EastEnders favourite Lauren Branning’s return to Walford is yet to air but the character has already landed herself in trouble as she ends up getting arrested by police
Shortly after returning to Walford, Lauren Branning of EastEnders will find herself jailed; this could be related to her previous difficulties with addiction.
Madeline Duggan’s character Lauren made her debut in 2006 and left the show four years later in 2010. A few months later, Lauren made a comeback, but Jacqueline Jossa had taken up the part.
When the character formally said goodbye to Albert Square in 2018, she was sober, but word of her comeback suggests trouble may be on the horizon. In exclusive photos, a uniformed police stops 31-year-old Jacqueline, who plays Lauren.
She was the focal point of multiple compelling narratives, one of which revolved around her protracted struggle with drinking, which started when she learned her mother had cancer. Because to her extreme alcoholism, Lauren experienced major liver problems in 2013.
The officer searches Lauren’s bag and later arrests her, yanking her arms behind her back. While it is not clear why Lauren is being arrested, it looks as though the officer discovers something suspicious in her possession.
Given Lauren’s past, there’s a good likelihood that her arrest is connected to her relapsed addiction. In order to determine whether Lauren would relapse, Daily Star tested Bard AI, one of the most well-known artificially intelligent “creative” tools in the world.
In response, it said, “Lauren has a history of alcoholism and has experienced relapses. When her mother was given a cancer diagnosis in 2012 and she learned of her father’s adultery, she began drinking significantly for the first time.
“She has since been in and out of rehab, and she has struggled to stay sober. If Lauren is not careful, she could easily turn back to alcohol to cope with her problems.” The programme noted that bosses could return to Lauren’s addiction storyline now that the character’s comeback is confirmed.
“It is possible that the writers could explore a relapse storyline for Lauren,” it said. “This would be a challenging but important storyline to tell, and it could help to raise awareness of alcohol addiction and the importance of seeking help.”
Alongside her cousin Penny Branning—now portrayed by Kitty Castledine—Lauren is scheduled to return to Walford. “Her old cast mates can’t wait to film with her as she’s such a pro with a great sense of humor,” an insider stated in reference to Jacqueline’s return.