Walford Web-Walford Web’s EE40 All-Time Character Rate (2025)

26. Grant Mitchell
Average score: 7.696
Highest score: 11 x 1 (MitchellMember4Eva); 10 x 10 (Cam, DISGUSTING Genes, eesarah, kasjacs1673, Leon, Michelle Fowler, Monokuma, smere, SteveOwen & VanGoghed)
Lowest score: 3 x 3 (danijaydex, Dennys Biscuit & MrSunshine)

Shamelessness: Always happy to see him pop up for a guest appearance but I really hope Ross decides to come back for an extended stint one day.
*Betty*: Slightly overrated at times but his legend has stood the test of time.
BrightEyes: In my classics watch, I've really surprised myself by how much I like Grant. Ross Kemp is magnetic as much as Grant can be divisive. But I do finding myself rooting for him to stop being his own worst enemy. I don't know if they kept him as complex in later years, especially with the abuse story with Tiffany, but right now he is deeply sympathetic even when he's a bastard. His backstory of being apart of the horrors of war really help his case, too.
Roastmyownbeans: An absolute prick when he was in the show but I can’t deny that he was watchable and memorable. Even though I would have avoided him in real life, he just worked as a character.
Zachary: Bald legend.
Jedi Pat: I can't get around the fact that Grant is one of the show's most memorable, legendary characters, featuring in a string of high-profile storylines that were generally well-received. And yet… while I don't dislike the character, and I'm glad to see him back for the 40th, I don't share the widespread enthusiasm there seems to exist for Grant. To me, he always felt like an unreasonable bully, resorting to violence and threats to get his way. His relationships with both Sharon and Tiffany were tainted by his toxic behaviour, and despite some instances of seemingly genuine regret for his behaviour, it never really seemed to lead to significant, substantial personal growth.
TheTrueMitchell: A great character with some brilliant moments over the years, had he have been on the show as much as Phil, I would probably have ranked him higher. These days, it’s always a treat when Grant comes back for a bit but I don’t believe he will ever be needed full time on the show.
VinegarLips: Grant was rather horrible at times, wasn't he? And yet we as a nation seem to hail him as a leading man and not the abusive thug we would have him nailed as in this day and age. Regardless of morals, Grant undeniably owned the 90s in terms of screentime and drama and is always a watchable presence whenever he's around. His up and down dynamic with Phil, and his sizzling tension with Sharon have fuelled some of the biggest and most chaotic moments of the last 30 years and for that I am grateful. Ross Kemp offers a lot of gravitas and I look forward to having him back very soon.
eastenders190285: Overrated…
WearyHippo: I remember being pretty bewitched by Grant as a kid. I’m not very interested in him now and I’m not sure why. Maybe his somewhat weak guest appearances have taken the shine off him for me, or maybe too much time has passed since I was invested in him. Back in the day, though, I was certainly gripped by him, and the moment he played the Sharongate tape in the Vic electrified me more than any other moment in the show’s history, I’d say.
easstenders: Very excited for his return, I’ll always welcome him back with open arms. I wish Courtney was coming back again, as I always want to see more of their relationship. I love that, like Phil, you’ve always wanted to root for Grant even though he can be very hotheaded and selfish. I loved Grant and Tiffany, and wish they could have gone the distance, but alas.
Ooh, I Say: I like him, but when I think about it, it’s purely because he’s iconic. I’ve not seen enough of him, and I’m not a fan of how he’s basically framed as a hero when he’s abused multiple women. Ross was wooden during his 2016 stint, so I hope he’s improved in the last 9 years.
SeeThemFlying: I didn't watch much of Grant's era because I was too young, but there's no doubt he was one of the show's legendary characters.
MrJames: I always find it a bit difficult to ignore how horrendously he treated his wives. I had a spell of watching Christmas/New Year episodes one after another a while back and 1996-1998 was literally just Grant being vile to poor Tiffany.
TellyAddict: Another one of those characters who isn't always easy to like but always provided good TV. I've appreciated the growth we've seen from him in all of his stints since his 1999 exit and I'm looking forward to seeing him back for Phil's current storyline.
VanGoghed: The superior Mitchell
Shrimpy: Have only seen his returns and have not been impressed.
BlakeButcher123: A solid character, but just awful to all the women in his life, and it can be hard to watch when rewatching his 90's material. Still his partnership with Sharon was great, and he was a very well rounded character.
