EastEnders' Jacqueline Jossa promises emotional Lauren scenes amid birthday night shoot

EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has teased some emotional scenes in store for Lauren Branning, with her character having to reckon with guilt amid her affair with Mark Fowler. The actor, who debuted on the BBC soap in 2010, celebrated her 34th birthday on Thursday (29 October) and revealed via Instagram Stories that she was filming some night scenes for the show.

"As we speak, I am turning 34 years old. It is midnight. Just finished a night shoot at work," she wrote (via The Sun).

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She continued: "I say that because I've just been… You know what a night shoot means. It can only mean one thing. Happy Birthday, me."

It's been a dramatic time in Walford for Lauren, who returned to the soap in 2022 after a four-year absence. She's been desperate to keep her affair with Mark a secret and while her husband Peter hasn't found out yet, the scheming Ned Hawkins knows the details.

It seems it may not be long before Peter learns the truth though, with Peter actor Thomas Law recently teasing to The Mirror: "It's chaos, as per usual, and a lot of deceit. There's gonna be heartbreak.

"Family is the strongest bond. Everything is deeply rooted in family with regard to the Beales. Peter seems to do things right for Lauren. He's got to reassess if things go wrong, but as long as he keeps Lauren, he's got to just be Peter. He makes her laugh."

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Elsewhere, the BBC soap unveiled a brand-new trailer earlier this week ahead of the festive season, with Charlie Brooks set to make a brief return as the villainous Janine Butcher comes back to Albert Square.

There's drama to be found in nearly every corner, with Suki and Eve Panesar-Unwin's relationship seemingly on the ropes. Sean Slater is also back, while various questions from the flashforward episode will be answered.

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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