| Derek Branning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jamie Foreman as Derek Branning (2012) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Terence Beesley (1996) Jamie Foreman (2011–2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1996, 2011–2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 1282 29 April 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 4554/4555 25 December 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Corinne Hollingworth (1996) Bryan Kirkwood (2011) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Terence Beesley as Derek Branning (1996) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 to 2012. Derek is the eldest child of Jim Branning (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham). He first appears in episode 1282, which was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 29 April 1996, for his sister April Branning's (Debbie Arnold) wedding and departed on 2 May. The character returned as a regular in the episode broadcast on 24 November 2011, played by Foreman. In October 2012, it was announced that Foreman would be leaving EastEnders in December 2012 as part of a Christmas storyline. On 20 December 2012, it is revealed that Derek was the person who Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) had an affair with (see "Who's Been Sleeping with Kat?"). The character died of a heart attack in the episode broadcast on 25 December 2012.
Derek is originally portrayed as racist and is not pleased when his sister Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) married Alan Jackson (Howard Antony). Upon his return, Derek was described as a "charmer" and "proper East-End". Derek has been described as "dodgy" and a "psycho". Foreman confirmed that viewers could expect "danger" and "destruction" from his character as his time progresses on the show. The BBC describe Derek as "old school". Derek served as the show's main antagonist of 2012.