Lauren Beale (née Branning) is the daughter of Tanya Cross and Max Branning, sister of Abi and Oscar Branning, half-sister of Bradley Branning and Annie Carter and the mother of Louie and Jimmy Beale. She is also the wife of Peter Beale. She made her first appearance on 3 July 2006. She is portrayed by Jacqueline Jossa.
Storylines
2006-2011: Arrival and revealing Max and Stacey's affair
When Tony King's paedophilia is revealed, Lauren is shocked to learn about his intentions. However, the couple plan a reunion and Lauren tells him she is ready to have sex, but Max bans them from seeing each other.
Lauren attends her cousin Billie Jackson's birthday party and as a present, she gives him alcohol and he is found dead of alcohol poisoning the next morning. Lauren confronts Max and he tells her that he is not the killer but knows who is; after seeing Max and Stacey together, Lauren realises that Stacey is the killer and tricks a confession out of her, which she records on her mobile phone. However, on Christmas Day, Lauren hands Janine Butcher the recording and Stacey flees after Janine exposes her. However, the relationship is threatened when Tanya finds out and the relationship ends when he flees after killing Rob Grayson, who had been sexually exploiting Whitney for financial gain.
Lauren discovers that Max and Tanya are having an affair, despite Tanya now being married to Greg Jessop. The affair is soon exposed, causing Max to leave Walford. Max returns to Walford, and when Lauren learns that Tanya has stopped her treatment, begs him to stay and reveals her illness so he stays.
2012-2017: Numerous romances, incest, alcoholism, Lucy's death and relationship with Steven
After getting drunk at the funeral, she is berated by her parents and given a private consultation with a GP. Lauren withdraws from school, and is employed at the car lot. Her drinking is so heavy that, on a night out, Lucy tells her to go home but Lauren ignores her, insisting that she is fine. Lucy loses her and she is found passed out in the street. Lauren tells her parents her drink was spiked before stating she is mature enough to make decisions. After being sick, Lauren admits to her parents that she is uncontrollable and promises not to drink any more. Lauren returns home to find Lucy has already told Max, Tanya and Ian everything. After she rejects his advances, Lauren goes to Lucy's house and Lucy tells her that she does not want anything more to do with her.
Lauren meets her cousin, Joey Branning, and is attracted to him. Lauren decides to free him so he does not lose his job, and he tells her she is jealous that she did not get a kiss, so she slaps him. The following day, Joey explains that he rejected her because she was drunk and they kiss again. Lauren realises she cannot be with her cousin, so resists. Eventually, sexual tension mounts between them and they start a secret relationship. Joey's father Derek Branning finds out when he sees Joey and Lauren passionately kissing in the car lot office. Derek helps rescue them from the burning building and makes Joey take the blame for the crash. Joey leaves Walford after Derek dies but returns and reunites with Lauren, where Lucy witnesses them kissing. When trying to justify her relationship, Lauren is shocked when Lucy calls her selfish and undeserving of Joey's love, so Lauren considers telling the police the truth about the car crash, but Joey convinces her not to. Lauren discovers that Tanya has lied about missing a hospital appointment, and as Tanya refuses to talk, Lauren starts drinking again. Lauren destroys her mother's wedding gown and cake before Tanya and Max remarry. She later bonds with Max's secret wife, Kirsty Branning, upsetting Tanya.
