Terror in Walford as EastEnders’ Lauren is attacked
Lauren Branning’s (Jacqueline Jossa) joy at becoming the new co-owner of the car lot in EastEnders is short-lived when she is violently attacked next week.
The mum of two becomes embroiled in a carjacking just after going into business with her dad Max Branning (Jake Wood).
In forthcoming scenes, the pair team up to buy the car lot – which Max owned during his previous stint in Walford – after hearing the news Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) is selling up following his departure from Albert Square.
Given her tumultuous relationship with Max, it’s not exactly Lauren’s ideal scenario to go into partnership with her dad, but she has no choice but to ask for his investment when she is turned down for a loan at the bank to buy it outright herself.
Max initially refuses to give Lauren the money, but after some cajoling from Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), he does a 180 and agrees to invest – although it quickly becomes apparent they have very different ideas on how their new business should be run.
In a bid to prove herself to her dad so she can be an equal partner, Lauren bets him she can sell a classic car within 24 hours.
Lauren soon finds an interested buyer in Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), who agrees to go on a test drive with her.
However, Mark later admits he doesn’t have the cash to buy it and promises to buy Lauren lunch to make up for leading her on with the sale.
But when Mark leaves Lauren unattended, a nightmare then unfolds as a thug violently attacks her before speeding off with the car.
Lauren is shaken up by the incident, but Mark reappears and acts as her knight in shining armour before taking her back to the Square.
Now, if you cast your mind back to the New Year’s Day flashforward episode, it was heavily hinted that Lauren had been cheating on her husband Peter Beale (Thomas Law).
Could this carjacking incident ignite a spark between Lauren and Mark, setting up a passionate new affair?
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 9th March at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
