AN EastEnders favourite revealed she held talks about a return to Albert Square eight years after her last appearance.
Jo Joyner, 49, said discussions took place late last year about a possible comeback as Tanya Branning in a newly-surfaced Cameo video.
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Jo Joyner revealed discussions were held about a potential return to EastEnders Credit: Getty
She last appeared as Tanya Branning in 2018 Credit: BBC
Recorded for a fan during the festive period from the set of the BBC‘s Shakespeare and Hathaway, Jo said while a return isn’t imminent it could still happen.
She said: “I always say about going back never say never because you just never know. I’m grateful Tanya isn’t dead.
“There’s still a possibility of going back and it has been discussed recently, but I am very busy at the moment with other projects. So I couldn’t go back in at the moment anyway.”
Earlier in the video, she praised her former on-screen husband Jake Wood, calling him “fantastic” and “easy to work with”.
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Jo called her on-screen husband Jake Wood ‘fantastic’ Credit: BBC
Tanya survived a cancer battle and her husband’s multiple infidelities Credit: BBC
Their characters’ fiery relationship was rocked by Max’s numerous affairs.
She also spoke fondly of her on-screen daughters Lorna Fitzgerald and Jacqueline Jossa, who played Abi and Lauren Branning.
Tanya, who overcame cervical cancer, bowed out of Walford in 2018 after daughter Abi’s death and funeral.
Jake Wood reprised the role of Max last year and quickly reestablished himself as a must-watch character.
Fans would relish an on-screen reunion between the exes and the chance to see Tanya develop independently of Max.
One person wrote on Reddit: “I would love Tanya back! Would be great to see her with grown-up Oscar and her grandkids as well as Max and Lauren! Jo Joyner seems really lovely.”
However, another felt that such is the chemistry between the pair that writers would face a tough task decoupling the characters so they can flourish separately.
They wrote: “Tanya (and Jo Joyner as an actress) has so much untapped potential away from Max that I don’t think they’d ever explore with them both in the show.
“They gave her the cancer storyline and the only things I remember were that it was exposed as a big ‘reveal’ and Tanya was paranoid about being able to satisfy Max. Such a waste!”