She applies for a job as a waitress with Whitney at Ian's new restaurant but Lucy gets Joey to be Lauren's test customer so Lauren will fail. Whitney gets the job but purposely withdraws so that Lauren gets the job instead. She tries to make Joey jealous by kissing Tyler, who is engaged to Whitney, but it fails and Whitney ends their friendship and Lucy offers the job to Whitney. Lauren's drinking gets worse, though she believes she is not alcohol and tricks her step-grandmother Dot Branning to give her money, which she uses to buy alcohol. Tanya is angry when she discovers this. Lauren then steals £20 from her grandmother's purse and when Tanya discovers this, she compares her to her aunt, Rainie Cross. Disgusted, Lauren attempts to buy more alcohol but Kirsty refuses to serve her, following Tanya's wishes. Lauren walks outside and confides in Joey but Lucy sees this and starts intimidating Lauren so she punches Lucy and smashes the café window. Ian gives Lauren her waitress job back, but is sacked on the opening night for getting drunk and spills drink on a guest. Tanya and Max find bottles in Lauren's bedroom and decide to keep her locked in the house. She believes Lauren is showing no signs of withdrawal but Lauren reveals she has been drinking vodka from a water bottle, so Tanya realises she is addicted. Tanya keeps Lauren locked in her room but her withdrawal leads her to climb out of the window and Lauren says that nobody can stop her from drinking if she wants to. The next day, Tanya tells Lauren to leave after she destroys Abi's revision notes, and she stays with Max and Kirsty, Whilst staying with Max and Kirsty, Lauren shows clear symptoms of withdrawal, shaking immensely and being unable to effectively function. At first, Max doubts Kirsty's belief that Lauren is an alcoholic, but later comes to terms with the fact, causing Max to chuck his favourite wine in the bin to which Lauren realises. Kirsty tries to talk with Lauren and emphasise with her about addiction (as Kirsty admits she has been through it herself) and Lauren appears to understand on some level. When she returns, her skin and eyes are yellow and she collapses in pain, so she is taken to hospital and diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis. She is warned that she could die if she doesn't stop drinking. Lauren returns and sees Joey so tries to find him. She confronts Lucy over her relationship with Joey, but Lucy refuses to answer, so Lauren concludes that they are together and tries to get a drink but is refused service. Tanya takes her home, where she admits that she cannot cope with her parents' constant arguing. Ultimately, Tanya blames herself and takes Lauren to a clinic in Exeter, believing a change of scene could help.
Lauren, now a recovering alcoholic, returns to Walford and dislikes how people treat her, until Abi reminds her of the hurt she caused. Lauren reconciles and is heartbroken to discover that Joey slept with Whitney while she was away. Lauren leaves, taking a drink with her but chooses not to drink it. She attends counselling and meets Jake Stone. She sees that he is married but learns that is separated. Lauren falls in love with him but finds out that he is still married to Sadie Young, they split up but resume their affair, Max catches them and orders Lauren to end the relationship. Later that day, Joey asks Lauren to leave Walford with him but she decides to stay and resumes her affair with Jake. They are caught by Bella Young when she walks in on Lauren getting dressed. When Sadie learns of this, Lauren attempts to apologise to her but learns that Sadie and Bella have left. She tries to persuade Jake not to drink again but he angrily throws a bottle of wine at Lauren and injuring her face; however, she forgives him before he leaves Walford. Lauren is stunned to see Stacey in The Vic, Stacey tells Lauren she is not staying but they meet again at Dot's house. Cora decides to call the police, but Lauren stops her and makes amends with Stacey as they talk about Bradley. She overhears Max and Stacey talking about a recent kiss they had and is agitated, asking her to stay away from Max. She overlooks what she heard when Stacey reveals she is waiting for the police to arrest her for murdering Archie because she wants to clear Bradley's name. Lauren avoids Jake when he returns to Walford as he has fallen off the wagon and is staying on Ian Beale's sofa.
Lauren becomes suspicious that Lucy is dating Jake when he sets up the website for their business and Lucy begins arranging secret meetings. Lucy soothes her anxieties but she is seeing Max. Soon after, Lucy is found dead and Lauren is devastated. She leans on Peter for support in her grief, and is tempted to drink again but Cora talks her out of it. Determined to overcome her grief, Lauren starts up the business again and finds an email from someone wanting to meet on the night Lucy died. She is shocked when the person is revealed to be Jake and he chases her through Walford to try and stop her from going to the police. However, she does and he is arrested, although Lauren clearly has doubts if he did kill Lucy.