Daniel68: Obviously an icon of the show but in his two most recent stints I haven’t found Ross Kemp to be the most convincing actor
Monokuma: literally couldn't rate him lower, he's too iconic.
GETAHHHT!!!: Grant was a psycho. His treatment of Sharon and especially Tiffany was deplorable but the way he could swiftly dispense of anyone who tried to get in his way was great fun to watch. Can’t wait to have him back again!
PintOfChurchills: A really compelling character with an interesting back story when he was first introduced. Helped define 1990s EastEnders. Various short-term stints since have failed to live up to the original hype though.
Startedin2014: Probably one of the most overused characters in his time, but that made for a whole lot of strong development and contrasts, the Mitchell Brothers were a great pair and while Grant could be called a villain, he did manage to be a genuinely sympathetic character at times, and that’s a strong feat. Plus Ross Kemp is such a fantastic actor.
Seamus2008: not a big fan of the character but maybe that’s because I missed 90’s EE at the time - have caught up since then - and was not happy with the way he behaved especially towards women. I’ve awarded him 9 because of his “legendary” status and due to his frequent returns down the line. I appreciate someone who’s open to come back when the storyline and his agenda match. Can’t wait to see Linda, Nigel and him team up to save Phil!

25. Roxy Mitchell
Average score: 7.701
Highest score: 11 x 2 (EastEndlad & snh96); 10 x 14 (Cam, danijaydex, easstenders, eastenders190285, EastEnders2021, EddyEE, kasjacs1673, No Ice, Ronoxy, Ross, Shrimpy, SquarePear, SteveOwen & Watts your Butchers name)
Lowest score: 1 x 2 (JasonUS & MWLion)

Shamelessness: BRING HER BACK, YOU COWARDS!
*Betty*: Roxy made my heart warm.
BrightEyes: A character that could be fun as hell, but was never allowed to escape her sister's shadow. I would have loved to see Roxy triumph without Ronnie on the show. Another character they never let grow up for long.
Roastmyownbeans: Fun enough, but no real strong opinion. Always seemed to be going on about Ibiza and portrayed as the screw-up sister to Ronnie.
EastEndlad: Same as a above but it's Roxy instead of Ronnie
Zachary: Miss ar chick everyday x Feel like pure shite just bring her back we will pretend New Years never happened xx
Jedi Pat: I loved our Chaotic Queen and the wild ride that was her time in Walford - with her and Sean Slater's wedding day as a particular, very sexy highlight. Roxy and Ronnie were case perfectly as sisters, with very believable chemistry, and a very unfortunate penchant for exactly the same men. I mostly remember her as a bubbly, vibrant character who lit up the Square, and the only thing I wish to swipe under the carpet is that unfortunate and mismatched "thing" she had with Alfie.
TheTrueMitchell: My favourite of the Mitchell sisters and is a huge loss to the show, she would absolutely still have a place on the show now, her death felt like the bigger mistake of the two. Could she come back? Probably not, but I’d kill for those scenes with Amy, but in real life this time.
VinegarLips: Introduced as the fire to Ronnie's ice, Roxy proved herself to be just that very quickly and was a magnet to chaos and drama throughout her whole stint. At the time, it could be frustrating to see Roxy make bad decision after bad decision - especially when it came to dating Dean - but I'd give anything to have her back. I've grown to adore how messy she was, how she tried to change and grow but never quite could. It's very realistic. Rita Simons was such a warm and familiar actress who would have stayed forever had Scummy Sean O'Connor not robbed us of her. She had fun and you could feel the fun through the screen. Though the bond between Roxy and Ronnie was priceless, Roxy was probably at her best when trying to carve her own identity - her sizzling romance with Sean, lording it over Kat with Alfie, trying to make a success on Masood's stall etc. Her final months were, to SOC's credit, quite a heartbreaking and poignant arc as she slowly gave up on herself and succumbed to drugs but it shouldn't have ended the way it did. I hope one day I'm looking back at this commentary and grinning in triumph due to her resurrection. We got a taste of what that could feel like with Amy's hallucination, and I need more.
WearyHippo: Outside of her relationship with Ronnie, I’m not sure Roxy was ever particularly great. Fun, for sure, and definitely not bad in any way, but rarely amazing in her own right. She can’t really be extricated from her pairing with Ronnie though so that probably doesn’t matter.
easstenders: My favourite Mitchell without a doubt. Roxy was electric. The worst mistake the show has ever made was killing off Roxy. Whilst her last year was a bit rough, she never should’ve died. She didn’t even need a break, like I believe Ronnie did. When Ronnie left in 2011, Roxy stepped up and proved she didn’t always need to be in Ronnie’s shadow, and that really made her character for me. I loved her dynamics with everyone, and I’m very bitter she’s not here now for her daughter and family. They need to bring her back and I’m willing to suspend the idea of realism for her return.
