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Joseph "Joey" Branning is the estranged son and eldest child of Derek Branning, the brother of Alice Branning and ex-boyfriend of Peter Beale's twin sister Lucy Beale.

Storylines[]

Joey arrives in Walford to persuade his sister, Alice Branning to return home. However, Derek Branning is angered by Joey. He punches Derek and then reveals he is his son. He makes it clear he wants nothing to do with Derek.

Later, he meets his cousin Lauren Branning and takes a liking to her friend Lucy Beale. He tricks Derek into giving him money, which he gives to Lucy, as Derek has been stealing money from her. He tries to bring Alice home but she insists she is staying, and Joey accepts work from Michael Moon as Derek does not like Michael. He then decides to show Alice what Derek is really like, so invites several friends to a family dinner, leading to Derek trying to punch Joey. However, Alice is just angry at Joey for ruining her day.

He later helps Lucy when she is being pestered by someone, and they end up kissing. Joey manages to con Derek out of more money for Lucy, and she invites him to stay with her. When Derek gains ownership of the emporium, he gives it to Joey. He later kisses Whitney Dean, angering her. Joey's cousin, Lauren Branning, notices that Whitney is unhappy around Joey, and Joey admits that he kissed Whitney. Lauren tells Joey he needs to tell Lucy but he insists it was just a kiss.

Lucy, Whitney and Lauren decide Joey needs to be taught a lesson so they get Lucy to call Joey to the park and then handcuff him to a gate and leave him, Lauren later returns and frees him but Joey says to her that she's jealous that he kissed Whitney and not her so Lauren slaps him and leaves. Joey later ends his relationship with Lucy, no longer having feelings for her. He later moves in with his uncle Max Branning much to Derek's dismay, he then begins a sexual relationship with his cousin Lauren, and they quickly fall in love, Derek finds them kissing and informs Joey that he saw. Worried that Derek will tell Max, they attempt to run away, stealing Derek's car, Lauren had been drinking and crashes the car, Derek saves them, however Joey still dislikes him.

Joey takes the blame for the crash, but calls off his relationship with his cousin as Derek threatens to tell the police that Lauren was the real driver. They reconcile but Lauren's mother, Tanya Cross, discovers the relationship and Derek blackmails her to force Joey to break up with Lauren.

Derek dies of a heart attack, and Joey does not help him. Joey breaks down at the funeral, telling Alice it is his fault. Dot Branning finds Joey and Lauren making out on her sofa, and when Joey is introduced to her as Derek's son, she is horrified and reveals the relationship to the rest of the family. However, they continue their relationship with the approval of Lauren's parents.

In a fit of jealousy, Lucy spikes Lauren's drink and Joey breaks up with Lauren, leaving her distraught. Lauren later leaves Walford with her mother and brother to go to a clinic to get over her alcoholism. When Lauren returns, she finds out that Joey had sex with Whitney. Joey and Lauren decide to still be friends, though Joey is jealous when he finds out that Lauren is seeing another man.

Joey becomes increasingly concerned about his sister Alice, and the way she is involved in a bitter custody feud between Michael and his wife Janine Butcher. After Alice is imprisoned for Michael's murder, she tells Joey that she only killed Michael to stop him killing Janine. Joey tries to get Janine to change her statement to confirm this, but Janine refuses, claiming Alice is a murderer. Later Joey tells Janine that he believes her and when Joey comforts Janine over her loss this leads to them having sex. Janine ends the relationship when she realises Joey is just trying to get her to admit she killed Michael and Alice did not.

Alice pleads guilty to the murder but Janine is arrested after Joey gives the police a tape recording of Janine admitting that she killed Michael. Joey speaks to Alice's solicitor, who confirms she will not be released because of her plea. Having nothing to stay for, Joey leaves to live with his mother. He asks Lauren to come with him, admitting that he still loves her, but Lauren decides to stay.

Kill Count[]

Connected Murders And Deaths[]

  1. Derek Branning (25 December 2012) (negligent homicide) - Joey along with Max, Kat and Jack witness Derek suffering a heart attack and decided against helping him instead watching Derek die from his heart attack.

Resident history[]

Address Years
5 Albert Square 2012
23 Albert Square 2013

See also[]


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