Max Branning to make shock EastEnders return as actor Jake Wood confirms comeback
Wood, 52, left the BBC soap in 2021 when his character's affair with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) ended, after she revealed her true feelings for her husband Mick (Danny Dyer).
Max's return to the soap comes after it was announced that his son Oscar would also return to the soap, played by Pierre Moullier, after eight years away, having previously been portrayed by Gabriel Miller-Williams, Neo Hall and Charlee Hall.
Wood said: 'I'm over the moon to be coming home to Walford. Max has got lots of unresolved drama with many characters, so I'm sure he'll be busy.
'I'm excited to see what he's been up to, and what is next for the character, but if his last 15 years in the square are anything to go by, I'm sure there will be plenty of chaos.'
One of Max's best-known storylines in the soap saw his long-running affair with daughter-in-law Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) revealed on Christmas Day in 2007, while he was dressed as Father Christmas.
Max will return to Albert Square to find his daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) expected to marry into the Beales, Stacey widowed, and a secret daughter with ex-lover Linda yet to be discovered.
Speaking on the Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, Wood said his return to the show was 'quite emotional' and added it felt 'like a very warm hug'.
He said: 'I just felt like it was the right time.
'I spoke to so many people there, they're just loving being there at the moment, I had a meeting with the new executive, Ben Wadey, back in January, and we went for lunch, and he just sort of outlined all of his ideas.'
He continued: 'There's just so many characters that Max has got drama with, so it felt like the right time to go back and mix things up a bit.'
Wood went on to say his character's return would be 'high, high, high drama' and added that it would not be 'friendly and warm'.
EastEnders executive producer Wadey said: 'I'm delighted to welcome the immensely talented Jake Wood back to the role of Max Branning.
'Whilst his character has only been away from Albert Square for four years, Walford, and the lives of those who live in it, have changed immensely.
'Max has a lot of unfinished business, but whether he is welcomed by his family remains to be seen.
'However, with a past as chequered as Max's, it's fair to say that many Walford residents will not be pleased to see him, putting the Brannings back at the heart of the square, and the drama, this year.'
Wood's character first arrived in Walford in June 2006, bringing his then wife Tanya and their daughters Lauren and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) with him.
Max will return briefly in autumn, before making a permanent return later in the year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Evening Standard
a minute ago
- Evening Standard
EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal announced as fifth Strictly Come Dancing contestant
It comes after Dyer, Hasselbaink and Kingston, who is best known for her role as Dr Elizabeth Corday in US medical drama ER but also appeared in Doctor Who, were announced as contestants on BBC's The One Show on Monday.
The Guardian
2 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tim Key: Loganberry review – blissfully funny set from a standup in total control
It's rich of Tim Key, his agent tells him, playing the underdog 'when you're lighting up cinemas with Carey Mulligan'. But play the underdog he does in Loganberry, his exquisitely tart and amusing take on that standup staple, the midlife crisis show. Other comics invite you to take seriously their existential wrestle with ageing and insignificance. Key's is a game of cat-and-mouse, a twinkling ironic tease inviting us to wonder how lonely, furious, insecure – and indeed how old – this acclaimed comedian, actor and film-maker really is. The trigger for this descent into forty- (or is it thirty-) something angst is an invitation from his recent House of Games opponent, sports presenter Gabby Logan, on to her podcast about middle age. Key is outraged at the implication, retreating from the microphone – as he does throughout the show – to bellow at the rough justice he receives ('Where's my MBE? Everything I do is for this fucking empire!') from life, the world and his uncomprehending public. In trademark rumpled suit and greying hair (sorry, Tim!), he prowls the stage, circling questions of age, self-worth, his celebrity status and singleton life. Structure is provided by an account of time spent in a cafe, struggling to write another '58-minute concert' for his demanding fans. Greg Rusedski pops in, sending Key into raptures ('Full tennis WHITES!'). The red-and-white checked tablecloths prompt rueful reflection on our host's hobo-like, 'stick-and-bindle' life on the road. If midlife brings few consolations, one must be Key's total command of his unique style. The scrambled signifiers of high and low status; the smiling, ever-so-faintly sinister relationship with his crowd; the ambient background music – and all those banal/beautiful haiku ('Colette gave birth to an adult …') that again punctuate this set. Key has them all where he wants them, while ensuring we never quite do – and part of the fun is unpicking precisely what he's up to while he's making us laugh and laugh, at tales of freezing his sperm, measuring himself against his parents, failing to be cast in Ted Lasso. He may be lighting up cinemas, but here Key casts playful shadows over that glamorous public life, in blissfully funny fashion. At Pleasance Courtyard and Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh, until 24 August. Then at Wilton's Music Hall, London, 10-22 November All our Edinburgh festival reviews
