{"id":204199,"date":"2025-06-22T04:01:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T04:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/204199\/"},"modified":"2025-06-22T04:01:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T04:01:11","slug":"huge-eastenders-character-to-return-after-eight-years-played-by-new-actor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/204199\/","title":{"rendered":"Huge EastEnders character to return after eight years played by new actor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>BBC EastEnders has issued a major update as an iconic character returns to Albert Square.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1_Oscar-Branning-3.jpg\" alt=\"Pierre Moullier as Oscar Branning\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Oscar Branning will return to the BBC soap aged 17 and will be played by Pierre Moullier(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Soap fans are used to the tumult of favourite characters coming and going. But one major <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/eastenders\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC EastEnders<\/a> update seems likely to delight viewers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">It\u2019s been revealed that an iconic character will return to Albert Square after eight years off screen &#8211; Oscar Branning. The son of Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner) will return to the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC soap<\/a> aged 17 and will be played by Pierre Moullier, having previously been portrayed by Gabriel Miller-Williams, Neo Hall and Charlee Hall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Moullier said: \u201cIt\u2019s pretty surreal to join EastEnders \u2013 it keeps hitting me that I\u2019m actually on Albert Square.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cWhen I found out I was joining the Brannings, it was so exciting as they are such an iconic family, and I love that there are so many skeletons in the closet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cOscar is so much fun to play, and the audience should be prepared for the unexpected as he\u2019s a complex guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1_EastEnders-Tanya-and-Max-1312247.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Oscar is son of Max and Tanya Branning (Image: BBC)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Producers<\/a> have kept the reason for his return secret, but say it will be revealed when his older sister, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/entertainment\/celebrity\/eastenders-star-jacqueline-jossa-doesnt-33751602\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Lauren Branning<\/a> (Jacqueline Jossa), receives a mysterious call, with Oscar\u2019s return set to \u201cturn her life upside down\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">EastEnders executive producer Ben Wadey said: \u201cI\u2019m very excited to bring Oscar Branning back to Walford and introduce viewers to him now that he\u2019s all grown up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cOscar is very much a Branning which means there\u2019s going to be plenty of drama in store this summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cWe\u2019re delighted to welcome Pierre as he takes on the role and can\u2019t wait for viewers to see him bring Oscar to life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Oscar last appeared in the show when he visited Max on Father\u2019s Day in 2017, before returning to Exeter, where he lived with his mother.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The character is expected to return to Albert Square next month, with Moullier already filming scenes for the show.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750564871_448_1_EMB-EMBARGO-8PM-Michelle-Ryan-makes-bombshell-return-to-EastEnders-as-Zoe-Slater-after-20-years-aw.webp\" alt=\"EastEnders' Zoe Slater made her long-awaited return to the BBC soap on Monday night\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) has also returned (Image: BBC)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Earlier this month we reported the return of another show legend &#8211; Zoe Slater, played by Michelle Ryan. The star reprised her role as Zoe after 20 years off screen, returning to <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/tv\/eastenders-star-quit-bbc-soap-35361659\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Albert SquareLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Albert Square<\/a> in the June 16 episode.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Join the <\/strong><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/join-daily-records-whatsapp-community-31116469\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"[object Object]Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Daily Record&#8217;s WhatsApp community here<\/strong><\/a> <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Her character&#8217;s exit came after one of the most iconic scenes in recent history, when she screamed at Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) in the middle of the square &#8220;you ain&#8217;t my muvva.&#8221; To which Kat emotionally responded: &#8220;Yes I am,&#8221; revealing she wasn&#8217;t her sister as she&#8217;d always thought, but her biological mum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Ryan&#8217;s appearance marked her first since <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/tv\/bbc-eastenders-star-breaks-silence-35340941\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"departing Albert SquareLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">departing Albert Square<\/a> back in 2005 and was the first of three last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The BBC has confirmed that Ryan will return full-time later in the summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BBC EastEnders has issued a major update as an iconic character returns to Albert Square.Oscar Branning will return&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":204200,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3937],"tags":[192,428,77,382,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-204199","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-bbc","9":"tag-eastenders","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-tv","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114725026875842934","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}