Ooh, I Say: Love her, miss her, bring her back. Should never have been killed. Never quite as exciting as Ronnie, but I cannot forget how much of an impact R&R made when they crash-landed on the Square in 2007. Rita was always great, she deserved a chance to shine on her own.
SeeThemFlying: I always loved Roxy as she was suchfun.She always got a lot of soapy storylines in comparison to Ronnie's heavy tragedy, and I think that gave the character much more longevity. While I think Ronnie had run her course by the time SOC killed the sisters off, Roxy had not, and I would love to have seen more of her.
TellyAddict: Would it be a hot take to say that overall I preferred Roxy to Ronnie? She could be an immature little madam at times but the underlying sense of loneliness and her just wanting to be loved that pretty much defined her entire stint always made me root for her. If one sister had to have survived that hotel pool I would've probably chosen her, but really neither should have been killed off.
FancyACuppa: Without a doubt my favorite (young) Mitchell woman From the moment she arrived on the square in that white hat, years of fun and chaos followed. Roxy had a lot of great dramatic moments as well from her struggles to be a parent, doomed romances, being assaulted by Dean and going off the rails, and having to navigate her sister's various New Years Day tragedies.
Shrimpy: Always showy, never boring and had such depth. Amazing chemistry with all screen partners. Killing her off was such a travesty.
BlakeButcher123: Overall I really enjoy Roxy, but she never really seemed to grow, and the constant going for Ronnie's boyfriends was frustrating.
Daniel68: Definitely the inferior of the Mitchell sisters
Monokuma: a wonderful character that never could pick the right fucking guy.
Watts your Butchers name: The fire to Ronnie’s ice. Roxy was feisty, fun and beautifully vulnerable. Watching Rita Simons talk about Roxy, you can tell she really cared and understood the character and when to play her understated and when to play her vibrantly and full of life. She had such great on-screen partnerships with Ronnie, Christian and Sean, and would have loved to have seen her being landlady for a longer stint than she was. Simply iconic.
GETAHHHT!!!: Always enjoyed watching Roxy and I feel like she should have survived between her and Ronnie. Killing them off both was a step too far. The fact she could have been here to see Amy grow up. The cameo she made recently just shows how much the show lacks without her character.
PintOfChurchills: just never saw the appeal.
Startedin2014: Had a few bad moments in her decade in the show, but for the most part Roxy was an incredibly fun character and didn’t deserve to be killed off.
Tomski12: Roxy deserved so much better. Whilst I can see the logic in disposing of Ronnie to some extent, Roxy was far from exhausted. I actually found her final year to be the best material she’d ever had and there was so much mileage left to give. I don’t know whether this commentary will appear before or after her sisters, but I look forward to their resurrection from their watery graves.
Seamus2008: the fire to Ronnie’s ice. She was loud, sexy, only cared for herself but you could never not like her. It was hard when she purposefully destroyed her life (taking drugs, sleeping with Jack, getting involved with Sean and later “granddad” Alfie, backing her father, getting with rapist Dean) but thankfully she (sort of) sorted her messy life when she had Amy. Loved her friendship with Christian even if it was often one-sided and loved her sisterly bond with Ron.
EastEnders2021: I just know innocent bunny rabbits hate to see her coming. I feel like a night out with ar Rox would solve all of life’s problems. A modern interpretation of the beloved “tart with a heart” archetype, and there was some real depth beneath the spray tan and peroxide. The relationship between Ronnie & Roxy only worked because both Sam and Rita were born to play those roles. Rita’s comedic timing set the screen alight from scene one.

24. Sonia Fowler
Average score: 7.72
Highest score: 10 x 11 (Dave Sullivan, DISGUSTING Genes, Getting Phil Mitchelled, Jedi Pat, kasjacs1673, Leon, Loki, MrPapadopoulos, Shamelessness, SteveOwen & Stinj)
Lowest score: 0 x 2 (sesame_seed & Watts your Butchers name)

Shamelessness: Sonia, my love! I have so much time for this character. She feels real. Natalie Cassidy is responsible for two of my all-time favourite performances on this show (Jamie’s death and Dot’s funeral).
