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EastEnders has confirmed details of Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) explosive return to Albert Square – and in true Max fashion, fans can expect tensions to boil over as he comes face-to-face with several enemies.
The Walford bad boy was last seen in E20 back in 2021, leaving wounded after Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) chose to reunite with husband Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) following their passionate affair.
While his family have not seen hide or hair of him since, a series of flashbacks recently revealed that in his time away from Walford, Max had a romance with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), who herself has just returned to town.
With Zoe having kept details of their dalliance a secret from her family, things are about to get seriously messy when Zoe’s cousin and Max’s ex lover Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) learns the truth in forthcoming scenes.
Max is also set for a showdown with his daughter Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and her soon-to-be mother-in-law Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), who is out for Max’s blood over her son Steven Beale’s (Aaron Sidwell) death.
Max is set to make his big entrance during Monday’s episode, which finds Peter Beale (Thomas Law) surprising fiancée Lauren with an impromptu wedding at The Vic.
Interrupting proceedings, Max’s arrival leaves Lauren reeling, as Stacey and Zoe look on stunned.
‘Seeing Max again gives Stacey the shock of her life,’ explains Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey.
‘She never expected to see him back in Walford, and she knows full well that whenever he’s around, there’s trouble!’
With Max and Stacey’s affair becoming one of the biggest EastEnders’ storylines of the 2000s, all eyes will be on Stacey’s reaction when she uncovers that Max and Zoe have become entangled.
‘When Stacey sees Max and Zoe kiss, it’s such a shock,’ Lacey says. ‘She had no idea they knew each other, let alone that they were a couple, so I think she’s in such disbelief.
‘She feels betrayed by Zoe, but she’s reminded that this is typical Max behaviour as it’s what he always does!’
However, with Stacey contemplating leaving Walford behind for a new life in Brazil with her brother Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky), will Max make a play for his ex?
‘It’s always interesting to watch them both together because there’s always something sizzling underneath for both of them,’ Lacey adds cryptically.
Meanwhile, Max’s son Oscar Branning (Pierre Moullier) attempts to try and get his dad’s attention after years of estrangement, while a blazing argument with Lauren results in her ordering him to leave Walford.
But more trouble is brewing courtesy of Cindy.
Fans will remember that Max caused Steven’s death back in 2017 when he took revenge against Jane Beale (Laurie Brett). She’d let him take the fall for Lucy Beale’s (Hetty Bywater) murder to protect the real killer, Lucy’s half-brother Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell).
Having taken Jane hostage in Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) restaurant, Max blackmailed Steven into setting it on fire. But after Steven went back into the burning building to rescue Jane, he later died in hospital.
Back to the present day, and upon hearing of Max’s return, Cindy gets ready to face-off with the man responsible for her son’s death.
Considering last time Cindy took revenge on someone, it ended up with her shooting Ian, who knows what she has up her dastardly sleeve this time…
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 29 September at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
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