However, Peter feels bad for cheating on Lola and leaves, but it is clear Lauren has feelings for him. Jake is released when evidence clears him of any involvement and makes peace with Lauren before leaving. Lauren starts dating Dean Wicks after they have a one-night stand but is shocked when Peter breaks up with Lola and tells Lauren he loves her after kissing her again. Lauren tells him that she wants to be with Dean and Peter vows to wait for her. Lauren and Peter later begin to get paranoid when they are followed. When they get a car registration, DS Summerhayes finds that it is a police car signed out to DS Cameron Bryant but she tells everyone that the registration number belongs to a reporter. On Halloween night, she encounters a mysterious person in a Halloween mask who follows her throughout the evening.
Lauren accepts, but after finding out that Peter was selling drugs to Lucy, she tells him that she cannot marry him. On New Year's Day 2015, Max's girlfriend Emma Summerhayes is killed in a car accident after meeting someone who she thinks killed Lucy. Although Max tears up Emma's case notes, Lauren finds most of the pages and puts them together, suspicious about who killed Lucy.
Steven is annoyed when Lauren buys a new laptop, following a burglary at the Beales' restaurant.
2018-2023: Losing Abi, departure and returns
Several months later, Ian agrees to babysit Louie while Lauren and Peter patch up their relationship. In February 2020, Jack tells Max that Lauren asked him to for some money though Max was unaware about this and asked him why he lent her money, which made him mad and started a fight with Jack on the boat. In December 2022, Lauren returns to Walford for her step-grandmother Dot's funeral, after the funeral Lauren calls Linda Carter a cow after Linda badmouths Max. Lauren reveals she knows all about Linda and Max's affair, Lauren then leaves Walford and returns to New Zealand. Lauren later goes to France with Louie to see Peter, who is living there with Ian. Peter asks Lauren for another chance. However Lauren is later left in shock when she sees Peter's mother Cindy Beale, Cindy had supposedly died in prison in 1998. Peter explains to Lauren that Cindy is in witness protection after she got on the wrong side of some dangerous people in prison. Lauren is furious that Peter has lied to her and refuses to take him back, before going back to New Zealand with Louie. In November 2023, Lauren and Louie go to France to be closer to Penny Branning, and the two stay there until New Year’s Day 2024
2024-: Return with Penny, reunion and engagement with Peter and using drugs
Lauren decides to come back to Walford and informs Peter that she and Louie will be back the following day, Penny decides to go with them but plants drugs in Lauren's bag in an attempt to smuggle drugs into the country for her drug dealer Juliette Dubois, however a sniffer dog smells the drugs at the airport and Lauren is arrested. Penny later tells the police that she planted the drugs in Lauren's bag when Peter finds out and tells her to tell the police or he will. Lauren is released and goes to see Louie, Lauren and Peter reminisce about the past and he asks her to stay for longer but Lauren says that Walford reminds her too much of Abi. Penny and Lauren later meets and Penny admits that she planted the drugs in Lauren's bag, Lauren is furious and when she discovers that Peter knew she decides to leave Walford. Just as Lauren is about to leave Walford Whitney and Sonia tell Lauren that Annie is her sister.
When Lauren returns to Walford she finally discovers that Annie is Max's daughter and her sister, Lauren is angry with Linda at first however Linda explains that Mick was Annie's real dad and after a conversation with Jack Lauren agrees not to tell Max unless she sees him or he asks her. Lauren then meets Annie and the two bond, Annie wants Lauren to stay in Walford and she reconsiders it. Despite being happy to meet Annie Lauren is left angry once again when she discovers that Peter knew that Annie was her sister. Lauren later forgives Peter and Penny after interventions from Bobby and Sonia, Penny then puts the idea forward to Lauren that they both stay in Walford and get a flat together.
Ian encourages Peter to win Lauren back, while Cindy tells Lauren to only rekindle her relationship with Peter, if she is absolutely sure they will not break up again, for Louie's sake. Uncertain, Lauren rejects Peter's attempts to romance her.
