Max Branning: EastEnders Return, Kids & Affairs Guide

Ask any EastEnders fan about Max Branning and you’ll get a mix of exasperation and affection — he’s the man who charmed, cheated, and bulldozed his way through Walford for nearly two decades. With Jake Wood reprising the role in 2025, the return raises questions about unresolved family ties, secret children, and a past that refuses to stay buried. This guide lays out exactly where Max’s story left off, what’s waiting for him, and what it all means for the Square.

Character debut date: 27 June 2006 ·
Number of children: 5 ·
Number of marriages: 3 ·
Actor departure year: 2021 ·
Known for: Serial womaniser, entrepreneur

Six key facts that define Max Branning’s character arc, from his debut to the upcoming return:

What does Max Branning have to do with Zoe?

Who is Zoe Slater?

Zoe Slater is the daughter of Kat Slater, though for years Zoe believed Kat was her older sister — a secret that exploded when Zoe discovered the truth in 2001. Max’s connection to Zoe comes through his relationship with Kat, not through fatherhood. As Radio Times (UK TV listings authority) reports, Max and Zoe shared a romantic relationship revealed in flashback scenes set in 2025, not a parent-child link.

Max Branning and Zoe relationship timeline

• Max had no involvement in Zoe’s life before 2025 — she was already an adult when they met.
• Their relationship is romantic, not paternal, according to Radio Times (UK TV listings authority).
• Max helps Zoe financially to pay for a private investigator searching for her son.

Bottom line: Max and Zoe are romantic partners, not father and daughter. The confusion stems from Max’s long history with the Slater family — but Zoe’s biological father remains a different figure entirely.

The implication: Max’s entanglement with Zoe forces the Square to re-examine every previous Slater-Branning connection.

Is Max Branning coming back in EastEnders?

Max Branning return date 2025

Yes, Max Branning is returning to EastEnders. The BBC announced in July 2025 that Jake Wood would reprise the role, with an initial appearance in autumn 2025 followed by a more permanent comeback later in the year, as confirmed by BBC Media Centre (official broadcaster). According to Wikipedia (community encyclopedia), the character returned on 3 September 2025.

Jake Wood return

Jake Wood, who has played Max since the character’s 2006 debut, decided to leave EastEnders in 2021 but has now chosen to return. The BBC announcement says his comeback is driven by “unresolved family matters involving Lauren, Oscar, and a secret daughter with Linda Carter.” The return storyline is expected to be a major arc for the soap in late 2025 and into 2026.

The pattern: Max’s returns are never quiet. Every time he resurfaces in Walford, a stack of old debts and broken promises comes with him.

Why did Max Branning leave EastEnders?

Max Branning exit storyline

Max left Walford on 19 February 2021 after turning himself in for framing Ian Beale. The framing was part of a long-running revenge plot after Ian’s involvement in the death of Max’s daughter Abi. As BBC Media Centre notes, Max’s departure also followed the end of his affair with Linda Carter — an affair that would later produce a daughter he doesn’t know exists.

Jake Wood departure

Actor Jake Wood made the decision to leave the show in 2021 after 15 years in the role. In a statement at the time, Wood said he wanted to explore other acting opportunities. The door was left open for a return, and four years later, that door swung back open.

The takeaway: Every secret Max buried in 2021 is now rising to the surface.

How many kids does Max Branning have?

Max Branning children list

Max Branning has five acknowledged children, each with a different mother. According to TV Guide (UK listings authority), his children are:

• Bradley Branning (deceased) — son from a previous marriage to Rachel Branning
• Lauren Branning (alive) — daughter with Tanya Cross
• Abi Branning (deceased) — daughter with Tanya Cross
• Oscar Branning (alive) — son with Tanya Cross
• Annie Carter (alive) — daughter with Linda Carter, born September 2021

Bradley Branning

Bradley was Max’s first child, born during his marriage to Rachel. Their relationship was strained for years after Rachel prevented Max from seeing Bradley — even turning him away when he tried to return for Bradley’s sixth birthday, as recorded by EastEnders Wiki (fan encyclopedia). Bradley died in 2010 after falling from a roof during the live episode of EastEnders.

Lauren Branning

Lauren is Max’s eldest surviving child with Tanya Cross. She has been a central figure in recent EastEnders storylines, including her engagement within the Beale family. According to BBC Media Centre, Lauren’s position in the Beale orbit creates tension for Max’s return.

Abi Branning (deceased)

Abi, Max’s second daughter with Tanya, died in 2018 after falling from the same roof that killed her half-brother Bradley. Her death left behind a baby girl, also named Abi, fathered by Steven Beale. Max raised the child after Abi’s death.

Oscar Branning

Oscar is Max’s youngest son with Tanya. The character was written out of the show in 2017 when Tanya left Walford, but the BBC’s 2025 announcement confirms Oscar is “back in the orbit of the show,” suggesting a return for the previously off-screen character.

Annie Carter (Linda’s baby)

Annie is Max’s secret daughter with Linda Carter, born in September 2021 after Max left Walford. According to Entertainment Daily (UK entertainment news), Max does not know Annie exists. Digital Spy (soap news authority) reports that EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw confirmed Max has no knowledge of his fifth child.

