Of course, Max has other former flames currently in Albert Square in the form of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), and now Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), so there is no shortage of potential liaisons for Mr Branning...
Now, speaking at an event for the festive episodes of EastEnders this year, Wood answered a big question posed by RadioTimes.com in front of other press, given the amount of professions of love his character hands out: who is actually Max Branning's true love?
Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) is apparently the one to truly hold Max's heart... BBC
Jake Wood answered with his own thoughts, and also who he thought Max might actually say when asked properly – and it comes down to Max's second wife and mother of three of his children, Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner), and his former lover and daughter-in-law, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
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."
Could Max and Zoe's romance be revisited? BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Could we see Stacey in the flashforward to 2027, 20 years after their first affair occurred? You'll have to wait and see...
However, speaking on Max's recent affair with Zoe when asked at the same press event, Wood said: "I love that idea because Zoe is such an iconic character as well, isn't she? So the idea that these characters had a history away from the Square was, to me, really exciting.
"And again, it just gives them more possibilities with Max coming back and I thought they worked really well together as characters and was really believable, the reasons that they came together, that they'd met randomly, that they knew people in common, and that she was looking for her daughter and that would obviously resonate with Max in terms of, his own history of troubled history with his relationships with these kids."
Whether Max and Zoe stay connected also remains to be seen.
Lewis is the News and Trends Editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.
