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EastEnders character
Lauren Branning
Portrayed by	Madeline Duggan
Duration	2006–
First appearance	3 July 2006
Date of birth	29 March 1994
Marital status	Single
Home	5 Albert Square
Occupation	Student
Family	Max, Abi, Tanya, Bradley

Lauren Branning is a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. She is played by Madeline Duggan.

She is the daughter of Max and Tanya Branning and half sister of Bradley Branning. She also has a sister called Abi.

Lauren moved into 5 Albert Square with her parents and sister, not knowing that her brother even existed. She then overheard her parents talking, and discovered she had family on the Square. Lauren seems to be very interested in her new-found family, introducing herself to her grandfather, Jim, and talking to Bradley in the Square, but when Jim threw Bradley out of his house after he got in trouble at work, Lauren was not happy at the prospect of having Bradley around, as she would have to share a room with Abi. Max talked to her and took Lauren to get her ears pierced for accepting Bradley.

Lauren made fun of Abi and her new found friendship with ten-year-old Ben Mitchell. Lauren told Ben that Abi fancied him but Abi said that it was not true. Ben and Abi soon got their own back at Lauren when they soaked her with water bombs one afternoon.

In September 2006 Lauren joined Walford High School, where she is in the same class as Lucy Beale, who she developed a friendship with. One day, Lauren pretended to be ill and came home from school. Her step-grandmother, Dot, offered to look after her while Tanya was at work. Lauren was not happy and tried to escape at every opportunity, first of all going out into the garden to text message Lucy, who was still at school. Dot found her and dragged her inside. Later, Lauren went to the playground and Dot found her a second time and was shocked when Lauren said Deano Wicks was "well buff".

At Jane's hen party, Lauren and Lucy stole a bottle of bubbly and went to the cellar of Booty to drink it. They got drunk but Jane didn't seem bothered by this.

In March 2007, she bought some cigarettes from Mo Harris and invited Jay Brown to her house to smoke them. Tanya walked in on them, and confiscated Lauren's phone and stopped her pocket money for the rest of the month.

• Father: Max Branning
• Mother: Tanya Branning
• Sister: Abi Branning
• Half brother: Bradley Branning
• Grandfather: Jim Branning
• Grandmother: Reenie Branning (deceased)
• Uncle: Derek Branning
• Aunts: Carol Jackson, April Branning, Sue Branning
• Cousins: Bianca Jackson, Robbie Jackson, Sonia Fowler, Billy Jackson
• First cousins once removed: Liam Butcher, Rebecca Miller, Natasha Butcher (deceased), Gordon Branning