Jo Joyner returns to Channel 5 this week in the psychological thriller Riptide, a four-part drama that first aired in December 2022. The repeat follows her recent lead role in Little Disasters.
Plot and Cast of Riptide
In Riptide, Joyner plays Alison Weston, whose life unravels when her new Australian husband vanishes after a morning surf. The series questions whether he was caught in a dangerous riptide or if there is more to his disappearance. The cast includes Ciarán Griffiths (Shameless, The Flats), Peter O'Brien (Neighbours, The Unusual Suspects), and David Berry (Outlander).
Jo Joyner's Career Highlights
Joyner is best known for playing Tanya Branning in the BBC soap EastEnders from 2006 to 2018. She also starred as Mandy Carter in Ackley Bridge (2017–2021) and as Luella Shakespeare in Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (2018–2025). Other roles include DC Erin Cartwright in the Harlan Coben adaptation Stay Close, and appearances in Peacock, The Wives, and Little Disasters.
Jo Joyner's Husband Neil Madden
Jo Joyner is married to Neil Madden, an actor-turned-drama teacher. Madden has appeared in TV shows such as The Bill, Lewis, Holby City, and Silent Witness. The couple married in 2007 and have twins, born in 2009.
Filming in Australia
Filming for Riptide took place in Melbourne and Victoria, Australia. Joyner said she took the role partly because her husband's family lives in Perth. She told reporters: "I’ve been to Perth because my husband’s family live there... we’ve also got cousins in Melbourne. So what was really lovely was, in the middle of this shoot, we had the Perth family and the Melbourne family and all of us all together for a long weekend."
Riptide repeats on Channel 5 on Monday, June 29 at 9pm.
