David Witts: EastEnders' Joey needed a shake-up

David Witts: EastEnders' Joey needed a shake-up
David Witts: EastEnders' Joey needed a shake-up

EastEnders actor David Witts has admitted that Joey Branning's upcoming brush with death in the forthcoming car crash storyline was the shake-up that his alter ego needed. The drama will see Joey and his cousin Lauren Branning, played by Jacqueline Jossa, engulfed in a huge fireball after the accident - with David revealing the excitement of filming the scenes. "We filmed it a couple of weeks ago in Bristol, it was amazing," he said. "We had doubles in for all the big stuff, we were there watching from the sidelines when it happened." "It was absolutely humongous, I think even the director didn't believe how big the explosion was. It was really fun, and fortunately I didn't die, so I've still got a job!" David added that the incident has come as quite a wake-up call for Joey. "I think to be quite honest with you, Joey needed that to just slap him around the face," he pointed out, "because he's been a right git for so long, winding people up, playing around with girls and I think he really needed something to shock him, to show that he does have a vulnerable side, even if it was rather dramatic." He also praised his co-star Jacqueline Jossa, saying, "She's really great and she's good to work with as well, she knows her stuff and it's been really enjoyable working with her for the last couple of months, building up the relationship that we're about to have on screen."

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.