Whitney is rushed to the hospital after being hit by a car after chasing after Britney Wainwright and is told that the baby is fine, following this incident Zack tries to take Whitney back to the Square and asks her to stop seeing Britney. When Whitney refuses Zack returns to Walford alone he is confronted by Sonia who is angry he didn't stay with Whitney in her condition Lauren starts asking questions and Zack reveals Whitney is pregnant. Zack and Lauren talk and while she understands his point of view she knows Whitney wouldn't turn her back on a kid if she can help seeing him struggling Lauren calls Whitney who says Zack knows where she is. Zack quits his job and goes to the Vic and gets drunk and he starts to talk to Penny who suggests going back to hers Lauren sees them after taking out the rubbish and tells Zack to go sober up she goes to find him outside Walford East and when talking Zack misunderstands Lauren intentions and tries to kiss Lauren. The next day Zack begs Lauren not to tell Whitney, Lauren agrees to keep quiet, however when she's sees Zack looking like he's flirting with a customer at Walford East she changes her mind and tells Zack that she is going to tell Whitney. Zack prepares to tell Whitney himself but Lauren changes her mind following a conversation with Penny where Penny reminds Lauren that the stress to a heavily pregnant Whitney could be bad for her, Lauren tells Zack that she will keep quiet.
When the truth about Britney’s illegal fostering comes to light, Whitney snaps at Lauren and insults her by mocking her prior alcohol addiction. Zack and Lauren cross paths at Peggy’s and later sleep together after both feeling let down. Days later, Bianca suddenly finds out about their one night stand and slaps them both, but keeps quiet for Whitney’s sake. Bianca demands Lauren to tell the truth although it comes out wrong to Whitney as Lauren calls Zack out rather than bringing up that they slept together. Whitney gets angry with Lauren and they fall out - Consequently, Penny locks them in Bianca’s Taco Van to resolve their issue, although Whitney’s waters break. Lauren panics but Whitney manages to get to the hospital safely and give birth to Dolly Dean-Hudson. Although, Zack speaks to Lauren outside about them sleeping together and they agree to take it to the grave - suddenly, Lauren notices that Britney was listening in.
Whitney discovers about Lauren and Zack at the altar and attacks Lauren. Lauren quickly becomes hated by the entire square and tries to make things right with Whitney, but her and Bianca are having none of it. Whitney later decides to leave all of the bad habits behind and leaves the square. Cindy begins to insult Lauren persistently until Lauren is forced to support Zack as he begins to act up, although he attempts to kiss her yet again - Lauren backs away. The following week, Lauren is still ostracised by most of the Square for what she did. She explains to Peter how she had a fallout with Zack and ends up breaking down to Peter, he supports her when times get tough with Louie and herself, he’s the only person in the square supporting her. Lauren then shares a long-awaited kiss with him.
A few weeks later, Lauren panics when the bailiffs show up at her flat and take her laptop, as she hadn’t paid off the credit, £450, she owed for it. Lauren blames it on moving locations repetitively. Peter steps up and pays the remainder of her balance so that she can keep the laptop and spare the embarrassment. Lauren takes offence when Junior Knight questions Louie’s academic ability so she snaps at him, but she later apologises and has a drink with him. Lauren has a meeting with one of Louie's teachers the next day and discovers that he has dyscalculia - similar to dyslexia, but for numbers, which justifies Louie's reasoning for hating maths and schools. Junior offers support and gives Lauren a contact who can help. Lauren is then flirtatious with Junior.
Lauren is able to secure a job at the car lot. She then speaks to Peter who requests to move in with her for Louie’s sake. After speaking to Penny, Lauren decides it’d be good for Peter to move in with her. Lauren criticises Sonia when she plans on selling Dot's home, and attempts to tell Sonia how Reiss may not be the man for her, however this fails and Sonia brings up how Lauren had an incestuous relationship with their cousin Joey and she didn’t judge her. Lauren later celebrates when she makes her first big car sale.
Days later, Lauren attends a carnival night at Peggy's but it turns into a Crush, Lauren steps up and bashes down the door to the fire exit, and sees Junior and Cindy, but Lauren is quickly trampled over brutally by a stampede, sending her unconscious and injured. Lauren awakes in hospital and recalls that she saw Cindy, and gets emotional over being in a hospital, but Peter reassures her.
