The actress has decided to bow out from her soap role indefinitely as she wants to pursue new projects and spend more time with her young children.
Jo Joyner as Tanya Branning.
Show bosses have indicated that the door will be left open for Tanya, but Joyner told This Morning today (June 7) that plans at EastEnders can change quickly.
She laughed: "You just don't know with soap, do you? Another producer could come along and I could just get killed off-screen! Who knows?"
Joyner will have time off this summer before starting work on Sky Living comedy Trying Again in the autumn.
Reflecting on her decision, she explained: "I think I'm trying to search for what all women who are working are trying to search for - that balance, really. It was all a little bit work-heavy for the past couple of years. My kids don't start school for another year, so I thought, 'This is it now'.
"It's a hard decision but I think I'm already feeling it. I've had three weeks off with my kids, moving back to the country and I'm already feeling like it was the right decision."
Lauren and Tanya
Tanya's departure from Walford will tie in closely with her daughter Lauren's ongoing drinking problem.
Teasing her final scenes, Joyner said: "I have to say, they are fantastic. Jacqueline Jossa who plays Lauren is wonderful. She's a wonderful actress. Both of my 'kids' are. Lorna [Fitzgerald] and Jac have been fabulous and you're going to love watching it."
