Jo Joyner


Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders and Mandy Carter in the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge. From 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakespeare in the BBC crime drama series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.

Early life and education

In 1999, she graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff with a BA degree in Acting.

Career

After a stint of guest roles in shows such as Always and Everyone, The Cops, Heartbeat and Clocking Off, Joyner came to prominence after playing Beth Nicholls in Channel 4 comedy drama No Angels between 2004 and 2006. She later appeared in four episodes of North & South as Fanny Thornton and in two episodes of Doctor Who as Lynda Moss. In June 2006, Joyner began appearing as Tanya Branning in BBC One soap opera EastEnders. Joyner originally turned down the role on the show as she had doubts over whether she could work in a soap opera. Having worked quietly and successfully in the industry for eight years, Joyner was unsure if she would be comfortable with the level of fame being on EastEnders would bring her. She won the Most Popular Actress award at the Digital Spy Soap Awards in 2008 for the part of Tanya and also went on to win Best Dramatic Performance at the 2008 British Soap Awards, as well as making the final four in the Best Actress category. Joyner was nominated for the Best Actress award at the All About Soap Awards in 2012; she later won the award. In 2012, Joyner and co-star Jake Wood won the Best On-Screen Partnership category at the British Soap Awards. On Digital Spy's 2012 end of year reader poll, Joyner was nominated for Best Female Soap Actor and came fourth with 13.4% of the vote.
Whilst still appearing in EastEnders in 2011, Joyner appeared in BBC One comedy drama Candy Cabs as Jackie O’Sullivan. On 1 May 2012, it was reported that Joyner would take a prolonged break from EastEnders at the end of her current contract to spend time with her family. However, on 1 April 2013, it was announced that Joyner's departure would be indefinite as she wished to try new career paths. Joyner filmed her final scenes on 15 May 2013. She departed the show on 28 June 2013. Joyner reprised the role of Tanya in EastEnders for the 30th anniversary specials in February 2015 and again on Christmas Day 2017 as part of the storyline surrounding the exits of her onscreen daughters.
In June 2017, Joyner began portraying Mandy Carter in Channel 4’s drama Ackley Bridge. She departed from the series in the fourth series in 2021. In February 2018, she started to play Luella Shakespeare, alongside Mark Benton, in the BBC One comedy drama Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.
In December 2021, Joyner appeared in the Netflix drama series Stay Close as Erin Cartwright. Then in 2022, she starred in the Channel 5 drama series Riptide. In May 2025, she played the on-duty doctor, Elizabeth Burgess, who must make the difficult decision whether to call social services or not, on a mother and her friend, Jess, who brings her child into A&E with an unexplainable injury in the Paramount+ show Little Disasters.

Personal life

Joyner announced in July 2009 that she was pregnant as a result of IVF treatment. She gave birth to twins.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama'Friends’ prize for acting'The woman who walked into doorsWon
2006Rose d'OrBest Female Comedy PerformerSwingingWon
2007M.E.N. Theatre AwardsBest Fringe PerformerRawNomitated
2007National Television AwardsMost Popular NewcomerEastEnders
2007Inside Soap AwardsBest NewcomerEastEnders
2007TV Quick and Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEndersNomitated
2007TV Quick and Choice AwardsBest NewcomerEastEndersNomitated
2008Digital Spy Soap AwardsMost Popular ActressEastEndersWon
2008British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEndersNomitated
2008British Soap AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceEastEndersWon
2008All About Soap Bubble AwardsBest Slap EastEndersWon
2008All About Soap Bubble AwardsBest TearjerkerEastEndersWon
2008All About Soap Bubble AwardsFatal Attraction EastEndersNomitated
2008Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders
2008Inside Soap AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceEastEnders
2009All About Soap Bubble AwardsI'm A SurvivorEastEndersNomitated
2009British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEndersNomitated
2009TV Now AwardsFavourite Female Soap StarEastEndersNomitated
2010TV Now AwardsFavourite Soap FamilyEastEndersNomitated
2011Inside Soap AwardsBest WeddingEastEnders
2011Inside Soap AwardsSexiest FemaleEastEnders
2011RTS North West AwardsBest Performance in a ComedyCandy CabsNomitated
2011Digital Spy Readers' AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEndersWon
2012TRIC AwardsTV Soap PersonalityEastEndersNomitated
2012Digital Spy Readers' AwardsBest Female Soap ActorEastEndersNomitated
2012All About Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEndersWon
2012All About Soap AwardsBest Couple EastEndersWon
2012British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders
2012British Soap AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceEastEndersWon
2012British Soap AwardsBest On-Screen Partnership EastEndersWon
2012TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEnders
2013British Soap AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceEastEndersNomitated
2015RTS North West AwardsBest Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series Ordinary Lies
2015Digital Spy Readers AwardsFunniest Soap MomentEastendersWon
2018RTS Midlands AwardsFemale Acting PerformanceShakespeare & Hathaway: Private InvestigatorsNomitated
2021TV Choice AwardsBest ActressAckley BridgeNomitated