EastEnders icon Linda Carter has dealt Max Branning a crushing blow, and he doesn’t appear to react well to the news.

Earlier this week, lothario Max (Jake Wood) made a comeback to the Square as he rushed to see his son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) after he saved Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) from a burning building.

It appears Max is a changed man as he is hellbent on repairing the broken relationships between himself and his children, Oscar and Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).

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For the past five years, Max has had no clue that he fathered a child with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) during their brief romance, as his entire family decided to keep Annie’s paternity a secret.

However, during the latest episode of EastEnders, which aired on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on BBC One, Max attempted to prove that his children are now a priority in his life, and he successfully got Lauren on board with his redemption arc.

This sparked food for thought in Linda, who decided to give Max a chance as he moved into her boutique hotel. During a heart-to-heart, she told him that he is the father of her daughter, Annie. But how will Max react to the baby bombshell?

Next week on the BBC soap, Max vents his frustrations among his family as Lauren and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) try to damage control the situation.

The pair vow to support Max in coming to terms with the fact that Annie is his daughter, and Lauren and Jack believe they have talked him out of acting irrationally.

However, their efforts are ruined when Max accepts advice from his ex-lover Zoe and decides to make a decision he may come to regret.

On Christmas Eve, Max’s actions make him an enemy of himself amongst the Square, and he attempts to put things right with Oscar, thought he only makes matters worse. However, he is soon approached by Linda, and he tries to resolve another one of his feuds.

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Meanwhile, Oscar drowns his sorrows alone before joining the rest of the family at the carol concert – but drama soon follows.

Feeling let down by his dad once again, and with too much Christmas spirit, Oscar makes a revelation to Max that threatens to derail the Brannings’ Christmas festivities.

The next day, the Brannings and the Beales prepare to eat Christmas dinner together as a family at No.45 as Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) and Harvey (Ross Boatman) get into the festive spirit.

However, it wouldn’t be Christmas Day in Walford without some drama, and when Cindy Beale (Michele Collins) arrives home, the festivities get tricky as her family tries to keep her away from Max.

As the dinner gets underway, it’s clear Max is still brewing over Oscar’s revelation, and it’s not long before chaos ensues when more than one truth sparks fireworks at the dinner table for all involved.