Tanya and Lauren Branning

[lizann]

DEVOTED mum Tanya Branning tries to persuade daughter Lauren to return home in an emotional episode of EastEnders.

But the teenager, who confessed to trying to kill her dad Max, is adamant she wants to stay in care.

Viewers will see Lauren put herself into care following the fall-out from her confession – that sees her mum released from jail.

She then changes her mobile number and refuses to speak to her family.

Distraught Tanya, who was willing to go down for her daughter, has no idea what Lauren has done until she’s released from prison.

So when she returns to Albert Square she’s furious with estranged husband Max for letting her leave.

She then starts planning how she can get her little girl back home.

Tanya’s quest takes a turn for the better when she manages to get Lauren’s new mobile from boyfriend Peter Beale.

And Tanya then turns up at the care home where Lauren is staying to plead with her to return to Walford.

An EastEnders insider said: “Tanya is distraught at Lauren’s situation. But Lauren is unresponsive to her mum’s pleas and only cares about how she got her mobile number. She tells her mum she’s ruined everything and that she no longer belongs at home.

“Tanya tries her best to console her and blames herself for Lauren’s predicament. Sadly, her pleas fall on deaf ears and she’s forced to leave the care home without Lauren.”

Fans can see Tanya and Lauren’s reunion on January 23.

[Katy]

Aww, i'm looking forward to this. I think Lauren has been brilliant these last few episodes.

[tammyy2j]

Tanya Branning - played by Jo Joyner - has had a tough few months. She endured a short stint in prison after 'confessing' that she attempted to murder her husband Max (Jake Wood). However, it soon transpired that the doting mother was protecting her eldest daughter Lauren (Madeline Duggan) from a full-scale investigation. Next week, a seemingly-reformed Tanya returns to the Square following Lauren's revelation to Max that it was she who tried to kill him - and she's not best pleased to learn that Lauren's put herself into foster care. So what's in store for Tanya's homecoming? And will she banish the men from her life once and for all? We gave Jo Joyner a call to find out.

When Tanya told Max that'd she tried to kill him before and she'd do it again when she got out of prison, do you think she meant it?
"No, she didn't mean it. I think what was happening at that point in her head was that she felt, quite rightly, that Max was thinking 'there's no way you've done this, Tanya'. She genuinely wanted to throw Max off the scent of the real culprit. She wanted to protect Lauren, and Tanya was trying to make out that she wasn't in her right mind. I think it was just Tanya's way of keeping Max focused on her."

What does she do when she returns?
"As she's about to be let out, she can't wait because she's going to see her kids again. She's been waiting for this moment for so long. Obviously she's desperately worried about Lauren, too. But then she hears from the solicitor that Lauren's not even at home. She's absolutely livid because as far as she's concerned, Max and Jane have totally let her down. She also thinks that it must be Max's fault that Lauren didn't want to stay around. She walks into the house and is beside herself with joy to see Abi and Oscar. She gives them all a big hug can't even look at Jane and Max. As soon as Abi's out of the room, Tanya turns around and slaps Max and tells him and Jane to get out of the house. It's quite brisk actually and I really like the way they did it."

Tanya doesn't do betrayal very well, does she?
"No, she should be used to it by now though, shouldn't she? She's a little bit calmer this time, though, now that she's been inside. Despite all the rows she has with Max and Jane, she realises by the end of the week that she's going about it all the wrong way and she can't continue going about it all in the whirlwind that she is. She realises that she's got to take some responsibility for herself."

She's returned as a reformed woman, hasn't she? Back with a vengeance?
"No, she hasn't. She's had time in prison to think all that through, but the spanner in the works is that Lauren's not there when she gets home. She's a whirlwind for the first week, but after that, she calms down a little. Being in prison was the longest amount of time that she's spent on her own since she was 17 and had Lauren! If she's changed at all, she's come out with a bit more bloody sense and independence!"

What happens initially when she tries to get Lauren back from social services?
"Tanya can't believe it when she finds out that it's actually Lauren's decision not to be at home. That's the point when she realises she has to take some responsibility and control back of her life. During the rows that Tanya and Max have, Max points out that it's not all his fault. It all starts hitting home for Tanya by the end of the week."

When she returns to the Square, Tanya's only concern is her children. Does she think that she's let them down?
"Yeah definitely. If you think about it, Tanya hasn't been on her own since last Christmas. She immediately went off with Sean, then she went off with Jack. Until she went to prison, she'd not had a second to sit on her own and think about all that's happened in her life."

Do Tanya and Jane resolve their differences?
"Tanya feels very angry and let down by Jane because she thought her best friend would look after her kids. Tanya genuinely goes to make up with Jane and during the conversation, she asks Jane to get Lauren's mobile number from Peter and in the middle of that, Jane wonders if that's the only reason Tanya apologised to her. I don't actually think it was the real reason. That's not the way we played it anyway. Eventually, they do make up and I think they really do need each other."

She finally gets in touch with Lauren, though, doesn't she?
"It all comes about when Tanya gets the number from Jane. Tanya leaves several messages for Lauren to call her back. Some of them are really upset messages, some of them are begging messages and some of them are heartfelt ones. Tanya's sitting in the pub waiting for Lauren to call back and Max is there in the background, too. Jane's telling Tanya not to will it to happen and at that point, Max and Tanya start rowing again because Tanya's worried that Max will stick his oar in and mess everything up even more. During the argument, the phone goes and it's Lauren who's annoyed that Tanya's got her mobile number."

How do Tanya and Lauren end up meeting again?
"Tanya calls Lauren again and she finally agrees to meet. It's not the resolve Tanya hopes for, but Tanya does shut up and listen for once. Lauren just explains that she wants some time away from it all and Tanya has to accept that."

Jo Joyner talks Jane, Jack and Max

She's baaaack. Yep, Jo Joyner fans will be pleased to note that Tanya Branning returns to our screens next week when she's released from prison, courtesy of her daughter Lauren's (Madeline Duggan) confession to her father Max's (Jake Wood) attempted murder. And now it looks like the jailbird's about to regain control of her life once and for all - by ridding the men from her life and concentrating on the kids.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in reading about Tanya's friendship with Jane (Laurie Brett), her relationship with Jack (Scott Maslen) and that lingering pre-hit-and-run kiss with Max (Jake Wood), then read on...

Does Tanya plan to use Bradley as a pawn in her hatred of Max?
"No, I don't think so. Bradley won't be in the house for long, either! There's a big turnaround for Tanya and a big clean up for her that's well overdue."

Tanya's friendship with Jane is always nice to watch, isn't it?
"I absolutely love Jane and Tanya's friendship. There's a lot more fun and good times to come from that one - I love the way they write for them, too. It's a very real friendship, too. I think every woman has a close friend that they can talk to and rely on. I make a point of never breaking down or crying unless Tanya's on her own or with Jane."

Did Tanya ever love Jack or did she embark on that relationship to annoy Max?
"I think she did love him, but just not in the same way. Tanya loved him in a very homely, warm and convenient way. She didn't love him in a mad, passionate, 'I can't help myself' way that she does Max."

Do you think Tanya has forgotten her kiss with Max just before the accident?
"No. I don't think she'll forget that. Neither of them will. It's one of those things. That'll always be lingering between them."

Have you enjoyed your recent time off?
"It was bliss! I'd been full-on since last Christmas [2007], so I just felt I needed a little time off."