Josh is surprised when Lauren returns to work later in the week. Josh and Corrine celebrate when they receive good news about one of the company's projects. Josh asks Lauren if she wants to celebrate with them but she tells him that she needs to go somewhere but she will not be long. Josh tells Lauren that Abi has invited him to her 21st birthday party, realising that Lauren lied to Abi that he is unavailable. Max reveals to Lauren that Josh is engaged to Imogen (Alexandra Sinclair), and Josh apologises for not telling her, but she is upset and tells him she is busy. Josh visits Lauren at home and explains that he did not tell her about Imogen because she had been travelling the world and is only with her to keep their parents happy, but they know their relationship is over. Steven sees Josh and Lauren together and threatens Josh. At Abi's party, she kisses Josh, and a jealous Lauren states he is engaged. Later, Josh admits flirting with Abi to get a reaction from Lauren, but she insists she does not want to cheat on Steven and tells him not to go after Abi. Steven gets a mobile charger with a hidden camera to spy on Lauren while she is at work, and watches her and Josh talking. Josh tries to get Lauren to admit that her relationship is not working but she refuses. The next day, Lauren tells Josh that she does not love Steven any more and she will end their relationship. Steven learns from Josh that Lauren has resigned when Josh visits her. Josh visits again and learns that she is planning to go to New Zealand to see Peter Beale (Ben Hardy), but he convinces her to stay. He declares his love for Lauren but she says she does not feel the same way. Josh overhears Lauren talking to Max on the phone where she mentions that she is engaged to Steven. A disappointed Josh congratulates her. Lauren later tells Josh that she has been selfish and being in the company has made her realise that she needs to be with Steven, so she resigns from Weyland & Co. When Steven dies, Lauren contacts Josh and she tells him that she wants him to be with her at Steven's funeral. Josh is then revealed to be the brother of Fi Browning (Lisa Faulkner). The following day, Fi is revealed as the daughter of James Willmott-Brown (William Boyde), also father to Josh, who reunite with him and brother Luke Browning (Adam Astill). They are joined by Max and their uncle Hugo Browning (Simon Williams).
Viewers drew similarities to a teenage pregnancy storyline involving the character of Demi Miller, played by Shana Swash, in 2004 as the Millers "were just as mouthy and controversial as the Taylors and at the time of their arrival, 13-year-old Demi was heavily pregnant. When Bernadette suffers a miscarriage, Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy called it a "tragic" and "upsetting" turn.
The character is described as a charismatic old school villain and is an old friend of Phil Mitchell, having shared a cell together while Phil was in prison in 2005. Speaking of joining the show, Bergin said: "I am delighted to be joining EastEnders as I have watched and admired it since the days of Dirty Den. It is an iconic show that has the ability to shape the way people think, while also telling big explosive stories that keep the audience gripped. I am really looking forward to seeing what they have in store for Aidan as it's bound to be dramatic." Executive consultant John Yorke added: "EastEnders deserves the very best and in Patrick we are absolutely privileged to have a truly great actor join the show. It's a huge honour to have him on board, where he'll be working hand in hand with Phil Mitchell and Mick Carter to carry a truly explosive storyline for Christmas and New Year. We can't wait to get started."
Turner said that Stacey's ultimate fear is her baby not surviving after Stacey suffers pre-eclampsia, bringing on a seizure, which puts Stacey and her baby's life at risk. The character being named Hope drew similarities to the introduction of Coronation Street's Hope Stape, the daughter of Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine), who was born prematurely and fought for her life in December 2010.
In an interview, Sean O'Connor added that The Taylor family "feel very different to the other characters" they have, calling them "a big messy brood." He said the Taylors will "bring the breath of fresh air that" the Jackson family did upon their arrival and like other established, popular EastEnders families, they "will divide opinion, but within six months, I [O'Connor] think the audience will love them" and "will help re-calibrate what the show is." O'Connor also said that the family experience "the reality of the benefits system [...] we're not going to see these characters suddenly flashing cash round – we’re going to see them struggling to make ends meet, because that’s where the best stories are- ordinary characters facing adversity." O'Connor compared the characters to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Coronation Street's Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix), saying "whatever fate throws at them, they pick themselves up and face the next day. It’s the classic Scarlett O’Hara mantra; ‘tomorrow is another day."