*Betty*: A combination of all the powerhouse performers she grew up alongside. I hope we see Sonia grow old on this show.
BrightEyes: She's our underdog. We want the best for her, but sometimes she doesn't make it easy to remember that. Still, she's relatable and is also great when allowed to have a little bite to her.
Roastmyownbeans: A good solid community character, for me, more than a leading one. This current story, despite her insane blinkers over awful Reiss, is quite good, resting on her understandable desperation for a pregnancy. Enough with the fucking trumpet references though, it’s so boring.
Zachary: Icon. Need her to smother Reiss with a pillow.
Jedi Pat: I mean, what's not to love about our long-suffering, trumpet-molesting heroine? As if growing up in the chaos of the Jackson home wasn't enough, it literally took one awkward fumble with the boy across the Square to change OurSon's life forever. Genius move on the part of the writers, because little Chloe/Bex made Sonia instantly ten times more interesting. Life was about to hit Sonia harder when her baby daddy accidentally killed her fiancé. But of course, in soap that does not stop one from falling in love with said fiancé-killing baby daddy. Her frequent run-ins with Pauline Fowler ("You wanna bring up Chloe, you couldn't bring up phlegm!") contributed to the first of her unjust murder accusations. But being a feisty foil for Pauline wasn't the pinnacle of Sonia's path to icon status, for we still had some bangers to come, from slipping naked into Phil Mitchell's bed, to leaving Martin for Naomi, and later, leaving him again and shacking up with Tina Carter, before dumping Tina in favour of… Kettering! Throw in a love triangle with her own daughter and her daughter's teacher, a fake dad who ends up probably being a better deal than the real one, and, following Dot's demise, a wife-killing new fiancé, and the conclusion must surely be that, for someone who's often treated by the wardrobe department as a present-day Pauline, Sonia's life is anything but dull and grey.
TheTrueMitchell: I’ve been on a journey with Sonia, never really liked her, found her irritating and boring, but she has grown on me year upon year since I joined this forum, perhaps it’s you lot that have convinced me. She is linked to some incredibly iconic moments and Nat Cass knows exactly who the character is. It’s been lively seeing her front a storyline with Reiss over the last couple of years, and her central involvement in Dot’s funeral was beautiful.
VinegarLips: Feels like the right time to reflect on Sonia as we prepare to say goodbye to her again. Despite some bumps in the road, especially in this current stint, Sonia has been such a reliable and quintessential EastEnders character for the last three decades. She's been kind and gentle, scathing and judgemental, a hypocrite, a saint, a dramatic leading lady, a doddery supporting character, she's loved men, she's loved women, but as NatCass herself has stressed, she's normal. And that's what will be remembered of her in the end - the slice of mundanity amidst the chaos and sensationalism. This Reiss saga has been a treat, finally seeing her at the spotlight again for the first time since Pauline's murder and allowing Nat to stretch her acting talents. She will be missed.
eastenders190285: Overrated
WearyHippo: Somehow Sonia is unquestionably an icon yet also underrated. She has suffered from long years of underuse in this stint and, when she inevitably returns, I suspect that will be a continuing theme because she isn’t the sort of character storyliners will throw endless plots at. But it doesn’t matter because her mere presence adds so much to the canvas, so I look forward to the day she comes home.
Getting Phil Mitchelled: Love that DTC brought her back and CC gave Sonia her first big story in years. Will be sad to lose her after the 40th. Hopefully Natalie isn't away too long.
easstenders: It’s been nice to see Sonia at the forefront of the show more recently, she’s someone I’ve always loved. Jamie’s death is one of my favourite scenes ever, Nat Cass was excellent. She also threw in such an underrated performance during Bex’s suicide attempt. An actress you really can always rely on to step up when she needed. Devastated she’s leaving us.
Ooh, I Say: Our favourite NHS queen. Hated her during her 2014 return, but since coming back from maternity leave, I’ve appreciated her more. Gutted she’s pissing off. Much prefer her when she’s not embracing her inner bisexual, probably because she’s never been given a female partner I like her with. NatCass is an icon, but what am I doing? Just doing this now!
SeeThemFlying: For me, Sonia's character is one of two halves. During her first stint, she was allowed to be a real leading lady, and really shone in the role. Her grief over the loss of Jamie, her relationship with Martin, and feud with Pauline were all good watches. However, I don't think her second stint has ever really recaptured that magic, and she's been at a loose end a lot of the time. I hope her third stint will be better.