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Victoria Beckham playfully mocks son Romeo's hunky shirtless snap as she stays silent on eldest boy Brooklyn snubbing the family amid secret vow renewal with wife Nicola Peltz
Victoria Beckham playfully mocked her son Romeo as he posted a hunky shirtless Instagram snap, despite her heartbreak over eldest boy Brooklyn's vow renewal snub. Model Romeo, 22, whom Victoria shares with husband David, took to social media on Monday to upload a sizzling black and white snap of himself flexing his muscles. But while the post sent Romeo's young fans wild, Victoria couldn't help but make a cheeky swipe at her boy as she commented: 'What r u doing Romeo?' alongside a crying with laughter emoji. Fans were quick to react to Victoria's lighthearted remark, with many coming up with suggestions on what Romeo could actually be doing. Victoria's fun exchange with her second child comes amid her heartbreak over not being invited to Brooklyn's vow renewal with wife Nicola Peltz. The Spice Girl, 51, and football legend David, 50, reportedly fear that Brooklyn, 26, has 'quit the family' after failing to invite any of his relatives to the event. Brooklyn and wife Nicola who first wed in 2022, said 'I do' for a second time on August 2 in Westchester County in front of her family who had key roles in the day, with the Beckham clan nowhere in sight. Nicola wore her 70-year-old mother's vintage 1985 bridal gown for the big day, while her father Nelson, 83, was given the key role of officiating. Brooklyn's parents and siblings Romeo, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14, reportedly only found out about their big day after reading about it on a US website. Their eldest son has become increasingly estranged from the family ever since he snubbed his father's 50th birthday, and now, the family fear it's a final kick in the teeth for the family. A source told The Sun: 'This was the final kick in the teeth for David and Victoria. Seeing Nelson having such a pivotal role at the ceremony was heartbreaking for David especially. Not one member of the 30-plus extended family knew about the wedding, or were invited. 'His grandparents are devastated too as Brooklyn has always been so close to them.' The source added: 'It feels cruel and spiteful. This is no longer a game. It has gone beyond all that. This is a family who feel they have lost their precious boy - and see no way back. 'Honestly, they are now questioning why he even wants to keep the 'Beckham' surname - will he revert to Peltz? August 2nd 2025 - is this the day Brooklyn formally declared himself no longer a part of the Beckham family? It certainly feels like it.'. Victoria's cheeky comment comes in stark contrast to the swooning messages from Romeo's followers Daily Mail has contacted Brooklyn, Nicola and the Beckhams' representatives for comment. Brooklyn and Nicola first tied the knot in a lavish £3million ceremony in 2022, when relations first began to sour with his parents in the run-up to the big day. After shunning a dress made by her fashion designer Victoria in favour of a Valentino gown in 2022 - a choice which wasn't well received - Nicola once again snubbed her mother-in-law and wore her mother Claudia's vintage wedding gown. It is a poignant message to Posh and Becks', whom he and Nicola have grown increasingly estranged over recent months. All the while the Beckhams were said to be upset by the Peltzes in 2022 who they felt were taking over the wedding. And ever since their first big nuptials in April 2022, the two families have not reunited and Nicola has rarely been pictured with the Beckhams. The couple shared the images on Instagram on Monday, alongside the words 'only love.' Nicola wore the same original $1.8mill ring set adding a glinting filter onto the dazzling jewels. Brooklyn's parents and siblings Romeo, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14, only found out about their big day after reading about it on a US website, something which would have shattered his beloved family's hearts They also shared a video of their very casual proposal on TikTok alongside a song by Ysabelle Cuevas alongside the words: 'Lost in your eyes..' Brooklyn described the vow renewal as a 'really beautiful experience' while admitting he is still head-over-heels for his wife. Speaking for the first time about the day, the 26-year-old admitted he'd happily do it 'every single day' if he could.
