Jo Joyner: Never say never about EastEnders return as Tanya

By David Hollingsworth
( What's on TV )
published

Jo Joyner: Never say never about EastEnders return as Tanya
(Image credit: BBC)

Jo Joyner has an exciting series to film

Jo Joyner says she wouldn’t rule out returning as Tanya Cross in EastEnders.

The 41-year-old actress did return to the soap on Christmas Day as Tanya looked on in horror as her kids – Lauren and Abi Branning – fell from the Queen Vic roof.

And Jo has given EastEnders fans hope that she’ll be back again one day as Tanya, although for now she is focusing on filming the second series of her BBC daytime series Shakespeare & Hathaway.

“Never say never [about returning to EastEnders],” she told Lorraine. “At the moment I’m going straight into Shakespeare & Hathaway up until Christmas… I won’t be there [EastEnders] for now.”

Shakespeare & Hathaway sees Mark Benton as an ex-Detective Inspector who unexpectedly finds himself paired with ex-hairdresser, Luella Shakespeare (played by Jo) to investigate criminal goings-on in rural Warwickshire.

Meanwhile, Jo revealed that she was a massive Love Island fan and was throwing her support behind Dani Dyer to win.

“Obviously, I’m a Dani and Jack [fan] myself. Dani’s done Danny [Dyer] really proud. She’s been fantastic. It’s always good to see good decent people win these reality shows. Sometimes it can be the nastier you are, the more vile you are, the more votes you get – not in Love Island.”

EastEnders continues on BBC1.

David Hollingsworth
David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!