REJOYNING? EastEnders icon reveals talks with show bosses about returning to soap

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.

Jo Joyner smiles wearing a floral top at the Big Feastival. — Jo Joyner revealed discussions were held about a potential return to EastEnders Credit: Getty

Jo Joyner as Tanya Jessop, an actor in the soap opera EastEnders. — 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”.

Tanya Cross and Max Branning in wedding attire, raising champagne glasses. — Jo called her on-screen husband Jake Wood ‘fantastic’

Actors Kierston Wareing and Jo Joyner from the TV show "EastEnders." — Tanya survived a cancer battle and her husband’s multiple infidelities

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!”