However, one person who remains absent but is often mentioned is Max’s ex-wife and the mother of Lauren and Oscar, Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner).
Originally appearing as a regular character from 2006 to 2013, Tanya was last seen struggling outside the funeral of her and Max’s youngest daughter, Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald), during a guest appearance in 2018.
Tanya has been mentioned recently as she’s washed her hands of troubled son Oscar, while Max revealed in flashbacks to Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) that their granddaughter Abi Branning Jr. is staying with her now.
Of course, Joyner remains a very busy actress and is often on our screens, but could we dare to hope for a return for the beloved Tanya?
Speaking at a press event on the set of the soap, executive producer Ben Wadey remained full of praise for Joyner but did note there was already an embarrassment of riches in the cast.
Responding to my question on a potential Tanya return, Wadey laughed: “We’ve just given you Max and Zoe!”
He did continue: “Yeah, I mean, Jo’s amazing, isn’t she? We’ve also got an amazing cast with brilliant performances that deserve and need stories…”
Actor Scott Maslen then humorously interjected: “We need a bit of naughty Max first, don’t we? Yeah, we need him back for a while and let her come and sort him out.”
So, we’re not letting our hope of a Tanya comeback die just yet!
There’s certainly enough drama on the way for Walford in the meantime…
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