Jo Joyner, best known for her role as Tanya Branning in EastEnders, has debuted an unrecognisable new look on social media. The 49-year-old actress now stars in the comedy-drama Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators, where she plays Luella Shakespeare.
To mark the premiere of season six, Jo took to Instagram on Tuesday (September 29) to post behind-the-scenes images of herself in character. One image shows the star with pink hair and a nose ring, a far cry from her signature blonde locks in EastEnders.
From Walford to private investigating
Jo first joined the EastEnders cast in 2006, quickly becoming one of the most beloved characters among viewers. Over the years, Tanya was involved in several explosive storylines, including the iconic 2007 Christmas Day episode when she discovered that her husband Max (played by Jake Wood) was having an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner). It didn't take long for Tanya to bury Max alive in early 2008, marking one of the soap's most controversial and dramatic plots.
Tanya made her final regular departure from EastEnders in 2013. She later returned for brief guest appearances, most notably in 2018, following the tragic death of her daughter Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald).
Behind-the-scenes look at season six
In her Instagram caption, Jo reflected on her childhood dream of acting. She wrote: "When I was a little girl, there was a tv show called 'let's pretend' on one of the three channels we had! They would open a dressing up box, pull out some props and create a new story."
She added: "Around the same age (5yrs) all adults seemed to be asking me was, 'What do you want to do when you grow up?' and I knew, there and then, that if I could do 'let's pretend' for a living I'd be the luckiest girl alive. Season 6 of Shakespeare and Hathaway is testament to that."
Jo went on to share how "blessed" she felt, while thanking the cast and crew of the drama.
Fan reactions and where to watch
Fans quickly took to the comments section to share their support. One person wrote: "Absolutely loved series 6, the make up was amazing and you were all brilliant, well done." Another added: "What a lovely thing to read. You are fab." A third said: "How amazing that you get to play let's pretend every day on set. I've only recently discovered Shakespeare and Hathaway (not sure how?!) but, oh my, I absolutely love it!"
As well as Jo and Mark Benton, Shakespeare and Hathaway also stars Patrick Walshe McBride as Sebastian Brudenell, Amber Agar as Detective Inspector Christina Marlowe, and Tomos Eames as Detective Sergeant Joseph Keeler. Season six is available to watch on U&Alibi, NOW and Sky, while seasons one to four can be streamed for free on BBC iPlayer.
