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EastEnders airs guilt for Max Branning as emotional tribute made to Mick Carter in early BBC iPlayer release

Warning: Contains spoilers for Thursday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.

Composite image of Max Branning and Mick Carter in a scene from EastEnders

BBC

Published: Thursday, 12 November 2026 at 6:30 am

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Max Branning (Jake Wood) has come dangerously close to admitting his terrible lie to Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) in EastEnders.

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Earlier this week, Linda received a phone call telling her that ex-husband Mick (Danny Dyer) had passed away. This wasn't exactly a surprise, given he went missing in the English Channel almost four years ago.

However, she wanted to ensure that he got a proper send off - and went to ask permission from his widow Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) to take charge of the funeral. When she arrived at her hotel, the story became far more bizarre than she first imagined.

Janine explained that Mick had died just two weeks ago, having suffered a heart attack at his home in North London. She'd identified his body, and then arranged the cremation.

Linda struggled to believe that her once devoted husband would choose to abandon her family for so long, and with new fella Max Branning (Jake Wood), decided to seek further answers.

Janine Carter sat in an office with a serious expression on her face in a scene from EastEnders

Charlie Brooks as Janine Carter in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

They were shocked to find Janine holding a funeral, and that she'd lied about the cremation. Linda wanted to look in the coffin, though eventually headed to Max's car and asked him to instead.

Janine eventually came clean and said that she'd fabricated the death because Lee Carter (Danny Hatchard) had revoked the initial death certificate, and she was going to have to return the life insurance pay out that she'd initially received.

She then convinced Max not to go to the police, and to use Mick's 'demise' as a way to step out of his shadow and start afresh with Linda.

Linda then broke the news to her children. Lee spiralled, hitting the bottle and refusing to accept that his dad was really gone. Little did Max and Linda realise, while they comforted him, Nancy (Maddy Hill) had gone into labour with his baby.

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In a horrifying twist, Linda then came dangerously close to relapsing. Lee was refusing to accept that he was struggling with alcoholism, and so she picked up a bottle and went to take a sip herself.

Although she stopped herself, Lee continued drinking. He rushed off to The Prince Albert, before tearing strips off his mum for ruining his life during her addiction.

Mother and son were clearly broken, and Linda stepped in to hug her son. They then returned to Peacock Palace, where Max went to explain that he'd possibly told Linda something that she wanted to hear, but it wasn't necessarily the truth.

Linda stands over Lee in a scene from EastEnders

Kellie Bright and Danny Hatchard as Linda and Lee Carter in EastEnders. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Before he had chance to reveal exactly what this was, Lee received notification that Nancy was in the hospital and they raced off.

Stood over her hospital bed, Lee took hold of the newborn and announced that he'd decided on the name Michael Carter, in tribute to his dad. However, just seconds later, he passed the child to Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and broke down in tears.

In the corridor, he admitted to his mum that he had a problem with booze and needed her help.

Will Max ever come clean about his lie, and will Linda be able to help Lee?

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Authors

Michael Adams wearing a white t-shirt and beige gilet against a white background

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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