Branning family

The Branning family, together with the Jackson family are a fictional extended family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Introduced in 1993 were the Jackson family, consisting of Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson), her partner and later husband Alan Jackson (Howard Antony), and Carol's four children, Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy), Robbie Jackson (Dean Gaffney), and Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson); he is the only child fathered by Alan. The family becomes a more dominating presence in 1999, when Carol's father Jim Branning (John Bardon) moves to Walford following the death of his wife Reenie (Joy Graham) due to cancer. Since then, all six of Jim's children have appeared, many of them with their own families.

Between 2006 and 2012, new influxes of Brannings joined the show – Max Branning (Jake Wood), his wife Tanya (Jo Joyner) and their children Lauren (Madeline Duggan/Jacqueline Jossa) and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald). Max and Tanya later had another child Oscar Branning in 2007. Max's son with his ex-wife Rachel (Sukie Smith/Pooky Quesnel); Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) was introduced earlier in 2006. Jim's son Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and his daughter Penny Branning (Mia Mckenna-Bruce) were introduced in 2007 and 2008, as well as Bianca's children Liam Butcher (James Forde), Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith), Morgan Jackson-King (Devon Higgs) and her adoptive daughter Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) in 2008. Suzy Branning (now played by Maggie O'Neill) also returned to the show that year for a short stint. In February 2010, Carol returned to the show with her son Billie, who was killed-off months later. Once again in 2011, the Branning family were rejuvenated with the return of Derek Branning (now played by Jamie Foreman), alongside the introduction of his children Joey Branning (David Witts) and Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) the following year. Carol's daughter Sonia returned in 2014 with her daughter Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield), as did Robbie in both 2015 and 2017 and Bianca in 2019 and 2024. More recently, Lauren and her son Louie have been reintroduced, as well as Jack’s daughter Penny (now played by Kitty Castledine).

The family has been central to some of EastEnders most notable storylines since their introduction. These include Bianca attempting to seduce Carol's ex-lover David Wicks (Michael French) - unaware that he is her father, Bianca's marriage to Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) and her abortion due to their unborn daughter having spina bifida, Billie being kidnapped, Bianca's affair with Carol's fiancée Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass), Sonia's teenage pregnancy and Jim's relationship and marriage with Dot Cotton (June Brown). Since their re-development in 2006, other significant storylines include Max's affair with his son Bradley's wife Stacey (Lacey Turner), Max's spurned wife Tanya burying him alive before digging him back up again out of guilt; the death of Max's son Bradley by falling from the roof of Albert Square's public house The Queen Victoria; Jack's wife Ronnie (Samantha Womack) swapping their deceased infant son James with Tommy Moon, cousins Lauren and Joey's relationship, Lauren's alcoholism, Max's relationship with Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) and being framed for her murder; Max's subsequent revenge which leads to him losing another child from a fall from the roof of Queen Victoria (Abi), and Whitney being stalked by Leo King (Tom Wells), the son of Bianca's ex Tony King (Chris Coghill) who sexually abused Whitney. These events lead to Whitney accidentally killing Leo to mark the show's 35th anniversary. Other notable storylines to happen more recently include Max’s affair with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Jack’s daughter Amy’s self-harming, his son Ricky impregnating Stacey’s daughter Lily at twelve years old, and Jack’s eventual affair with Stacey.

As of 2024, the remaining Brannings consist of Max’s daughters Lauren and Annie Carter; Lauren’s son Louie Beale, Jim's youngest son, Jack; Jack's children Penny (Kitty Castledine), Amy (Ellie Dadd) and Ricky (Frankie Day), Ricky's daughter Charli Slater, Jack's civil partner Denise Fox (Diane Parish), and Carol's daughter Sonia. Branning family members such as Bradley's widow Stacey and her daughter Lily (Lilia Turner), who was initially presumed as Bradley's daughter, remain in the series but are currently considered part of other families. Some of Denise's family, including her son Raymond Fox and daughter Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams), are also considered members of the family.