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Jo Joyner has decided to leave the soap for the foreseeable future.
The actress, who plays Tanya Cross, had originally intended to take an eight-month break from the middle of this year. However, after further reflection, she has now chosen to bow out from her role indefinitely.
Mum-of-two Joyner has made the decision as she wishes to spend more time with her family and explore new career opportunities.
Speaking of her choice to move on, Joyner commented: "I love playing Tanya and being part of such a great show, but she has been on quite a rollercoaster over the past seven years and I have come to realise that it's right for her to step away from Walford for a bit longer than originally planned.
"I have been very fortunate to have been part of some fantastic storylines over the years, and I have worked with some wonderful people during my time on the show which I will always be very grateful for, but I feel that as a mother and an actress it is time for me to explore some other avenues for a while."
EastEnders' executive producer Lorraine Newman added: "As the mother of Lauren, Abi and Oscar and the on/off wife to the ever errant Max, life for Tanya has never been easy. However, Jo Joyner's portrayal of Tanya allowed viewers to instantly fall in love with her, creating the cement for a great family.
"From Jo's portrayal of a cancer sufferer's fear to dealing with her daughter's excessive drinking, Jo has delivered high-class drama time and again.
"Later this year we will see the Branning family cope without her. They will of course miss her, as will her colleagues and no doubt the viewers. We wish Jo well on her ventures new."
Show bosses are currently keeping tight-lipped over how Tanya will leave Albert Square, but her departure will mark the beginning of a new era for the Branning family.
A show insider told Digital Spy: "EastEnders is a full-on commitment and on reflection, Jo felt that eight months may not be a long enough break to try her hand at other projects as well as spend the time she wants with her family, so both she and EastEnders decided to not put a time limit on her time away but to see where things go in the future.
"Although Jo will be missed, Tanya's departure will mean new changes ahead for the Branning family, which will add a whole new dynamic for them and the rest of Walford.
"Lorraine's long-term plans for EastEnders are now starting to really take shape and she has some very exciting things in store over the next few months, which are going to have the fans on the edge of their seats when they hear what's coming."
Joyner was cast in EastEnders in 2006. Since then, Tanya's turbulent relationship with Max has provided some of the show's most memorable moments in recent years.
Off-screen, Joyner won the 'Best Dramatic Performance' prize at the British Soap Awards in 2008 and 2012. Last year's ceremony also saw Joyner's work with co-star Jake Wood recognised as they won the 'Best On-Screen Partnership' gong.
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she has a good career before the soap
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She will get other roles without problem I think she is a great actress, will be nice to see her in other things
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The writers ruined Tanya imo and she was a great character on the show, I wish Joy the best as she is a very good actress
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EastEnders star Jo Joyner has filmed her final scenes for the soap.
The actress, who is bowing out as Tanya Cross, spoke about her exit on her Twitter page this afternoon (May 15).
Joyner spent her last day filming with co-star Jake Wood, who plays Tanya's on-off partner Max Branning.
She tweeted: "That's a wrap! I am officially 'that woman that use to play thingy in 'Enders'! Thanks to the lovely @mrjakedwood for such a special time."
Meanwhile, Wood shared a picture with fans after he and Joyner had filmed their final scene together.
He said: "So here's me and Jo after filming our last scene together this morning...gonna miss you @dollyJoyner."
Joyner announced last year that she intended to take a break from EastEnders, but she later decided that her departure would be for an indefinite period of time.
Speaking last month, she explained: "I love playing Tanya and being part of such a great show, but she has been on quite a rollercoaster over the past seven years and I have come to realise that it's right for her to step away from Walford for a bit longer than originally planned.
"I have been very fortunate to have been part of some fantastic storylines over the years, and I have worked with some wonderful people during my time on the show which I will always be very grateful for, but I feel that as a mother and an actress it is time for me to explore some other avenues for a while."
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EastEnders star Jo Joyner has spoken further about her decision to leave the soap, explaining that she was keen to put her family first.
