EastEnders is set to welcome home Oscar Branning (played by Pierre Moullier), who arrives in Walford next week and reunites with his older sister Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa).
Oscar was last seen on-screen in 2017 when he made a brief visit to see his dad, Max Branning (Jake Wood), on Father’s Day. However, the young boy is now a 17-year-old teenager and is set to turn Lauren’s life upside down.
On Monday, July 14, Lauren is shocked when she receives a phone call. Before long, she comes face-to-face with her younger brother.
As the estranged siblings get reacquainted, Lauren soon discovers what Oscar has been up to and why he can’t return home.
He also reunites with his uncle Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and the rest of his family, before kicking off an emotional blackmail campaign to convince Lauren to let him stay in Walford.
As Peter Beale (Thomas Law) and his dad Ian (Adam Woodyatt) arrive, Lauren soon gives in to Oscar’s plea on one condition – he doesn’t cause trouble. Meanwhile, Oscar gets a mysterious message confirming he isn’t the clean-cut guy he has made out to be.
Later in the week, Oscar starts to make an impression on the locals and opens up to Jack about his difficult relationship with his parents, Max and Tanya.
He also conjures up a plan to scam Ian out of money by staging a fall in the chippie and demanding compensation as Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) looks on amused.
As Oscar continues to cause mayhem, he is offered a job on the fruit and veg stall and insists it’s the opportunity he needs to turn his life around.
But when Oscar’s first day at work becomes eventful, he takes the opportunity seriously when he learns that his nephew Jimmy is blind.
EastEnders fans have been speculating that history will repeat itself as Oscar will take a romantic interest in mum-of-one Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) when she returns.
As fans of the BBC soap will know, Stacey was married to Lauren’s late brother, Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements), when she continued to have an affair with his dad, Max.
The affair was dramatically exposed when a wedding DVD accidentally recorded Max and Stacey kissing. Lauren revealed it to her mum, Tanya (Jo Joyner), and Bradley on Christmas Day in 2007, and chaos erupted.
EastEnders fans now think Oscar and Lily are set to become romantically involved in a new dramatic Branning/Slater storyline.
Taking to Reddit, one person shared their excitement at Oscar’s return and wrote: “BIG RETURN. YES TO THIS!! MY GOD.”
A second replied: “Likely hood he be having affair with Lily behind Ricky back then Oscar and Stacey will sleep together behind Lily back.”
A third chimed in: “When Lily returns… watch out. You’ve had one Branning boy, don’t be giving Stacey and Max a next generation situation.”
“The Branning revival has officially begun”, said one fan while another added: “Perfect blend of the two of them I wonder who is going woo what if tries to woo Lily to get revenge on Stacey.”