Jacqueline Jossa calls on Jake Wood to return to EastEnders
Jacqueline Jossa wants Jake Wood to return to 'EastEnders' as her on-screen dad Max Branning.
Jacqueline Jossa wants Jake Wood to return to 'EastEnders'.
The 32-year-old actress returned to the soap in October 2023, five years after her alter ego Lauren Branning departed Albert Square, and with the likes of Ross Kemp and Paul Bradley - who played Grant Mitchell and Nigel Bates - coming back for the show's upcoming 40th anniversary, she'd love to see her on-screen dad back too.
She told Fabulous magazine: “Oh my gosh. Yes, it’s unbelievable that Grant is back.
“No spoilers, as I actually don’t know, but I would love to see Lauren’s dad Max [Jake Wood] back at some point.
"There are a couple of people I’d bring back from the dead too, like Lauren’s sister Abi, as well as Steven Beale, because I just feel like there’d be so much drama with his mum Cindy.
"He’s evil, she’s a little bit evil. I just wish he hadn’t died, as there was so much room for drama that could run and run."
While Jacqueline adores being on 'EastEnders', she's disappointed to have never had a "soap wedding" - but she also doesn't expect Lauren to ever get a happy ending.
She said: “I know Lauren isn’t real, but I love her so much and I know her so well. I’ll put a costume on and go: ‘No, this is too Jacqueline, it’s not Lauren.’
"She needs to be in her tights and black boots. If Lauren and Peter ever get married, what would she wear? I can’t envision her in a wedding dress. Would she have the boots on?
“I’m surprised I’ve never done a soap wedding, but part of me thinks I never will, because I just think Lauren is a tragic character. I just don’t know if she’ll ever have her happy ending.”
Jacqueline is proud to work with so many icons on the soap and hopes one day younger cast members will look up to her in the same way she admires veterans such as Steve McFadden and Jessie Wallace.
She said: “I get to see people like Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie just walking about in my everyday job. It is still very much a pinch-me moment for me.
“I get to work with Steve McFadden, who is a living legend. When I have a scene with him, I practise for three weeks.
"He is the nicest human, so the pressure is not from him – I put it on myself, because he’s Phil Mitchell! I want to do a really good job. I think he’s one of the best actors in the show.
“Genuinely, all I want to do is be them when I’m older. I want the younger cast to look up to me the way I look up to them. They have such a great work ethic and they throw themselves into everything.
“I live and breathe 'EastEnders' and I’m proud to be a part of it. I think it’s a massive part of British culture, whether you watch it or not.
"We’ve known characters like Ian Beale for 40 years. We know their lives and what they’ve been through, and that’s what is so iconic about the show.
"I just hope there will still be 'EastEnders' and we will still be talking about it in another 40 years!”
