Bradley Branning

Bradley Branning
Portrayed by	Charlie Clements
Duration	2006–10
First appearance	24 January 2006
Classification	Present; regular (departing)
Introduced by	Kate Harwood
In-universe information Family Branning family Father Max Branning Mother Rachel Branning Half-brothers Oscar Branning Half-sisters Lauren Branning Abi Branning Wife Stacey Slater (2007–2009) Grandfathers Jim Branning Grandmothers Reenie Branning Uncles Derek Branning Jack Branning Aunts Carol Jackson April Branning Suzy Branning First cousins Penny Branning Bianca Jackson Robbie Jackson Sonia Fowler Billy Jackson Kevin Rebecca Amy Mitchell

Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and will leave the show in 2010. he is expected to be killed in a house fire caused by Dot Cotton's smoking.

Creation

In November 2005, the BBC announced the arrival of an upcoming character, Bradley Branning. Bradley was introduced as the grandson of the already established character Jim Branning (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning. (Joy Graham). The character first appeared on-screen in January 2006. 18 year old actor Charlie Clements was cast in the role. On his casting, Clements commented, "I'm very excited to be joining EastEnders and joining such a great family [...] it's wicked."

The character was allegedly conceived in the Hertfordshire town of Tring, where one the EastEnders' storyline conferences was held. As a result, Bradley was said to have originated from Tring on-screen before his move to East London to develop a career as a banker. Bradley was portrayed as a character who'd had a "sheltered life because his dad left him when he was young."

Development

Romance with Stacey Slater

In 2006, scriptwriters decided to pair Bradley with the character, Stacey Slater , played by Lacey Turner. Mismatched, one reporter commented, "geeky...goody-twoshoes Bradley doesn't seem like the type of lad [Stacey] would normally go for", however he/she added that the couple "may be chalk and cheese, but with [Stacey's] history of emotional turmoil, [Bradley] is probably just the stabilising influence she needs." The couple were hailed as the nearest thing Walford had to Romeo and Juliet. Explaining the characters' attraction, scriptwriter Sarah Phelps has said, "Bradley's gentleness makes Stacey a little bit gentler, and Stacey's toughness makes Bradley a little bit tougher." Discussing the union between her character and Bradley, Turner has said, "I love working with Charlie — he's such a laugh. They're such different characters. It's nice, because it's not what anyone expected for her."

The couple were shown to face problems in August 2006, when Stacey declared she was pregnant with Bradley's child, and on the advice of his father, Max (Jake Wood), Bradley convinced Stacey to have an abortion; an episode that Jane Simon of The Mirror has described as "incredibly powerful". Scriptwriter Sarah Phelps has described Stacey's abortion as "a dagger in [her] heart [...] Stacey thought that if this is what [Bradley] really wants [...] 'OK i'll go through with it', but she really didn't want to. He broke her heart." Bradley and Stacey were shown to grow steadily apart after this, as Bradley invested time in a new job he acquired in city bank, neglecting Stacey's needs and ignoring her depression over her lost baby. When Bradley purposefully excluded Stacey from a work function, she showed up anyway and humiliated him in front of his colleagues. In scenes shown directly after, Bradley dumped Stacey, declaring that the reason that he wanted to abort their baby was because he could not bear the idea of bringing up a child with Stacey. The end of Stacey and Bradley's relationship facilitated a plot twist that saw Stacey seducing Bradley's father Max. In episodes that aired on Christmas Day 2006, Stacey slept with Max as payback for Bradley's mistreatment. A BBC insider commented, "Stacey likes the idea that even if Bradley doesn't want her, his dad does."

Departure

On 13 November 2009, it was announced that Clements had quit the show and would depart in 2010, saying it is "time to move on and take on some new roles". Executive producer Diederick Santer has promised "a big exit" for the character, saying "I know viewers will miss him hugely, just as all of us who have worked with him will miss him too."

Storylines

Backstory

Bradley was conceived when his parents, Max and Rachel, were just 18 years old. The three of them lived happily as a family for nearly six years. Unfortunately, Max couldn't cope with being a young husband and father and eventually began an affair with an 18 year old girl named Tanya Cross. When Tanya became pregnant, Max left his wife and son to marry his mistress. Bradley never fully recovered from his father's abandonment.

