EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Max Branning makes a huge romantic confession next week, as he reveals that he wants a serious relationship with Linda Carter. But does Linda feel the same about him – and could the pair really give things a go?
“Linda and Max’s romance began as a scandalous affair, but things have changed a lot since Max returned to Walford,” says our EastEnders insider.
“Not only does Max now know that he is Annie’s dad, but he and Linda are both single. It seems that Max is ready to put his cards on the table…”
Max and Linda have grown closer in recent weeks and eventually gave in to passion – but Max was hiding a big secret from his love interest. He knew that it was his grandson Louie who was bullying Ollie at school, yet chose to keep this from Linda.
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This playground drama may have scuppered things for Max, as this week, there is a rather frosty atmosphere in Peacock Palace. Having faced the wrath of Linda and Elaine, Max offers to make amends by promising to put a stop to Ian’s continued vendetta against the hotel.
Ian and Elaine’s escalating feud has become frustrating for both families, so Max would become quite the hero if he managed to convince the Walford rivals to sort things out for good.
But when Max seeks out Lauren to talk through the complicated situation with Louie and the bullying, it soon becomes clear that he has a very important reason for wanting to get back into Linda’s good books…
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“Max has an honest chat with Lauren and decides to come clean, confessing that he has real feelings for Linda,” explains our source. “It’s a huge shock for Lauren – her dad isn’t exactly known for his sincerity, but it’s obvious to her that he is being totally genuine here.”
Desperate to heal the rift between the two families, Max brings Louie round to see Ollie, and Louie apologises for making his classmate’s life a misery recently.
Linda appreciates Max playing peacemaker and sorting things out for Ollie, and decides that it’s not worth staying angry at him any longer – so she makes the first move and invites him out for a drink…
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“For the sake of Annie, Linda wants to get her co-parenting relationship with Max back on track,” says our insider. “But we know that Max wants them to be much more than just mum and dad, as he’s madly in love with her!
“Linda rejected Max’s advances before Christmas, but now time has passed, have her feelings towards her former lover changed?”
At the end of last year, EastEnders skipped ahead 12 months to 2027. The special episode created speculation over who Max is marrying, who his pregnant bed buddy is, and who is holding his children Lauren and Oscar at gunpoint.
EastEnders airs on Mondays – Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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