Since the crush at Peggy's, Lauren had frequently mentioned to other characters such as Peter Beale and Penny Branning about her desperate need for painkillers. Moreover, she says weeks later that she is still in immense pain despite the injuries previously being said to only last for a short amount of time.
Lauren snaps at Peter and Louie due to being in pain from the crush. She goes to the Vic to ask Anna Knight for painkillers but is given chamomile tea instead. They discuss her symptoms but Anna suggests it could be pregnancy instead of cramps. Lauren takes a pregnancy test and it is positive. She confides in Kathy and later tells a drunken Peter who forgets the next morning.
In December 2024, Cindy and Ian find out Lauren is pregnant due to Louie accidentally revealing it. She is threatened by Cindy and feels pressured to tell Peter about the drugs. Lauren is caught in a fire after a candle falls while she is asleep. Cindy saves her and Louie but once at the hospital, Lauren confesses to taking drugs and is forced to stay somewhere else by Peter.
On Christmas Day, Lauren reveals Cindy and Junior Knight's affair. The consequences leave her stressed and she takes more drugs. Cindy is attacked with a shovel and Lauren believes it's her as she doesn't remember much due to passing out. She is arrested in January 2025 as Cindy says she remembers seeing Lauren run off. It is later revealed the attacker is Kathy Cotton but Lauren did see Cindy, turn her over and run off.
In April 2025, Lauren and Peter get engaged.
Lauren gives birth to Jimmy Beale with the help of Cindy in May 2025, who is severely sight impaired as a likely result of her taking drugs during her pregnancy. She discovered this due to baby Jimmy not latching onto her whilst breastfeeding. She claimed to know something was wrong with the baby but no one took her seriously, until she went to the hospital (shouted at the receptionist) and got the baby checked out, where the bad news was delivered. This took a toll on Lauren and Peter's relationship, causing a riff between the pair. When Cindy and Kathy tried to offer their support, Peter lashes out, blaming Lauren for the way Jimmy turned out. Angered and upset, she storms to the Vic and demands a drink from Linda Carter, who turns her away, alerting Gina Knight in Harry's Barn. Lauren bumps into Zack, who spills his guts on all of his ongoing life problems with Barney Mitchell, and they kiss. Peter notices something is off with Lauren, and decides he wants custody of Louie and Jimmy when he finds out Lauren tried to get a drink. However, Lauren decides that if he tries to take them from her, he will never see them again. The couple break up, but get back together a month later.
Kill count
Connected murders and deaths
- Lucy Beale (18 April 2014) (association) - Helps cover up her best friends murder and lets her dad Max Branning go down for the crime even though she knew he was innocent.
- Abi Branning (25 December 2017) (indirectly caused) - After Lauren lost her balance on the Queen Victoria roof trying to stop Max committing suicide, Abi accidentally grabbed Lauren's arm and Lauren accidentally pulled Abi down with her, causing both of them to fall off the roof. Abi's life support was later withdrawn after being declared brain dead on 19 January 2018.
Attempted murder victims
- Max Branning (30 October 2008) - Runs over Max after he threatens Peter and disapproves of their relationship.
Fight count
Punches
Total: 2
Individual characters punched: 2
Total punches: 2
Slaps
- Joey Branning (26 October 2012)
- Josh Hemmings (21 April 2017)
- Abi Branning (11 September 2017)
- Ian Beale (19 December 2017)
- Max Branning (2 January 2018)
- Junior Knight (6 January 2025)
Total: 6
Individual characters slapped: 6
Total slaps: 6
Knees
Total: 1
Individual character kneed: 1
Total knees: 1
Residence history
Quotes
- To Max Branning (first line): "Don't give em to her, she ain't gettin' the biggest room."
- To Max (when leaving in 2010; last line): It's Abi's birthday, what is wrong with you?" (23 June 2010)
- To Max (when returning in 2010; first line): "Wow, you've changed." (27 September 2010)
- To Max (when leaving in 2018; last line): "Dad, I need to leave." (16 February 2018)