2006–2010

Bradley moves to Walford from Tring to live with his grandfather Jim and his wife Dot when he gets a job as a banker in the city. Later that year, Max moves to Albert Square, and at first Bradley wants nothing to do with him, but they eventually bond. Bradley befriends Stacey Slater upon his arrival, and eventually a romance develops between them. Stacey discovers she is pregnant by Bradley, but he persuades her to have an abortion, and tells their friends and families that she had a miscarriage. They drift apart and when Bradley doesn't invite Stacey to his work's Christmas party, she turns up and embarrasses him, leading to their breakup.

File:Bradly naked.jpg

Bradley surprises Stacey and Jean by waiting, naked, for Stacey to return home (2007)

Bradley has romances with his colleague Lydia Asler and Preeti Choraria. Unknown to Bradley, Stacey has embarked on an affair with Max, in revenge for the abortion. Max ends the affair by taking his family to Spain for six weeks, and while he is away, Bradley and Stacey reconcile and get engaged. They marry in November 2007, although Stacey has one last kiss with Max after the wedding, which is recorded by Max's daughter Lauren's hidden camcorder. Lauren makes a DVD, which is played on Christmas Day, revealing the affair. Bradley and Stacey break up, and he moves away from Walford.

Bradley returns after Stacey tracks him down and he asks for a divorce. He grows close to Clare Bates, but turns her down when she comes on to him. He is sexually harassed by his boss, Maggie Townsend, who sacks him after Dot berates her for her behaviour. In June 2008, Stacey's mother Jean and Dot lock Bradley and Stacey in Dot's house, and Bradley reveals that he is still in love with Stacey. She says that she cannot reunite with him as she has not forgiven herself for the affair, but Bradley later kisses her and she responds, and they get back together. Their relationship runs smoothly until August 2008, when Stacey confesses to Bradley that she may be pregnant, which turns out to be untrue. They then decide to try for a baby, but Stacey is secretly taking contraceptive pills. They break up again when Bradley discovers Stacey's love for Callum Monks. Bradley falls into a state of depression, refusing to go to work and taking up drinking at home. He blames Max for all his problems and punches him.

Bradley becomes the owner of a St. Bernard dog named Gumbo, when his original owner abandons him with Bradley. He meets Syd Chambers and they eventually begin a relationship. She moves to the Square, but Bradley thinks he will lose her if she knows he lost his job due to the recession. He eventually tells her, but then he doesn't hear from her for some time. He decides to leave Walford for Edinburgh, but is interrupted by Syd, who persuades him to stay and introduces him to her son Noah.

Bradley is taken hostage by Nick Cotton in Ian Beale's café with other diners. After a fire starts in the kitchen, Bradley helps the hostages to escape, and returns inside to help Nick. Nick refuses assistance and leaves by the back door, while Bradley falls foul to a gas explosion, knocking him unconscious. He has flash burns and glass in one eye, but makes a quick recovery and is discharged the next day. In June 2009, he asks Stacey for a divorce.

Bradley is shocked when he discovers Gumbo's owner, Don, is in Walford, and wants Gumbo back. Bradley fights for Gumbo, but is devastated when the dog chooses to go with Don. Syd is offered a job in Canada, and Noah responds by running away. Bradley and Syd find him at the arcade, playing car games. Syd throws a party to celebrate her and Bradley leaving for Canada, despite Bradley not revealing this to his family yet. At the party, Stacey tells Bradley that she has bipolar disorder to which Bradley wishes he could have been there for her. He tells Syd he is not ready to leave his family and she suspects that Stacey put him off, however, he later tells Syd he wants to go to Canada. They hold a leaving party and leave on 9 October 2009. Bradley telephones Dot to say they have arrived safely.

Reception

In 2006, actor Charlie Clements received a TV Quick and TV Choice award for "Best Soap Newcomer" for his role as Bradley.

EastEnders received criticism for their portrayal of Bradley from resident of the Hertfordshire town where the character allegedly hailed from, Tring. Some residents of Tring believed that scriptwriters of the East London-based soap had portrayed their town as "snobbish", and there were complaints to Tring's Mayor, Mike James, who claimed that a lot of people were quite offended by the new character, who plays golf and drinks soya milk. A spokesperson from the soap apologised for the offence caused: "The character of Bradley Branning was by no means set to cause offence to the residents of Tring. In fact Tring was chosen after one of our storyline conferences in Tring, as the production team thoroughly enjoyed their stay [...] Bradley is by no means a snob. He has led a sheltered life because his dad left him when he was young. His mother wanted to teach him the value of money so encouraged him to get a job, which is why he worked as a caddy at the local golf course. He has a dairy intolerance and is allergic to nuts".

External links

• Bradley Branning at BBC Online