Penny was first introduced in 2008, but hadn’t been seen until 2024 on EastEnders – so you may be forgiven for forgetting some of the finer character details.
Read on to find out what happened to Penny Branning, who her mum is and who plays her on EastEnders.
Who is Penny Branning and what happened to her?
Penny Branning is the daughter of Jack Branning and Selina Branning.
She is the half-sister of Amy Mitchell, Ricky Branning and the late James Branning.
Although she was born in 1998 on the show, she was first seen on-screen in 2008, when she was played by Mia McKenna-Bruce.
Penny is a wheelchair user from a terrible accident she suffered as a child, which wasn’t shown on-screen.
When Jack and Selina were together, Jack caught a drug dealer who then hit Penny with his car in an act of revenge.
It left Penny’s spine damaged, and as a result, she needs to use a wheelchair.
When Penny arrived back in Albert Square in 2008, Jack tried to reconnect with his daughter and her mother by taking them out for his child’s birthday.
But when he wasn’t there the next morning, Penny was devastated, and Selina decided it would be better for her if they moved to France and away from Jack.
Penny visited later in the year, and though she didn’t get on with Jack’s girlfriend Ronnie Mitchell, she does connect with his sister-in-law Tanya Branning, and contemplates staying in Walford with her.
After that, Penny had a few mentions, until she was finally seen back on-screen (portrayed by a different actress, Kitty Castledine) still in Paris.
It’s revealed she’s been up to no good in France, having become a drugs pusher, which resulted in Lauren getting arrested on New Year’s Day 2024.
Who is Penny Branning’s mum?
Selina Branning is Penny Branning’s mum. She was the first wife of Jack Branning.
She was first introduced in January 2008 and was played by Daisy Beaumont.
Who plays Penny Branning?
Kitty Castledine plays Penny Branning in EastEnders.
The character was played by Mia McKenna-Bruce in 2008, before being recast in 2023.
Castledine has a very famous mum – Lucy Alexander, who used to present Homes Under the Hammer.
Her dad is famous, too, as an ex-Premier League footballer, Stewart Castledine.
Before EastEnders, Castledine had a role in The Break as Katy.
EastEnders airs Monday to Friday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this week.
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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