Josh Hemmings is James Willmott-Brown's son, half-brother of his children Sophie and Luke and ex-husband of Imogen. He first appeared in the square on the 17 March 2017 and is portrayed by Eddie Eyre.
Backstory[]
Josh is a worker of Weyland & Co and colleague of Max Branning.
Storylines[]
When Lauren visits Max's office to check on him, she sees Josh having trouble with the photocopier and helps him solve the problem. Josh is attracted to her and leaves his phone number for Lauren with the receptionist. Lauren is pleased and goes to text him when she gets home but bins it when her boyfriend, Steven Beale arrives. Lauren tells her friend Whitney Carter about Josh, who tries to put Lauren off because she has a boyfriend and a son, Louie Beale. Lauren invites Whitney out for drinks near to Max and Josh's office in the hope of seeing him again, because she has lost her phone. Lauren sees Josh and invites him in for drinks, where they flirt and she takes his number again, though Whitney continues to remind her of Steven and Louie.
Lauren later meets Josh in a restaurant to tell him about the job she applied for at Weyland & Co. A week later, Lauren goes to a nightclub with her sister Abi Branning and Whitney, and Josh goes to see Lauren. They are left alone, and Josh goes to kiss Lauren but she rejects him because she feels guilty about Steven and Louie. When Lauren attends her job interview at Weyland & Co, Josh sees her waiting and compliments her, telling her she will get the job. Lauren is interviewed by Corrine Mandel and is shocked when Josh joins the interview, as she assumed he was only a photocopier operator. After the interview, Josh tells her that she did well, and she slaps him for lying about his job. He says she lied too as she never told him her father works at the same company, and accuses her of liking him. She insults him but they kiss, and when she returns home, he texts her with the message, "Don't pretend you didn't feel it too."
The following week, Max tells Josh not to give Lauren a job and makes sure another candidate is offered it, but Josh visits Lauren at home and offers her a job as a creative team assistant. He also meets Steven, who is wary of him, and realises that Lauren has a son. Outside, Josh meets Max and tells him that he has given Lauren a job, adding that Max has done well with The Queen Victoria pub, referring to Weyland's plan to develop the local area. Josh tells Max never to tell him what to do again as he is his boss, and reminds him of their mole in the pub.
On Lauren's first day, Josh does a presentation for two clients, Toby and Nargis and asks Lauren to join him; he is impressed with her local knowledge. Josh invites Lauren to a work event and she walks in on him, changing in his office. Josh asks Lauren to stay for sushi afterwards and she agrees, despite having plans with Steven. Josh reveals he used to stutter as a child but overcame it with therapy. Josh takes Lauren home and Abi points out Josh's attractiveness to Steven when she sees them, making Steven worried about Lauren and Josh's relationship. When Steven makes dinner for Lauren, she comes home early and Josh is with her. Steven invites Josh to stay for dinner. Abi arrives and joins them, and she flirts with Josh. Josh suggests that Lauren should go home after she develops morning sickness as he thinks she has a stomach bug.
Josh is surprised when Lauren returns to work later in the week. Josh and Corrine celebrate when they receive good news about one of the company's projects. Josh asks Lauren if she wants to celebrate with them but she tells him that she needs to go somewhere but she will not be long. Josh tells Lauren that Abi has invited him to her 21st birthday party, realising that Lauren lied to Abi that he is unavailable. Max reveals to Lauren that Josh is engaged to Imogen, and Josh apologises for not telling her, but she is upset and tells him she is busy.
Josh visits Lauren at home and explains that he did not tell her about Imogen because she had been travelling the world and is only with her to keep their parents happy, but they know their relationship is over. Steven sees Josh and Lauren together and threatens Josh. At Abi's party, she kisses Josh, and a jealous Lauren states he is engaged. Later, Josh admits flirting with Abi to get a reaction from Lauren, but she insists she does not want to cheat on Steven and tells him not to go after Abi. Steven gets a mobile charger with a hidden camera to spy on Lauren while she is at work, and watches her and Josh talking. Josh tries to get Lauren to admit that her relationship is not working but she refuses.
