EastEnders airs surprise Linda Carter revelation as Max Branning's world is upended in BBC iPlayer release
Warning: Contains spoilers for Friday's episode of EastEnders, which airs tomorrow at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
The floor has fallen from beneath Max Branning's (Jake Wood) feet in EastEnders.
Earlier this week, the Walford love rat made a return during a moment of crisis for son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier). He'd been caught in a fire at sister Lauren Beale's (Jacqueline Jossa) house, and was subsequently hospitalised.
Max made it his mission to try and repair the fractured relationships with his children - which wouldn't be an easy job after walking out on them during Lauren's wedding to Peter (Thomas Law).
As he mourned the loss of his son Bradley and daughter Abi, who both tragically fell to their deaths from the roof of The Queen Vic, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) couldn't help but feel that perhaps he was a changed man.
Of course, as we know, Max fathered Linda's daughter Annie four years ago - but has absolutely no idea.
His entire family have decided to keep it a secret, but the time for the truth to out has finally come.
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With Max still extending an olive branch to his family, Linda reluctantly allowed him to take a room at Peacock Palace, despite her mum, Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe), later warning that it was too much of a risk having him around Annie.
In tomorrow's episode, Elaine even goes to the extreme of suggesting that the child should have her hair dyed so that the resemblance isn't recognised!
Meanwhile, Max was dealing with the fallout of a huge revelation made at The Vic. Lauren had confessed to taking charity money to pay for experimental treatment for her son Jimmy, that had proved to be a scam.
He'd made the assumption that Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) was the thief, and promised Lauren that he would donate the money to help her situation.
This proved to Linda that perhaps it was worth taking a chance on him, and she decided to come clean.
How will Max react to the news?
Read more:
- EastEnders airs tragic exit scenes for Mitchell family member in early BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders airs desperate Sam Mitchell scenes as she takes advantage of Nigel Bates in BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as Slater and Branning secrets implode
- EastEnders 2025 Christmas schedule confirmed by BBC - including festive episode timings
- EastEnders reveals Anthony Trueman's disturbing secret as Zoe Slater falls into his trap in BBC iPlayer release
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Authors
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.