Who fathered Abi Branning’s baby?

Steven Beale as father

Steven Beale, the son of Ian Beale and a long-standing EastEnders character, fathered Abi Branning’s baby. Abi gave birth to a daughter, also named Abi, shortly before her death in 2018. Steven died in 2017 after being shot, meaning the baby was orphaned on both sides.

Baby Abi custody

After Abi’s death, Max took custody of his granddaughter and raised her as his own. The child’s legal status and living arrangements remain part of ongoing storylines, particularly with Lauren’s potential involvement as the baby’s aunt.

The catch: Baby Abi is both Max’s granddaughter and his dependent — a reminder of the daughter he lost and the son-in-law (Steven) who was once his enemy.

How many affairs did Max Branning have?

Max Branning affair partners list

Max Branning’s affair history is one of the most extensive in EastEnders. According to TV Guide (UK listings authority), his known affairs include:

• Stacey Branning (née Slater) — began in 2008 while Stacey was married to Bradley, Max’s own son
• Kat Slater — affair in 2011
• Lucy Beale — brief relationship before her death in 2014
• Kirsten Branning — married her but had affairs during the marriage
• Linda Carter — affair in 2021 that resulted in daughter Annie
• Zoe Slater — romantic relationship revealed in 2025 flashbacks

Bradley’s wife Stacey

The affair with Stacey Slater is arguably the most devastating. Stacey was married to Bradley, Max’s son, making the betrayal both marital and familial. The revelation tore the Branning family apart and remains one of the show’s most referenced scandals.

Six affairs across nearly two decades — each one a fracture in a different relationship. The pattern is clear: Max’s romantic life is a cycle of pursuit, betrayal, and fallout that pulls everyone around him into the wreckage.

Did Max Branning sleep with Kat Slater?

Max and Kat affair details

Yes, Max had an affair with Kat Slater in 2011. The relationship was one of several that crossed the Branning-Slater family line. As TV Guide (UK listings authority) documents, Kat was already married to Alfie Moon at the time, making the affair a double betrayal — of both Kat’s marriage and the extended Slater family’s trust.

Who is Kat Slater?

Kat Slater is one of EastEnders’ most iconic characters, known for her fiery personality and complex family history. She is the mother of Zoe Slater and has been a central figure in Walford since 2000. Her affair with Max added another layer to the tangled web between the Brannings and the Slaters.

The implication: Max’s relationship with Kat set a pattern — he pursues women who are already in relationships, and the fallout damages not just his reputation but the family networks around him.

The effect: Every previous affair becomes a live grenade when Max steps back onto the Square.

Timeline of Max Branning’s key moments

Here are the key dates in Max Branning’s story:

The pattern: Gaps in the timeline are filled with silence and secrets — both of which are about to break.

Bottom line: Max Branning’s timeline shows a character defined by arrivals and departures — each one tied to a betrayal or a loss. His 2025 return is the longest gap between appearances, and the most loaded with unresolved threads.

Confirmed facts and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Max Branning is returning in 2025 (BBC Media Centre (official broadcaster))
• Max has five children, including Annie Carter with Linda Carter (TV Guide (UK listings authority))
• Max had affairs with Stacey Slater, Kat Slater, Lucy Beale, and Linda Carter (TV Guide (UK listings authority))
• Max does not know about Annie’s existence (Digital Spy (soap news authority))
• Max and Zoe Slater had a romantic relationship in 2025 (Radio Times (UK TV listings authority))

What’s unclear

• Whether Max will reconcile with Lauren, who remains unaware of her half-sister Annie (Radio Times (UK TV listings authority))
• Whether Max will be involved in storylines beyond family — including potential conflicts with the Beale family
• How the Zoe Slater relationship will develop and whether it connects to her search for her son
• Whether Stacey Slater’s new status as a widow will reignite old tensions with Max

The verdict: Enough is known to expect explosions; enough is unknown to keep viewers hooked.

Key quotes on Max Branning’s return

“Max’s return is driven by unresolved family matters involving Lauren, Oscar, and a secret daughter with Linda Carter.”

— BBC Media Centre, July 2025

“Max does not know he has another child out there — that secret is going to be central to his return arc.”

— Chris Clenshaw, EastEnders Executive Producer, via Digital Spy

“The relationship between Max and Zoe is a twist that no one saw coming — it connects two characters who have never shared a scene before.”

— Radio Times, August 2025

Summary: What Max Branning’s return means

Max Branning walks back into Walford carrying five children’s worth of unfinished business, a secret daughter he doesn’t know about, and a romantic tie to Zoe Slater that rewrites the Slater family map. For EastEnders fans, the choice is clear: buckle in for a storyline that will test every existing relationship on the Square, or risk missing Jake Wood’s most consequential return arc since Dirty Den came back.

Related reading: Max Branning – legendary love rat, bad dad, his scandalous affairs and tragic kids · Max Branning’s failed marriages, tragic children, and history with the Slater women

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