The next day, Lauren tells Josh that she does not love Steven any more and she will end their relationship. Steven learns from Josh that Lauren has resigned when Josh visits her. Josh visits again and learns that she is planning to go to New Zealand to see Peter Beale, but he convinces her to stay. He declares his love for Lauren but she says she does not feel the same way. Josh overhears Lauren talking to Max on the phone where she mentions that she is engaged to Steven. A disappointed Josh congratulates her.
Lauren later tells Josh that she has been selfish and being in the company has made her realise that she needs to be with Steven, so she resigns from Weyland & Co. When Steven dies, Lauren contacts Josh and she tells him that she wants him to be with her at Steven's funeral. Josh is then revealed to be the brother of Fi Browning. The following day, Fi is revealed as the daughter of James Willmott-Brown, also father to Josh, who reunite with him and brother Luke Browning. They are joined by Max and their uncle Hugo Browning.
When Lauren returns to her job, Josh continues to pursue her but Imogen visits and belittles Lauren, which Josh tells her not to. When Imogen leaves, Josh flirts with Lauren and she kisses him. After being told by Imogen that Josh does not like children, Lauren asks if he would like to go with her and Louie to the zoo. He reluctantly accepts but implies they should go out together as a couple instead, which displeases Lauren. Josh visits Lauren the following day and declares his love again.
When he asks her why they cannot be together, she explains that they have very different lifestyles and asks him to leave. However, after a heart-to-heart with Kathy Beale, Lauren decides to give Josh a chance and they start dating. Kathy's son Ben Mitchell finds a business card in his boyfriend Luke's wallet reading "Project Dagmar" and when Ben questions what it means, Luke chokes Ben when he refuses to drop the subject. Ben tells Lauren about this, and Lauren asks Josh about Project Dagmar, but he has no knowledge of it, so questions Luke. Luke throttles him but Fi breaks them up and Josh is hurt that Fi is in on Project Dagmar whilst he is excluded.
Lauren finds a Project Dagmar model, showing plans for Albert Square to be developed into luxury apartments. Josh watches on when his family reveals in The Queen Victoria that they now own the business, serve an eviction notice to the Carter family and inform the locals that the pub will become flats, also revealing that they did it with Max's help. Lauren is angry with Josh for what his family has done and James tries to comfort a hurt Josh, telling him to earn his father's trust.
When Luke sacks Lauren for refusing to serve an eviction notice on Steven's father, Ian Beale, Josh gives Lauren a copy of Max's contract that shows he is owed 20%, after Max's copy was destroyed by James. With Luke missing, James asks Josh to serve the eviction notice on Ian. Josh visits Lauren and tells her the development can be stopped, but he needs her help whilst he accesses James's computer that has documents to prove that James bribes council officials. Whilst James and Fi attend a press launch, Josh downloads the files and Lauren gets arrested when she stages a protest at the launch to hold James and Fi up. When James returns, Lauren contacts Josh and James demands the downloaded files. Josh decides to quit his job and at the police station, he tells Lauren what he did and Lauren kisses him.
Fi tries to get Josh to return, but he tells Fi that James has ruined and controls their lives just like with their mothers. When Fi attempts to question James over why he never allowed Wendy to get a job or why her mother, Elizabeth, committed suicide, James pushes her. Josh gets a job offer in Glasgow and when Ian catches Lauren and Josh kissing, he confronts them and Josh stands up to Ian, saying he is not like James and loves Lauren. Josh is offered a job in Glasgow and Lauren prepares to move there with him. However, their departure is delayed when Lauren and Abi are rushed to the hospital after falling from the Vic while trying to stop Max from committing suicide, though Lauren appears to be fine soon afterwards.
Josh later visits Lauren in the hospital as she recovers from the fall, though is reluctant to tell her that Abi is brainstem dead. However, after Lauren finds out from a nurse and slaps Max for lying to her about Abi's condition, Max confronts Josh about their move to Glasgow and threatens him not to manipulate Lauren or he will have him beaten up. Abi later dies after her life support is withdrawn. On the day of her funeral, Whitney and Lauren talk about Josh and Whitney tells Lauren to think about whether Josh is right for her and if she can love him as much as she loved Peter. After Abi's funeral, Lauren takes Louie and walks past Josh implying that she leaves without him.
It is later revealed that year that Josh's brother Luke was killed by Aidan Maguire.