Freda is an elderly woman whom Denise Fox (Diane Parish) meets when she is taking her English literature GCSE exam and she finds out Freda is taking five exams—English, English literature, French, history and maths. After the exam, Freda buys Denise a drink and says that although she found the exam Tricky, she was enjoyed studying and that even if she fails, it was worth it as it is better than cleaning people's houses, which is her job. Freda and Denise later sit their final exam and afterwards, Freda tells Denise that her mind went blank and asks how Denise did. Denise collapses and Freda tries to talk to her.
When Michelle returns to Walford at Christmas 2016, she confides in her best friend, Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) that she had a relationship with a 17-year-old student in the United States, meaning she had broken the law. Preston arrives in Walford unexpectedly on Valentine's Day and he and Michelle kiss. Michelle goes for a job interview at a teaching agency, but fails to get the job as they find out from her references about her relationship with Preston. Michelle insists that he should go home. Preston tries to win Michelle back, but she is Adam Ant their relationship is over. Michelle later sees Preston with her niece, Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield). They later kiss, and Preston encourages Bex to truant from school. Preston then texts Michelle that he needs to see her, but when she arrives, he is in bed with Bex and he acts surprised to see her. Michelle demands that Preston leave immediately but he ignores her, and she realises that he used Bex to make her jealous. Preston then leads Michelle upstairs; it is implied that they have sex. Dennis Rickman Jnr (Bleu Landau), who Michelle is looking after while Sharon is on holiday, sees Michelle and Preston kissing and starts blackmailing Michelle.
Abi Branning first appears in the episode broadcast on 29 December 2017. She is the daughter of Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) and Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell).
In March 2018, it was announced that Keegan and Shakil would be involved in a "hard hitting" knife crime storyline that "will place the Kazemis and Taylors at the heart of the show" following Keegan and Shakil being attacked in "tragic scenes" that sees their lives turned "upside down." The storyline will explore the "wide-reaching ramifications of knife crime for those for all those involved." For the storyline, the show is working alongside the Ben Kinsella Trust, which was founded by former EastEnders Actress Brooke Kinsella, who played Kelly Taylor from 2001 to 2004, after her brother was stabbed to death. Kinsella said that she "commend[s]" EastEnders for choosing to "portray the realities of knife crime" and with it still rising, "people [need to] understand its lasting impact" as "It simply destroys lives forever." Executive consultant John Yorke added that "the brutal reality" of knife crime was "brought home" to everyone at EastEnders through the murder of Kinsella's brother. He described knife crime still as "prevalent today" and the show has "a long tradition of tackling serious public issues" and described the knife crime storyline as "the most important the show has ever embarked on", calling the episodes "powerful, heart-breaking and dramatic" as well as hoping the make "it clear that knife crime destroys the lives of everyone it touches."
Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) talks to Ingrid about her upcoming camping trip with her husband Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and their children Janet Mitchell (Grace) and Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips), which was overheard by Amy and Ricky. Ingrid tells them that they can come camping too, but Jack is unsure about the idea. However, he later agrees. Ingrid comforts Jack when he is reminded that it is the first family trip without his dead wife Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack). When they begin to grow closer, Ingrid and Jack share a passionate kiss. When Amy and Ricky ask questions about Ingrid and Jack's relationship, she insists that she has no feelings for Jack. Realising that she may have feelings for him, Ingrid decides to leave Walford Jack persuades her to return as the au pair. Ingrid is shocked when she attends an art class to find that her neighbour Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) is a nude life model. Ingrid and Keanu later begin a relationship. Ingrid is excited when Keanu plans to move in with Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), so that they have their own space without being disturbed by Keanu’s mother, Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), and is disappointed after Keanu decides not to move because Karen and his siblings need him.