The actress has already filmed her final scenes as Tanya Cross and will bow out on screen at the end of June.
In real life, Joyner and her husband Neil Madden are parents to 3-year-old twins Freddie and Edie.
Speaking to The Sun's TV Magazine about her Albert Square exit, Joyner commented: "I've genuinely set our family up so I can take some time out and just be with them. And maybe do some theatre again.
"In years to come I wouldn't be going, 'Ooh, great, I've got lots more money in the bank', I would be saying, 'Wow, where did my children go?'
"So we're moving back to the countryside where we lived before I joined EastEnders. I'll be able to see my family and we'll have a bigger support network around us if Neil and I go back to work."
Tanya's final storyline is expected to tie in with her daughter Lauren's troubles, as the teen's drinking problem comes to a head over the next few weeks.
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i doubt abi and lauren will leave with tanya but would tanya leave them by themselves again especially as lauren is a drunk, doubt tanya is being killed off so what could her exit be? jail for something lauren does?
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EastEnders star Jo Joyner has admitted that she "lost respect" for her character Tanya Cross over the years.
The actress filmed her final scenes for the BBC soap in May and will bow out on screen at the end of next week, when Tanya says an emotional farewell to Albert Square.
While some details of Tanya's exit are still being kept under wraps, viewers will see that she leaves Walford after realising that her constant dramas with on-off partner Max (Jake Wood) have had a bad influence on their alcoholic daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa).
Joyner told The Sun: "Both parents have been really highly irresponsible. They've been selfish."
She continued: "They're so wrapped up in each other and their own little world that Tanya has let down her kids several times. It always amazes me when I get an introduction on telly as 'that feisty fantastic mum'.
"No, she's a terrible mum. There's nothing feisty about going back and back for more to a man and still never owning your business! No, I've lost all respect for her over the years. But I think we'll get some back for her in these last few episodes, which is good."
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Tanya leaves Albert Square.
Joyner also predicted that Tanya's exit will spark a new direction for the Branning clan.
She said: "I'm trying not to give too much away here, but what [EastEnders writer] Simon Ashdown has done brilliantly here in my leaving scripts and speeches and the things that happen is that he's given me stuff to get my teeth stuck into, but it also really sets up the next year for Lauren and the family. It explains a lot of things for the family and puts them into perspective."
EastEnders airs Tanya's final episode on Friday, June 28 at 8pm on BBC One.
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EastEnders star Jo Joyner has suggested that Lauren Branning's alcoholism storyline may be a wake-up call for viewers who binge drink.
Last night's (June 25) episode saw Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) diagnosed with severe liver damage as a result of her drinking problem.
As the story intensifies this week, Joyner's character Tanya will make the tough decision to leave Albert Square for the sake of her troubled daughter.
Joyner told ITV's Loose Women today (June 26): "She's seriously ill now. [Jacqueline's] done an incredible amount of research and I think that's why they've planted it for so long, so that it was more realistic. She's not been drinking every single day, although she might have done up until this point now.
"But progressively over the years, she's certainly been binge drinking in a way that a lot of people don't even think is an issue sometimes. People say, 'We'll go out Friday, Saturday and Sunday, drink quite a bit, but we don't drink during the week so I can't be an alcoholic'."
On the pressures faced by EastEnders in accurately exploring the issue, she continued: "They really have a responsibility. Whenever we have a big soap story like that, it's a huge responsibility because you're flooded with people saying it's affected them and it's reached them in a way. There's something about soap, isn't there? People plug in every night and it really becomes part of their moral life."
Show bosses are trying to keep the exact details of Tanya's exit under wraps until she leaves in Friday's episode (June 28).
Joyner added: "It's actually not a massive bang, I wouldn't say. She's got some making up to do with the kids, and I would say that this does it. There's a good family unit there for the children, but I won't be saying if any of them are coming with me. You'll have to watch on Friday!"
I shall raise my glass :D
