Did Lauren Branning Die In EastEnders? SPOILERS

Lauren Branning did not die on EastEnders. The actress Lauren left the BBC soap opera for four years but she came back now for Dot Branning funeral.

Lauren Branning is the step-granddaughter of Dot Branning from the famous BBC Sopa opera, EastEnders. The character was introduced in the series by Madeline Duggan in 2006. The character was portrayed by actress Jacqueline Jossa for eight years, starting from 2010 to 2018. 

Earlier this year, the beloved TV star June Brown passed away at the age of ninety-five. She played the character of Dot Branning in EastEnders. The writers incorporated the mournful event in the series and organized a funeral for Dot Branning.

The series saw many past characters returning to the sets to attend Dot’s memorial service. Among the visitors was Lauren Branning who returned from the New Zealand.

Did Lauren Branning Die In EastEnders?

Lauren Branning from EastEnders is not dead. Lauren reappeared on EastEnders after four years of absence.

Laura stopped appearing in EastEnders after 2018. The last we saw of her was Laura leaving Walford for New Zealand. Nobody heard anything about the character for very long, which left many assuming she has died. But, Laura has been re-introduced in the show. We may be seeing more of her on-screen in the future.

Lauren was the eldest child of Tanya and Max Branning. The characters of Tanya and Max Branning were portrayed by Jo Joyner and Jake Wood respectively. Lauren also has a younger sister named Abi Branning (played by Lorna Fitzgerald).

The family is related to Dot Branning through Jim Branning (played by John Bardon). Jim was Dot’s second husband. So, Dot became the step-grandmother of Lauren and Abi.

Lauren’s visit to the Square was a very memorable trip for her. Past memories rekindled as she attended Dot’s funeral to pay her tribute. Afterward, she visited the family of her late step-grandmother. She had a warm conversation with them and even provide an update about her son Louie Beale. 

Lauren Branning’s re-introduction in EastEnders could lead to many possibilities for the further development of the show. The Brannings family could reunite and rediscover their position in the Square.

Lauren Brings Hope To Branning Family

The Branning family has seen many ups and downs in their life. Lauren had to face many troubles and backlashes in her teenage years. She was the eldest daughter of Max and Tanya. She had a younger sister named Abi Branning. 

Lauren’s father was always on the opposite side of being a decent man. He cheated on his wife with another girl named Stacey Slater (played by Lacey Turner). Lauren exposed her father’s infidelity. It ultimately resulted in the breaking up of the marriage of Max and Tanya.

Lauren herself had to face a lot of problems in relationships. She was stuck in a chronic toxic relationship for many years. She was in a brief relationship with Edward Brooks, and Ryan Malloy. She even had a fling with her cousin Joey Branning. During these relationships, she frequently hooked up and broke off with Peter Beale.

Lauren’s conflicts with her parents were perpetual as she never experienced a decent relationship. This led to Lauren drifting toward the consumption of alcohol to cope with stress. Eventually, she became an alcoholic. She was admitted to rehab after she was diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis.

Lauren saw her father arrested as the suspect in murdering Lucy. Later, he was released from the charges. During that time, her love for Peter rekindles and Lauren gets pregnant. The couple decided to marry and move to New Zealand.

Later, Lauren faces a great tragedy and she loses her sister forever in an accident. Her father leaves his hometown and head to Croatia. The Branning family became lost in misery. But with the re-introduction of Lauren, there is some hope for the Brainnings.

Lauren Branning Was Betrayed By Father Max Branning

Lauren Branning was betrayed by her father Max Branning. Max slept with her best friend while in New Zealand.

Lauren made this shocking revelation about her father’s betrayal while attending her step-grandmother’s funeral. She said that her father, Max, stayed with her in New Zealand some time ago. In one instance, Lauren found out that her father had slept with her best friend. Ever since that event, the father and daughter have parted ways.

Lauren’s character was re-introduced in the BBC One Soap EastEnders for the funeral of the iconic Dot Branning. The show recalled Jacqueline Jossa to reprise her role as Lauren.

The episode of Tuesday night on 13 December 2022 paid a heartfelt tribute to one of the beloved characters, Dot Branning. The memorial service of Dot Branning reunited the Branning family and relatives. You can watch the episode on Dailymotion.

However, the news of Max’s indiscretion came as no surprise to Jack and Denise. They know that it was not the first time Max had done something embarrassing thing like that. At one point, Max used to have an affair with Lauren’s best friend, Lucy Beal. Lucy was murdered in 2014.

Not that Lauren was unaware of her father’s indiscretion before. She had hoped that her father would change for good. He was given the responsibility to look after his granddaughter Abi Branning Jr, daughter of his deceased daughter Abi Branning.

Max was absent from the funeral of his stepmother Dot Branning. The last thing we know about Max was he left Walford for Croatia in 2020 after his relationship with Linda Carter fell apart. James Wood, who played the role of Max Branning, has not appeared in the series since.

The recent episode saw Lauren confronting Linda about her father’s situation. She blamed Linda for the heartbreak her father had to endure and told Linda she was the reason why her father left the Square. But Linda was not shaken at all. She stood her ground and fired back at Lauren and even threatened to kick her out of the pub.

One of the facts Lauren appeared to be totally unaware of was that she had a half-sister. Max has a love child with Linda, a daughter named Annie Carter. It appeared that not only had her father betrayed her, but he also hadn’t been completely honest with her.

Leaving the past behind, Lauren is now looking forward to re-establish regular contact with her father. Future episodes might provide more light on the estranged Branning family.

What Happened To Abi Branning?

Abi was declared brain-dead after she fell off the roof of Queen Victoria. Abi later died from the fatal injury.

Abi Branning is the younger sister of Lauren Branning. Abi has a daughter named Abi Branning Jr. Abi passed away after giving birth to her daughter. Her elder sister stepped in at the moment of need and provided care and parenthood to Abi Jr.

Abi had an affair with Steven back in Wilford. Abi Jr. was their love child. But Stevens died before his daughter was born. He was confronted and killed by  Max after he refused to go along with the plans for making an Apartment block complex.

The Branning sisters confront their father about his reckless action. After a heated showdown, Max heads toward the roof of the building, Queen Victoria to jump off. His daughters try to stop him but accidentally slip off the buildings themselves.

Luckily Lauren recovers from the fall, but her unfortunate sister is declared brain-dead at the hospital. She passes away after giving birth to Steven’s child. Heartbroken, Lauren decides to leave the Square and goes to New Zealand with her boyfriend, Josh.

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