TellyAddict: Oh Sonia, they could never make me truly hate you. I think the only time I was ever really tired of her was towards the end of her original stint at the end of 2006/start of 2007. NatCass is such an underrated performer I feel - especially for her work during Jamie's death. I'll miss her a lot when she goes but I feel confident that we'll see her again some day.
Shrimpy: A fave of mine who is generally always underused. I have not minded the Reiss storyline at all, because she's been front burner. It is a shame she's leaving, but hopefully it's alive and she will be back. Her two lines to Stacey "Its usually the turkey that gets stuffed at Christmas" and "Your morals they are as loose as your knickers" they live rent free in my head!!
Daniel68: Love Sonia, I think Natalie Cassidy is outstanding. I remember she wasn’t popular on here when I first joined but it’s nice to see that people seem to have changed their minds on her now - great character
Monokuma: I love her but my god she's been written like crap for a long time it's difficult to ignore. I'll miss her when she goes but she definitely needs a break and hopefully gets written better when she returns.
Watts your Butchers name: I find most of Sonia’s qualities as a character quite dull and annoying. She is often very pessimistic, and despite being back for over a decade I can count the things she’s actually done in that time on one hand, and most of them consist of one off scenes arguing with either Stacey or Sharon. I don’t think Nat Cass particularly sells Sonia as interesting or particularly watchable either. Having said that I do appreciate her as a community character and a familiar face as these things are instrumental to the genre of soap, but Tracey covers this just as much behind the bar to be honest, and I find Sonia just as interesting as Tracey is, which obviously isn’t a good thing.
PintOfChurchills: it’s always wonderful when a child actor sees their character through into adulthood and Sonia’s journey has been amazing to witness, with many very memorable storylines and performances from Natalie Cassidy along the way. I hope she’s not away too long in this next break.
Startedin2014: Will be sad to see her go, but while she’s never been one of my favourites, I have always liked her well enough, and Natalie Cassidy. Honestly, can’t believe she’s been back in the show for over a decade now and done nothing for at least 90% of it. Not much to say other than good character as a whole.
Macjay: Deserves much better than Reiss, hope she 's back one day
Tomski12: Oh Sonia what are we going to do without you? I’m so glad she’s finally had the material she’s deserving of after so long back on the show and I hope she’s back with us sooner rather than later.

23. Tanya Cross
Average score: 7.76
Highest score: 10 x 10 (BlakeButcher123, eastenders190285, EastEndlad, EddyEE, Mikey, No Ice, PintOfChurchills, Seamus2008, Shrimpy & Zachary)
Lowest score: 2 x 1 (LostandFound16)

Shamelessness: Jo Joyner was great. I despise how Tanya is now mainly remembered for the “How’s Adam?” moment, it’s so reductive of her overall role on the show. She had fantastic chemistry with both Max and Sean and felt like a realistic frustrated mother and spurned wife.
*Betty*: Not always the most likeable character but Jo Joyner played her perfectly.
BrightEyes: I like her well enough overall, but it's hard to rank her higher when the character was so pathetic. Again, a great actress doing some heavy lifting.
Roastmyownbeans: Fine, but I don’t particularly miss her.
EastEndlad: My favourite Branning please bring her back
Zachary: MUVVA. I constantly go back to many Tanya scenes, Jo is such a watchable and brilliant performing actor. Need her back x
Jedi Pat: While I now mostly remember her for four things (burying Max alive, having cancer with all the severity of a cold, writing a note about the whereabouts of the bubbly, and casually enquiring about Adam), I remember Tanya was a character I enjoyed while she was around, but did not particularly miss after she'd left. A decent soap character, but not quite EastEnders Royalty.
TheTrueMitchell: Tanya was one of my favourite characters of the late 2000s and early 2010’s, the chemistry between Tanya and Max was brilliant and the many facets of their troubled relationship were very watchable. Jo Joyner was great in the role and I’d love a return.
VinegarLips: Tanya, aside from that blip where she tried to bury Max alive, always felt like a real mum from a real family. Jo Joyner did a stellar job at making her feel sympathetic and layered, even when she was being a hypocrite and a moaner. The dynamic with Max got repetitive especially towards the end but you always believed Tanya and Max's attraction to each other and in many ways they were two sides of the same coin - the character worked best when she wasn't simpering but rather his equal. What was also believable was Tanya's love for her girls even if she wasn't necessarily being the best mum. Her magnum opus probably came with the small guest cameos between 2017 and 2018 as part of Lauren and Abi's exits; we saw every shining facet of her in Christmas and Boxing Day alone, and Jo played a blinder. I'd be open to see her again anytime, if only to see how she's healed after Abi's death.
