EastEnders bisexual storyline melts hearts as Oscar Branning and Josh Goodwin share their first kiss
Oscar Branning came out as bisexual in July 2025, making his return after a hiatus from the BBC programme in 2017
By Aaron Sugg
EastEnders characters Oscar Branning and Josh Goodwin have melted fans’s hearts after sharing their first on-screen kiss together in Monday’s episode (23 March).
Oscar, played by Pierre Counihan-Moullier, bumped into Josh, played by Joshua Vaughn, in a recent episode of the soap opera, beginning their EastEnders romance.
The boys later met up at the Prince Albert pub and eventually locked lips after engaging in a flirty conversation in which Josh teased Oscar with a simple: “I should probably go home… unless you’ve got a better offer?”
“These actors work together with perfectly natural chemistry” – one user praising the EastEnders bisexual storyline
Fans were quick to praise the pair’s first kiss: “Adore these two already,” one user penned on social media. A second said: “These actors work together with perfectly natural chemistry, adore these characters.”
Some viewers were conflicted, given that Oscar had previously dated Josh’s twin sister, Jasmine Fisher, played by Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness.
Counihan-Moullier’s character came out as bisexual in July 2025 after being released from a stint in a young offenders’ institute, making his return after a hiatus from the BBC programme in 2017.
“I swing both ways” – Oscar Branning, played by Pierre Counihan-Moullier coming out as bisexual in Eastenders
Oscar officially came out to his on-screen uncle with a simple, “I swing both ways.” Upon his return, Oscar and Jasmine dated in EastEnders in late 2025.
One fan drew attention to the family crossover: “Love them. But as always, it’s complicated,” they said. In the episode, Oscar shares his troubles about his ex with Josh… little does he know Jasmine is Josh’s sister.
Fans are eagerly anticipating where the bisexual storyline will go, following a series of LGBTQ+ representations in the show.
EastEnders introduced one of the earliest gay couples in British soaps
The soap opera introduced its first gay storyline in 1987 with characters Colin Russell and Barry Clark, one of the earliest gay couples in British soaps.
Danny Dyer, though he didn’t portray an LGBTQ+ character, was also praised for his role as Mick in the BBC soap opera after his on-screen son Johnny came out as gay to him.
Viewers commended him for his accepting response, and since then, Dyer has kept the moment close to his heart, continuing to speak about representation on screen today.
EastEnders is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.