Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) has quickly become a huge presence in EastEnders since her return to Walford in 2024, but as her pregnancy storyline gets underway, viewers are often left wondering about the tragic backstory that changed her life forever.
As Penny navigates pregnancy drama, family tension and fallouts in the Square, her wheelchair is part of her daily life. But the reason behind it is one of the darker chapters in Branning history.
Why is Penny in a wheelchair?
When Penny was just a child, she was the victim of a targeted revenge attack, and it was all because of her dad.
Back in the day, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) was a corrupt police officer who cut corners and made dangerous deals. In one particularly shady move, he paid a drug lord for inside information, which ultimately led to the arrest of a dealer who was actually innocent.
That man went to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
When he was eventually released, he wanted revenge, and instead of going straight for Jack, he chose the most devastating route possible.
While Penny and her mum Selina were waiting at a bus stop, the dealer deliberately drove a car into them.
Penny suffered catastrophic injuries in the crash, and her spinal cord was severed. She was left paralysed from the waist down.
It’s a horrific piece of backstory that explains so much about her complicated relationship with Jack. Although he loves his daughter fiercely, Penny has grown up knowing that his past actions are the reason her life changed so dramatically.
Penny first appeared on screen as a child in 2008 before moving to France with her mum. After 15 years away, she returned to Walford in 2024, now played by Kitty Castledine, and slotted straight into the chaos of the Branning clan.
She’s Jack’s eldest daughter and has several half-siblings, including Amy Mitchell and Ricky Branning, which instantly ties her into the heart of the Square.
Since coming back, Penny hasn’t exactly had a quiet life, and she’s had her fair share of drama.
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Penny has recently discovered she’s pregnant after a one-night stand with Vinny Panesar on New Year’s Eve.
What started as a fleeting moment has grown into something more genuine between the pair, but Penny is understandably terrified. Becoming a young mum is daunting for anyone, and she’s also facing the reality of doing it as a wheelchair user, with all the physical and emotional challenges that may bring.
Is Kitty Castledine a wheelchair user in real life?
Kitty Castledine is a wheelchair user in real life. When she was seven years old, she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition where the immune system attacks the spinal cord.
Following a virus in February 2010, she was left paralysed from the waist down.
Despite that, she pursued acting, trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and landed the role of Penny shortly after graduating as her first major television job.
Kitty has spoken about how important authentic representation is to her, and many fans have welcomed seeing a disabled actress playing a disabled character in a major primetime soap.
Penny’s story is still unfolding, from pregnancy fears to unresolved tension with Jack, but one thing is clear: she’s not defined solely by what happened to her.
She’s a Branning, after all. And in Walford, that usually means the drama is only just getting started.