WearyHippo: Some missteps were made with Tanya here and there (burying Max, her cancer cold, Greg) but Jo Joyner is such a talent that my enjoyment of her character never really wavered. I think I appreciate her even more in hindsight.
Getting Phil Mitchelled: Tanya is one character who will always be at the top of my return list. I feel like we are missing pivotal character moments from what we have heard about her since Abi's death, and would gladly welcome Tanya home to Albert Square for some drama.
easstenders: Tanya was fantastic. A really believable character, who you always wanted to root for. Jo Joyner was obviously amazing and smashed it out the park everytime she needed to. I’d love to see her and Cora pop back up for Lauren again at some point.
Ooh, I Say: I had such a marmite relationship with Tanya when I was a younger viewer, but she was amazing. Remember crying when I was 10 because I saw a TV magazine in my local offie while buying jelly snakes that said it was going to be her last Christmas (the cancer storyline). Bring. Her. Back!
SeeThemFlying: The Max/Tanya pairing absolutely set the late 2000s alight, and the Stax storyline wouldn't have been half the success it was without Tanya, Jo Joyner made Tanya feel very real, and her struggling with Max's repeated betrayals was very compelling. Unlike Max, I think Tanya left the show when her arc came to its natural conclusion, and the times we've seen her since have felt very necessary and earned.
MrJames: I have so been enjoying her in the 2007 repeats. Warm, fussy, a bit snobby, a good laugh. She feels very familiar to me.
TellyAddict: I feel like Tanya would've been an easy 10 if it hadn't been for the tedious romance with Jack in the aftermath of the Stax reveal. Other than that though I absolutely loved her, flaws and all. You were always guaranteed an amazing performance from Jo Joyner whenever she was front and centre of the show.
Shrimpy: Tanya can return anytime, with or id think with out Max on the canvass.
BlakeButcher123: One of three characters I considered for my 11. Tanya for me is one of the shows most underrated characters, because despite being part of one of the shows most iconic storylines and moments, I feel she just misses out on being an iconic character. Jo Joyner brought so much to the character, and is probably why i can see past bad writing such as Max's burial, or the relationship with Jack, but i really love Tanya's arc on the show. I really liked her always trying but never quite managing to put her kids above her relationship with Max, until she finally did when she left in 2013. And i LOVED her return in 2017, when she was finally completely over Max, whereas he and Stacey were stuck making the same mistakes over and over again. I also feel that alongside characters like Carol. Tanya always felt like an actual realistic person.
Daniel68: I loved Tanya, her relationship with Max and the children was always fascinating. Jo Joyner never missed a beat, her Christmas Day performance in 2017 was exceptional
Monokuma: such a fantastic character. Need her back home.
Watts your Butchers name: Tanya is such a salt of the earth type of character. She often wore her heart on her sleeve which I think just made it hard not to sympathise or just fall in love with her. Her and Max were often electric and I honestly think the toxicity is the closest a couple have come to Den and Ange, but somehow without it feeling like an attempt to carbon copy them. Her relationship with her kids felt extremely realistic, the way she frets over Lauren and often ignores Abi is just so on the nose to how many families operate, and I think it would have been interesting to see her reaction to Abi’s characterisation from 2013 until the character’s death. Her Christmas return in 2017 was wonderful, and left me longing for more, especially now Oscar is 18 and Lauren is back, the material practically writes itself. Jo was an asset to the show and remains one of the best actresses on TV.
No Ice: The Brannings will always be *my* EastEnders family as they were the heart of the show when I started watching, but I can’t help but feel as though my love for the family wouldn’t run so deep had it not been for Tanya. Just a really fantastic, well-acted and well-rounded character who never once faltered.
PintOfChurchills: I was so happy when Jo Joyner was cast in EastEnders and I adored the Tanya / Max dynamic throughout.
Tomski12: A poster on here once said that in hindsight, Tanya was more of a reactionary figure than a character in and of herself. But by god was she well acted. We were very lucky to have Jo Joyner for as long as we did, and I would always welcome a return.
Seamus2008: the original yummy mummy who you really rooted for when Max cheated on her - but that’s also because Jo Joyner has such a warm presence and plays her role incredibly well. Can’t say her second marriage left a lasting impression (Tanya Jessie anyone!) but I’m hoping she’ll return to the Square to be a regular character.