EASTENDERS fans are in shock after Lauren Branning returned – and was arrested for drugs smuggling.
The mum of one – who is played by actress Jacqueline Jossa in the BBC soap – has returned five years after leaving Walford for good.
Lauren made a brief return last summer when she visited ex Peter Beale in France and discovered his mother Cindy was alive and well having faked her death years earlier.
In tonight’s episode Lauren was still in France, staying with her cousin Penny in Paris.
With Penny throwing a bash for her friends, she was disturbed when a mysterious woman called Juliette turned up and demanded she work for her again.
Juliette even found her way into Lauren’s son Louie’s bedroom, later threatening his life to Penny to force her to comply.
It wasn’t explicitly revealed what job Penny did – nor why her disability was such a help for it.
However, with Lauren set to return to Walford to visit ex Peter and her uncle Jack, Penny’s father, Penny saw an opportunity to escape.
She told Lauren she would join her and the three headed to the station to get the Eurostar to London.
Lauren allowed the police to search her bag, sure she had nothing to hide – until they found a large brick of drugs.
“That is not mine,” she insisted as the police arrested her.
“I’ve never seen it before.”
But while Lauren was being arrested, Penny just kept on going with Louie, not stopping leaving fans in shock.
One wrote: “Tonight was not as good as Christmas episode. Penny is the worse drug smuggler ever.
“Did not even try and hide that package and Lauren never looked in her bag during the flight….”
Another said: “Jeez tonight’s #eastenders bit of an anti climax wasn’t it? Didn’t feel like a NY episode to me, although loved Lauren being back and Penny looks like a good addition.”
