Jo Joyner

She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Mandy Carter in the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge.

[4] After a stint of guest roles in shows such as Always and Everyone, The Cops, Heartbeat and Clocking Off, Joyner came to prominence after playing Beth Nicholls in Channel 4 comedy drama No Angels between 2004 and 2006.

"[5] Also, having worked quietly and successfully in the industry for eight years, Joyner was unsure if she would be comfortable with the level of fame being on EastEnders would bring her.

[9] In 2012, Joyner and co-star Jake Wood won the Best On-Screen Partnership category at the British Soap Awards.

[10] On Digital Spy's 2012 end of year reader poll, Joyner was nominated for Best Female Soap Actor and came fourth with 13.4% of the vote.

Speaking of this, Joyner said: "I love playing Tanya and being part of such a great show, but she has been on quite a rollercoaster over the past seven years and I have come to realise that it's right for her to step away from Walford for a bit longer than originally planned.

Joyner reprised the role of Tanya in EastEnders for the 30th anniversary specials in February 2015 and again on Christmas Day 2017 as part of the storyline surrounding the exits of her onscreen daughters.