(née '''Branning''', formerly '''Butcher''') was a
Fictional Character in the popular
BBC Soap Opera ''
EastEnders ''. She was played by
Patsy Palmer .
Firey red-head Bianca was never one to shy away from speaking her mind and her sharp tongue often got her into a lot of trouble. She had a rather stubborn streak and woe betide anyone who got on her wrong side. She tended to do what she wanted, regardless of the consequences, and this eventually led to her downfall.
Bianca arrived in
Albert Square late in
1993 with the rest of the Jackson clan - Mother
Carol , step-father
Alan , step-brothers
Robbie and
Billy , step-sister
Sonia and Grandmother
Blossom . Bianca, along with her inseperable sidekick
Natalie Price , were soon causing trouble and making their presence felt on the Square.
Bianca always had a thing for older men and after a brief fling with slimy market inspector
Richard Cole (Tricky Dicky) she set her sights on local car dealer
David Wicks . However, unbeknownst to Bianca, David was actually her biological father, who had been estranged to her until now. Bianca tried several times to seduce David before he finally told her the truth, and a horrfied Bianca spent many weeks coming to terms with the news. However, despite her mother's misgivings, Bianca and David began to form a father/daughter relationship, which was often tested to its limits because of both David and Bianca's selfish and inconsiderate tendencies.
Bianca soon set her sights on a new man, simple mechanic
Ricky Butcher , and because Bianca always got what she wanted, the two were soon an item. However, things did not go smoothly for the couple. Sick of Bianca's bullying and demanding ways, best friend Natalie and boyfriend Ricky embarked on a secret affair behind her back. When Bianca found out she was furious and drove Natalie out of town. However, after much begging from Ricky, Bianca took him back and the two were eventually married in
1997 .
That same year Bianca became pregnant with her first child. Tragedy was about to strike however, when a pre-natal examination confirmed that Bianca's unborn child was affected with
Spina Bifida . This led a distraught Bianca to make the impossible decision to
Abort her unborn child, a decision which put a massive strain on her marriage, and Bianca grieved for a long time after.
Bianca ran a clothing stall in the Bridge Street market and spent most of her time nagging and screaming 'Rickaaaaay' at her husband, interferring in other people's business or gossiping and moaning to best-friend
Tiffany Raymond . Bianca particularly disliked Tiffany's relationship with
Grant Mitchell and the two often argued over the way he treated Tiffany.
In
1998 Bianca became pregnant for a second time, and in true Bianca style the birth was frought with drama. Whilst on a crusade to retieve Tiffany's daughter, baby
Courtney , from her father on
Christmas Day 1998 , Bianca went into
Labour . Refusing to go to the hospital without Ricky, Bianca ended up giving birth to baby
Liam in the
Queen Vic , helped by her nemesis Grant. However, days later, disaster struck again for Bianca when her best friend Tiffany was run over and killed by
Frank Butcher .
Over the next six months, Bianca took to motherhood, and even managed to patch up her differences with her old nemesis and
Walford returnee Natalie Price. However, her happiness was short lived when her mother returned to Albert Square with her new fianceé
Dan Sullivan . Unbeknownst to Carol, an underage Bianca had previously had a relationsip with Dan before she moved to the Square, and it wasn't long before the two rekindled their torrid affair behind their partners' backs. The two put a halt on things when Carol discovered she was pregnant with Dan's child, and Bianca and Ricky made plans to move away to
Manchester so Bianca could attend fashion college there. However, after finding an old
Photo of Bianca and Dan together, Carol demanded to know their history. Caught out, Dan told Carol that they once had a romance that ended years ago, and swore on the life of his unborn child that it was over. An angry Carol went to question her unsuspecting daughter about her untruths. Unaware that Dan had covered their recent affair with a lie, Bianca confessed that she'd been seeing Dan behind her back for months. It wasn't long before Ricky found out the truth too. Both Ricky and Carol decided they wanted nothing more to do with Bianca, and Bianca left for Manchester with baby Liam in September
1999 .
In
2002 in a special
Spin-off episode, Ricky went to see Bianca and Liam in Manchester and it was revealed that she had become involved with drugs and was struggling to support her child while taking a college course in fashion design. She subsequently gave custody of son Liam to Ricky. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.
- Father: '' David Wicks ''
- Mother: '' Carol Jackson ''
- Son: '' Liam Butcher ''
- Daughter: ''Natasha Butcher'' (deceased)
- Grandparents: '' Pete Beale '', '' Pat Butcher '', '' Jim Branning '', ''Reenie Branning'' (deceased)
- Great grandparents: ''Albert Beale'' (deceased), '' Lou Beale '' (deceased)
- Half-brothers: '' Joe Wicks '', '' Robbie Jackson '', '' Billy Jackson ''
- Half-sisters: ''Karen Wicks'' (deceased), '' Sonia Fowler ''
- Uncles: '' Simon Wicks '', '' Ian Beale '', '' Max Branning '', ''Derek Branning''
- Aunts: ''Sue Branning'', ''April Branning''
- Great uncles: ''Kenny Beale'', ''Ronnie Beale'' (deceased), ''Jimmy Harris'' (deceased)
- Great aunts: '' Pauline Fowler '', ''Maggie Flaherty'', ''Maureen Beale'' (deceased)
- Cousins: '' Bradley Branning '', '' Abi Branning '', '' Lauren Branning '', '' Steven Beale '', '' Peter Beale '', '' Lucy Beale '', '' Bobby Beale ''
