EastEnders star Kitty Castledine, who plays Penny Branning, is the sister of a famous footballer and the daughter of well-known television parents.
The 24-year-old actress joined the BBC soap as Penny Branning in January 2024, taking over the role from Mia McKenna-Bruce, who appeared between January and April 2008.
Penny's baby bombshell
Penny, the daughter of local copper Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), has been caught up in a drugs smuggling plot, caused a dangerous club crush, and enjoyed a brief romance with Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway).
Most recently, she found love with local businessman Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota), but before the romance could blossom, she discovered she was pregnant and confirmed that Vinny was the father.
In an unexpected twist, a midwife appointment soon revealed her dates did not match up, and her unborn baby is biologically Harry's after they shared one night of passion, casting doubt over her relationship with Vinny.
Penny is yet to reveal the truth about the baby's paternity as she moves in with Vinny and they set up a loving family home.
Kitty's famous family
Away from Albert Square, Kitty Castledine leads a much simpler life with her family in London.
She is the daughter of television star Lucy Alexander, famed for hosting popular daytime shows such as Homes Under the Hammer and A Place in the Sun.
Kitty's father is ex-Premier League footballer Stewart Castledine, who played for Wimbledon for over 9 years. He also featured for Wycombe in the second tier. Stewart has also appeared on television, hosting BBC One's Big Strong Boys and Houses Behaving Badly.
Stewart and Lucy are said to have wed in 2000 during a ceremony in Richmond, London, after meeting through a mutual acquaintance. They have two children, including Kitty and a son, Leo Castledine, 21, who is also a footballer and currently plays for Middlesbrough.
Who is Leo Castledine?
Leo is a midfielder for the Championship team Middlesbrough after joining the club in January 2026.
Prior to his current move, Leo was on loan at Huddersfield Town from Premier League side Chelsea, where he impressed, scoring 12 goals in 27 games for the Terriers.
"I'm absolutely over the moon to join what is a massive, massive club," Leo explained about joining his new club. "It's a really big step for me in my career, and I'm very excited to be here."
"There's always been trust in young players at this club if they can perform, and I want to perform at my highest level," reported BBC News.
Leo joined Chelsea as an Under-15 from AFC Wimbledon and worked his way up to make one substitute appearance for the first team, a Carabao Cup semi-final against Boro in January 2024. He has also worn the England shirt for the U19s five times.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
