book under his arm. I'm hoping that our paths will cross again some day. Who knows how heavily Alice will feature in Michael's exit storyline?"
Whatever happens, Banks added that Alice's storylines will soon be heading in a surprising direction.
She said: "The stuff that's coming up for Alice is brilliant - it's completely out of the blue."
EastEnders star Jasmyn Banks has said that "grief" is to blame for her character Alice Branning's shoplifting habit.
Last week, viewers saw their first glimpse of Alice's secret as she stole some gravy from the Minute Mart. It later became clear that she is storing dozens of useless goods at home.
Speaking to Inside Soap, Banks revealed that the death of Alice's father Derek has driven her to the bizarre behaviour.
Banks explained: "The compulsive stealing is a really bad problem for Alice - she's definitely a kleptomaniac. It stems from her grief after Derek died, but it's got worse while she's been caught between Janine and Michael.
"When you spend so much of your life giving, taking can counteract that - it's the one way Alice can regain some control over her life.
"Researching kleptomania has been really interesting. It's given me a real sense of why Alice is doing it."
Alice's troubles get even worse next week as Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) cruelly rejects her following a one-night stand.
Banks added: "He's cold and mean - he pretty much laughs in her face. Alice is feeling pain and humiliation that runs really deep, it's just awful. But she's not heading anywhere positive until she's able to stop hating herself and face up to what's really going on."
EastEnders star Jasmyn Banks is leaving her role as Alice Branning, it has been revealed.
The actress, who was cast in the BBC One soap 18 months ago, is being written out of the show as part of Michael Moon's (Steve John Shepherd) exit storyline, the Daily Star Sunday reports.
Confirming the news on Twitter, Banks wrote: "Thanks so much to everyone wishing me well you've made me smile, but fear not there's still a lot to come on screen for Alice #staytuned."
Alice has become infatuated with Michael in recent months and she helps him attempt to get custody of his daughter from ex-wife Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), sparking "major consequences".
The decision to write the 22-year-old's character out of the show came when Shepherd told bosses he was quitting after three years.
Viewers will apparently see a "completely different side" to Alice when she sees Michael's true colours and discovers he has been using her.
tammyy2j
23-09-2013, 16:26
Good useless character imo
EastEnders fans will see a whole new side to Alice Branning this fortnight as she continues to be used as a pawn in Michael Moon's evil plans.
Alice finds herself caught up in a shocking scheme next week as she agrees to drug Michael's estranged wife Janine Butcher, which would provide them with an opportunity to run away with baby Scarlett.
In reality, however, Michael's actual plan is to frame Alice for Janine's murder…
Here, Jasmyn Banks - who plays Alice - reveals her thoughts on the dark storyline.
Does Alice totally believe Michael when he says they are going to start a new life together in Morocco?
"Yes, she believes that they will at least go there for a while, until they have a solid plan. Michael explains it as a temporary plan, and the idea of being somewhere so beautiful, hot and far from Walford with the man she loves and his daughter she adores is completely irresistible.
"They have said they love each other and Michael has confided in her about his troubled childhood. They have a much stronger bond and she trusts him."
How does Alice feel when Michael tells her that he's going to slip Janine some pills?
"At first she's shocked and she's really nervous, but it's an excited nervous. The whole plan and their secrecy feels almost Bonnie and Clyde and it's really exciting and romantic to her. It's a dark twisted fairy tale where her and her knight run away from the evil witch to save the princess and live happily ever after - she loves it!"
Why does Alice insist on drugging Janine herself?
"Alice is always being told she's young, sweet, innocent, naïve - and she is those things, but there's a lot more to her and she's so determined to prove it. I think especially as she's been wrapped up in cotton wool by her family her whole life, she wants to show that she is capable of being a bit wild and taking risks. She's desperate to prove she's not a little girl, she's grown up and she can handle this.
"It's to impress Michael as well - he was so proud of her when she managed to trick everyone in the Square and she slapped him, and that's when he said he loved her, so naturally she wants his approval and adoration. Maybe secretly she hates Janine and Michael spending time together, as they were once married, and the thought of him going over there makes her a little sick and jealous."
Is she in love with Michael? Would she do anything for him?
"Alice is so totally in love with Michael and she's so wrapped up in the idea of them and Scarlett living happily ever after as a family, that she's managed to come to the conclusion that drugging someone and kidnapping a child without telling anyone she knows is a perfectly acceptable and normal idea.
"She wants that escape from the tough year she has faced. She wants her happily ever after and she will do things she didn't think she was capable of to get that."
When does it dawn on Alice that Michael is actually getting her to kill Janine?
"Not until it's almost too late! When Alice sneaks into Janine's bedroom and takes out the pills from her bag to plant in Janine's bedside table, she notices the bottle feels quite light. When she looks inside, she sees it's nearly empty.
"I think at first that confuses her, as she knows it's a brand new bottle, then it dawns on her that there must be almost an entire bottle of pills crushed up for her to put in Janine's wine. It's not until she goes back downstairs that she realises this was actually a ploy to kill Janine. It's a hard thing to accept and to actually come to that conclusion, as Alice really doesn't want to believe that's the case."
What does she do when she realises this?
"I don't want to give too much away, but needless to say Alice is very distraught that he could do that to her."
Does Alice start to see Michael for what he really is?
"As far as Alice is concerned, she has always seen Michael for who he really is - she feels she has a better understanding than most people. She knows that, yes, he can be horrible and insufferably hurtful, but up until now she has known that he doesn't mean it, it's a reaction to the pain he's feeling. She's always been convinced that if he was loved unconditionally by her, he would eventually be okay and stop doing that because he wouldn't feel the need to.
"She wanted to fill the void in his heart and make him happy. Though she didn't ever think for a second that he would actually set her up for murder, potentially destroying her life."
Have you enjoyed being involved in this storyline?
"I have loved playing Alice and especially in this storyline. I feel like a whole new side to Alice has been explored through her relationship with Michael, and her need to prove she's grown up. She's on the cusp of darkness and light all the time. Even when she was with Tamwar, she was being pulled away by Michael and it has been so exciting exploring her darker side. I can only hope the audience have as much fun watching her go through this journey as I did playing it!"
tammyy2j
15-10-2013, 14:53
I think Alice kills Michael by accident
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