Abi Branning

Abi Branning

Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She was introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood on 3 July 2006 as an extension to the Branning family, along with father Max (Jake Wood), mother Tanya (Jo Joyner) and older sister Lauren (Madeline Duggan, later played by Jacqueline Jossa).

For her portrayal as Abi, Fitzgerald has been nominated for the "Best Young Actor" at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards and went on to win "Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress" at the 2012 British Soap Awards. Kate White of Inside Soap praised her portrayal of Abi, saying that Fitzgerald is the "brightest young star in soap", adding "Abi's destined for great dramatic things". A writer from the Western Mail said that Abi's relationship with Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) is "Walford's answer to Romeo and Juliet". However, some critics have been less positive, with one saying that the audience are "not nearly" seeing as much of the "classic characters" due to the younger cast receiving more screen time.