EastEnders needs to complete the Branning reunion with a Tanya return

There's just one character missing from the line-up - matriarch Tanya (played by Jo Joyner).

Last seen on the day of youngest daughter Abi's (Lorna Fitzgerald) funeral in 2018, Tanya has been mentioned frequently since Oscar rocked up in Walford, and she's not been painted in a favourable light.

The teen claimed that Tanya kicked him out of the house when he got involved in a gang, prompting Oscar to convince Lauren to take him in when he was released from a youth detention facility.

We note how Oscar consistently calls his mum 'Tanya', much like Coronation Street's David Platt's (Jack P Shepherd) habit of referring to his own mother Gail (Helen Worth) by her name.

As Oscar shares David's mischievous, cheeky edge, we're hoping this is just a quirk, rather than a sign that his relationship with Tanya is broken beyond repair.

A mother and son reconciliation is a compelling reason to have Tanya make her way back to her old stomping ground.

Through Moullier's outstanding debut, we've seen how Oscar's bravado falters, and there's no doubt that Tanya would relent and be there for her boy if she saw how troubled he has been.

That's the Tanya we remember: a lioness.

It's of course understandable that, off-screen, she's been struggling with the loss of Abi, which is said to have damaged her irreversibly.

But, beyond Joyner's final heart-rending performance in the role, we haven't seen what grief has done to her, and there's still room to explore this.

Tanya is one of EastEnders' most memorable characters: the iconic reveal of Max's affair with a young Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) wouldn't have been half as successful without Tanya's quiet, understated distress and eventual revenge scheme.

It feels wrong that we're missing Tanya's side of the story now, although of course any potential comeback depends on the show itself, and the much-missed Joyner, who just last year noted she'd "never say never".

Still, we can't help hoping that we'll be treated to new scenes between the actress and her long-time co-star Wood, as Max and Tanya's chemistry never dimmed, despite how it all ended for the former couple.

While Tanya seems to have been thrown under the bus for her parenting skills, Max doesn't come off well either, largely absent from Oscar's life.

There's anticipation for just how Max might be able to pick up the pieces of the mistakes he's made there, so why shouldn't Tanya get her chance, too?

And then there's Lauren, who has been put through the wringer, with Jossa seamlessly tackling some tough material this year.

Raising sons Louie and baby Jimmy in the old home of her step-grandmother Dot (June Brown), Lauren has been battling a painkiller addiction all while coming to terms with Jimmy's blindness.

Now, she's been forced to care and cover for Oscar too, and she needs her mum's love and support more than ever.

And, let's face it, Lauren is outnumbered by men in her family unit, so it's high time she had some more female presence in her life.

Apart from cousins Penny (Kitty Castledine) and Amy (Ellie Dadd), the only women Lauren really has in her life are Peter's manipulative mum Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and well-meaning gran, Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth).

She, and Team Branning, needs another player, and even though she's clearly changed over the years, we'd still bet on fiery Tanya as a worthy opponent against Cindy, especially when the latter is sending constant digs Lauren's way!

No doubt old friend Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) would have updated Tanya on her own showdown with Cindy, so we can just imagine our Tan' giving Ms Beale the once over and passing comment on all that she's heard about her.

Given Tanya's history with Max's brother Jack (Scott Maslen), we'd also love to see her reaction to his antics with Stacey, with Lauren surely having filled her in on that piece of gossip!

The opportunities for Tanya are endless, so as EastEnders continues to rebuild the Brannings, we're keeping our fingers crossed that she's the next big name to head back to Albert Square.

Read more:

• 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Anthony Trueman returns and Alfie Moon makes Zoe Slater confession
• EastEnders' Ravi Gulati faces big dilemma after Priya Nandra-Hart reunion in BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders advanced spoilers confirm Anthony Trueman return date – and another character comeback
• EastEnders airs disturbing threat from Joel Marshall in BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders airs huge consequences for Suki Panesar-Unwin in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders' Michelle Ryan reveals her dream cast member return for reunion with Zoe
• EastEnders' Jessie Wallace wants a Mitchell-style flashback to Kat’s childhood
• EastEnders airs surprise passion for unexpected pairing in early BBC iPlayer release
• Zoe Slater's biggest and best EastEnders moments – from Kat bombshell to Den Watts murder

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.

Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.