A FORMER EastEnders actress has teased “never say never” to an iconic soap comeback.
The family matriarch, who first stepped foot in on Albert Square in 2006, opened up on a huge return – despite two years ago.
An EastEnders legend has teased their iconic soap comeback
Jo Joyner spoke out about a second stint on Albert Square in a chat on Amy Hart’s podcast
Jo played the role of Tanya Branning since 2006
She has now said ‘never say never’ with regard to a return
, 48 – who plays Tanya Branning in the soap – last appeared briefly over Christmas for in 2018.
The mum of two was at the heart of a number of explosive plotlines during her core stint between 2006 and 2009, including a Christmas fallout where Tanya learned her husband Max had been having an affair with Stacey Slater.
Now, with in the show and with Max Branning – Jo’s on screen husband – revealed, she has hinted she’s changed her mind.
On star Amy Hart’s Mum’s Club podcast, Amy quizzed: “As a superfan, I have to ask, are you going to complete my happy families card game for the Brannings?
“You’re the last one!”
Referring to actor Jake Wood, who plays Max, Jo replied: “You know what really made me laugh the other day because he sent me a picture from set and I saw how tall my son is, Oscar.
“I said ‘do they know he’s the Hobbit?'”
She added: “Erm no, not this year.
“Never say never but I have got a lot on this year, so no.”
OPENING UP
Jo recently revealed – and it’s not what you might expect.
She told the Sunday Mirror : “If I come out of a drama I always try to look for a comedy,” she told the Sunday Mirror.
”You can’t just do it constantly for years in misery, otherwise you end up with a Walford frown. It gets to you.”
At the time Jo, who has been on and off the BBC soap since 1999, said bosses had left the door open for a comeback.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun’s TV Mag in 2023, she again doubled down on why she quit the soap.
EastEnders stars who QUIT
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in blockbusters Pacific Rim and .
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in .
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic , and he starred in ’s Netflix movie .
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
“As soon as you got bored of one thing, you got a different thing, a new adventure,” she said.
Jo then looked back on her time at EastEnders, she recalled her storyline when on-screen hubby Max had been having an affair with Stacey.
“That Christmas special, one of the things I love about that as well was that it was a real testament to great writing and investment in stories and characters because a lot of Christmas specials for things, they throw a lot of money at it, lots of stunts and things…
“We had a rain machine and apart from that we just had the actors on one set so that was quite unusual.
“It shows that without good writing, it’s all nothing.”
Jo said she has a busy rest of the year in store
She spoke out about a recent discussion with Jake Wood
A recent plotline which saw Zoe Slater’s return has linked her to Jo’s on-screen husband – so there may be scope for a fresh plotline for Tanya 
