Storylines
The eldest child and daughter of Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner), conceived during their affair in the early 1990s, Lauren moves to Walford with her parents and younger sister, Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) in July 2006. In 2007, Lauren uncovers an affair between her father and half-brother Bradley's fiancée, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), after accidentally filming them kissing on her video camera. Lauren burns the footage onto a DVD, which is played on Christmas Day, exposing Max and Stacey's affair to the Brannings, and resulting in the breakdown of Lauren's parents' marriage. Initially romantically involved with Peter Beale (Thomas Law), her best friend Lucy's (Melissa Suffield) twin brother, Max disapproves of their relationship, and after ordering Peter to break up with Lauren, throttles him after he retaliates upon seeing a secret assignation between them in the cafe. Shortly after, Max is hospitalised following a planned hit-and-run. It is ultimately revealed that Lauren is the culprit, but Tanya confesses to the crime, and is imprisoned, pleading guilty to attempted murder. This distresses Lauren, who reveals her intentions to spare her mother facing a jail sentence. Lauren is later found guilty of GBH with intent, and is sentenced to two years under supervision.
In 2008, Lauren finds herself being groomed by paedophile Tony King (Chris Coghill), stepfather to her best friend, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), with whom he is having a sexual relationship. When Tony's paedophilia is revealed, Lauren is shocked after learning that she was about to become Tony's next victim. Lauren splits up with Peter after he lies to his friends, claiming that he and Lauren had a sexual experience in the allottments. However, the couple plan a reunion and Lauren tells him she is ready to have sex, but Max bans Peter from seeing Lauren, uncovering their main intentions. Lauren later moves away from Walford when her father gets into debt, leading to the family's possessions being taken by bailiffs. She returns to Walford briefly at Christmas, and dumps Peter again before seeing him kissing Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny), resulting in a catfight between her, Zsa Zsa and Whitney. She later attends Bradley's funeral after he falls from the roof of The Queen Victoria public house, after he attempts to flee Walford when the police accuse him of murdering Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb.) She also celebrates her sixteenth birthday at a party in R&R nightclub, where her uncle Jack (Scott Maslen) is shot by Kylie (Elarica Gallagher.) After attending Abi's birthday dinner, Lauren informs her father that she is leaving Walford to spend the summer at a summer camp in the United States, departing Walford in June.
Lauren, now played by Jacqueline Jossa, returns from America earlier than expected, after being expelled from school for smoking cannabis. She reveals that she has gained a new boyfriend, Edward Brooks (Luke Striffler), but he ends their relationship as a result of the long-distance. Lauren attends her cousin Billie's (Devon Anderson) birthday party and as a present, she gives him alcohol which he quickly drinks; he is found dead of alcohol poisoning on the settee the following morning. Billie's mother, Carol (Lindsey Coulson) later attacks Lauren, stating that she encouraged Billie to get more and more drunk. Lauren later believes that her father was responsible for Archie's murder, after he tells her that Bradley wasn't the culprit and she notes his violent tendencies when he angrily confronts Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) after he makes crude sexual remarks to Lauren after she rejects his attempts at propositioning her. Lauren confronts her father, who tells her that he is not the killer but knows who is; after witnessing her father and Stacey together, Lauren realises that Stacey is the killer, and tricks a confession out of her, which she tapes on her mobile phone. Lauren threatens to go the police, but agrees to keep quiet after discovering that Archie raped Stacey. However, on Christmas Day, Lauren hands Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) the recording, leading to Stacey fleeing Walford after Janine exposes her as the killer. Lauren develops a crush on Whitney's half-brother Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) and he later succumbs, sleeping with Lauren. The pair begin an affair however the relationship is almost terminated as of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), uncovering the romance. Her relationship with Ryan later ends when he flees Walford after killing Rob Grayson (Jody Latham), who had been sexually exploiting Whitney for financial gain.
Upon discovering Max and Tanya are having an affair, despite Tanya re-marrying Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth), Lauren threatens to kill Max unless the affair ends, but it secretly continues. The affair is soon exposed, causing Max to leave Walford. Lauren is angered by her mother's actions originally, but is devastated that Tanya has been diagnosed with womb cancer. Lauren promises to support Tanya, but struggles to cope with her mother's illness. She develops alcoholism, almost ending Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) and Jodie Gold's (Kylie Babbington) engagement by sleeping with Darren. Afterwards, she experiences having a casual relationship with Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline.),who dumps him after realizing Whitney is still in love with him. Max later returns to Walford, and when Lauren uncovers that Tanya has stopped her treatment, begs Max to stay, eventually revealing her illness to him, prompting Max to remain in Walford. Lauren's rebellion continues, and after she becomes intoxicated at Pat Evans's (Pam St. Clement) funeral, she is berated by her parents, and given a private consultation with a GP. Lauren withdraws from school, and is employed by her father at the car lot. She resumes being an alcoholic and attempts to conceal this from her parents. Her drinking is so heavy that Lucy tells her to return home but Lauren ignores her and insists that she is fine. Lucy loses her and she is found passed out in the street. Lauren tells her parents her drink was spiked before stating she is mature enough to make decisions. She then decides to move out. On her 18th birthday, a drunken Lauren belatedly arrives at a family party, organised by Tanya. After being sick, Lauren admits to her parents that she is uncontrollable and promises not to drink excessively anymore. She later moves back home after not being able to cope with laziness of her housemates. Lauren and Lucy go on a night out where a drunken Lauren kisses a stranger, Dan, who drags her into his car. After Lucy manages to drag her out of the car the pair argue and Lauren storms off. Lucy finds her unconscious and takes her to hospital, however, they become separated again when Lauren discharges herself from hospital. Lauren returns home to find Lucy has already confessed everything to Max, Tanya and Ian. Angry, Lauren argues with her family and leaves, meeting up with Dan. After she rejects his advances, Lauren goes to Lucy's home and Lucy tells her that she does not want anything more to do with her.
Lauren meets her estranged cousin Joey Branning (David Witts) and becomes attracted to him. Her friendship with Lucy rekindles after Lucy's father disappears and Lauren helps to find him. Joey and Lucy have a relationship but Lauren discovers that Joey kissed Whitney, and urges her to tell Lucy. Lucy breaks up with him and the three girls take revenge by handcuffing him to playground equipment. Lauren decides to free him so he does not lose his job, and he tells her she is jealous that she did not get a kiss, so she slaps him. Joey is working at R&R when he sees Lauren flirting with a group of men causing him to throw them out and take Lauren home. Lauren shares a kiss with Joey but he rejects her. The following day, Joey explains that because of her intoxication, he rejected her and they kiss again. Lauren realises she cannot be with her cousin, so resists. Eventually, sexual tension mounts between them and they start a relationship. Joey's father Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) sees Joey and Lauren kissing through the window of the car lot office. Derek later threatens Lauren, and she pleas with Joey to leave Walford with her. As they drive away in Derek's car, a drunk Lauren loses control of the car and crashes into a shop. Derek helps rescue them from the burning building, and forces Joey to take the blame for the crash. At the hospital, Lauren reveals her relationship with Joey to Tanya, and Derek blackmails Joey into ending his relationship with Lauren. Heartbroken and distraught, Lauren continues consuming alcohol. Tanya later comes to realise that Joey is still in love with Lauren.
Read more about this topic: Lauren Branning