EastEnders’ Max Branning shamed as Cindy Beale fling exposed in BBC iPlayer release

by

A tense and uncomfortable scene unfolded on EastEnders between Max Branning and Cindy Beale during their grandson Jimmy’s christening.

On Christmas Day, these two strangers unexpectedly met and spent the night together at The Prince Albert pub.

Cindy was upset about not being included in the Beales’ celebrations, and Max caused a scene during the turkey dinner, even hitting his younger brother, Jack (Scott Maslen).

Both families tried to separate Cindy and Max, worried Cindy would react angrily knowing Max had been connected to the death of her son, Steven (played by Aaron Sidwell).

As Jimmy’s christening neared, Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) felt sorry for Max and invited him to the celebration. However, things quickly changed when she discovered he had once lost his granddaughter, Abi Jr., while staying the night with a neighbor.

The terrified youngster was found the next morning cowering in a shed.

Despite the invitation being cancelled, Max still went to the church hoping to make peace with his family. He had no idea Cindy was already there.

Want to see this content?

We can’t display this content because of a security check from Google reCAPTCHA. If you’re signed in to Contentpass, please sign out to see it.

They instantly knew they had met before. As Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) put it, it reminded her of when “Cindy received some ginger nuts in her stocking.”

Cindy hit Max, and while he was trying to explain himself, Peter Beale punched him. Everyone was fed up with Max’s cheating and didn’t think he had truly changed.

Returning to Walford, he intentionally blocked their cars, then went to Harry’s Barn to feel sorry for himself. He briefly seemed interested in getting close to the bar’s owner, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), but she moved away just as Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) arrived.

She felt sorry for him, realizing he was a deeply complicated person always facing difficult challenges. But Max pushed away her efforts to comfort him and kept drinking.

Linda went back to the Peacock Palace, where Max was recovering, and was shocked when he apologized. Even though they hadn’t been getting along, Linda offered to help him, but he took it as a chance to try and kiss her.

I was honestly stunned when she recoiled from him. She told him, very firmly, that this was it – his last chance. She said if he truly wanted to prove he’d changed, he needed to show it, not just talk about it. It really felt like a make-or-break moment for him, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what he’d do.

Will Max prove himself?

  • 8 EastEnders spoilers next week: Harry and Nicola Mitchell exact twisted revenge plot on Ravi Gulati
  • EastEnders confirms no early BBC iPlayer release for explosive New Year’s Day episode
  • EastEnders icon Jake Wood reveals who he really thinks Max Branning’s true love is
  • EastEnders boss teases love triangle scenes for Vicki Fowler as disturbed Joel Marshall finally goes to trial in 2026

Don’t miss EastEnders! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now to get daily TV recommendations, features, and more.

Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, keeping fans up-to-date with all the latest news and spoilers from popular shows like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even had on-set experience with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2025-12-30 18:36