EastEnders fans ‘work out’ who Max’s bride is – and it’s not Linda

Despite Linda Carter and Max Branning sharing a kiss and his claims that he loves her – to his daughter’s disbelief – another woman seems set to become his new love interest

The Walford Womaniser has struck again! While Max Branning seems convinced he’s in love with his ex Linda Carter, he’s found himself in another flirty interaction with a different woman has led EastEnders fans to say they know who his next love interest is.

Since he returned, many have thought Max (Jake Wood) might eventually marry his former flame Linda (Kellie Bright) in 2027. In the flashforward to next year, he was about to walk down the aisle to a mystery woman, and Linda was teased to be one of them.

But, during Tuesday’s episode (17 February), Max had a date with Linda that couldn’t be described as anything other than a disaster. For starters, Linda didn’t even know it was a date. When Max turned up with flowers and tried to kiss her, she firmly rejected him, leaving the worst philanderer in Walford to dejectedly lick his wounds.

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The devastated Max then gave the flowers to Gina Knight (Francesca Henry), wishing her a happy birthday. The brief interaction had many thinking Gina would be the next woman added to Max’s long list of lovers.

“They’re gonna do max and gina as a couple,” said one fan. Another added: “I do think there’s something in Max giving Gina the flowers.” Others, though convinced that the show was hinting and a Max and Gina romance, were clear that they did not want it to happen.

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“I refuse to be in a reality where Gina and Max have a baby,” a fan said, referring to the pregnant woman seen in Max’s bed during the flashforward.

Another said: “Please for the love of god do not put Gina and Max together – he’s got form for younger women and Gina is already in a complex relationship with Harry after George and Nicola’s baby news. Gina can do better then him and he’s too much baggage for her.”

A third posted a TikTok where they pointed out that Max had previously had a relationship with Gina’s half sister Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) just before she died. At the time, Lucy was 21 and Max was not only 45, but her best friend’s father. The TikTok poster said: “Ewww were these scenes foreshadowing Max trying it on with Gina or something?

“Is that why Peter [Beale, Gina and Lucy’s brother] is p***ed off at him in the flashforward and why Cindy [Beale, their mother] didn’t look happy with him? As if getting with Lucy wasn’t bad enough…”

Max has been romantically linked to many women over the years and has a tendency to go for younger women. One of his major storylines in the late 2000s involved an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), who was his own son’s wife.

Jake Wood, who plays Max, has previously said that he thinks Stacey is the love of Max’s life. When asked at a press event who Max’s true love is, Jake mentioned Tanya (Jo Joyner), the mother of three of his children, but settled on Stacey.

The actor said: “Obviously, Tanya is very high, but I think probably Stacey as well. I think we saw that when Max came back a couple of months ago. The connection is still really strong between the pair of them; they really understand each other. I think wherever they are in different parts or wherever they are in their lives, they’d always have that connection. So, if you asked Max, he would probably say Stacey.”

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