It’s been just over a month since EastEnders fans witnessed Max Branning (Jake Wood) preparing to wed a mystery bride in a special flashforward episode of the BBC One soap.

The events of the unique offering take place on New Year’s Day 2027 and posed questions aplenty, with various mysteries and twists that are sure to keep viewers guessing for the rest of the year.

 

 

With mysterious newcomers, shock hostage situations a new baby and another on the way, it’s safe to say that speculation is rife among fans, though the biggest question of all is who is Max’s new bride-to-be.

Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) were showcased as potentials to walk down the aisle, with the legendary Walford women getting ready for some big event on January 1 next year.

But back in the present, Max isn’t in currently a relationship nor does he have a romantic story of any kind so it’s likely that it will be quite some time before we get any sort of confirmation regarding who the legendary lothario’s intended could be.

There have been one or two scenes, however, where he’s got particularly close to ex Linda – and he even attempted to kiss her on one occasion, much to her chagrin.

You might think this makes Linda the likely suspect to be walking down the aisle come New Year’s Day, but there is one pretty big reason why it simply cannot be her.

The wedding is set to take place on New Year’s Day, which is a very special day for the Carter matriarch. It was this very day that she married one true love Mick (Danny Dyer) all the way back in 2016.

The day in question was a very special one for her, as she got to say ‘I do’ to her soulmate before embarking on a new chapter of their lives together.

Given that Mick, who tragically vanished at sea four years ago and is presumed dead, was her absolute everything, it’s somewhat unlikely that L would tie the knot with anyone on the anniversary of their wedding, let alone doing so with Max.

As fans will recall, Linda controversially cheated on Mick with Max back in 2020. The former Queen Vic landlady had come to believe that Mick was pulling away from her at the time, completely unaware that he had just discovered he’d been abused when he was 12 years old.

Linda was horrified to realise she’d almost made the biggest mistake of her life by leaving him for Max and thus put an end to her affair, choosing to stay with Mick.

Max subsequently made a number of plays to win Linda’s affection and even claimed to be in love with her, much to Linda’s shock, but the pub landlady was adamant that Mick was the man she wanted, which prompted Max to leave the Square for four years.

Following his exit, Linda gave birth to his daughter Annie and, despite her initial hesitation to inform him he had another child, the duo agreed to co-parent upon his return.

Thus far, nothing romantic has ensued between the two, though Linda has often been Max’s only source of support, with his family consistently turning their backs on him over his lack of followthrough to be there when they need him.

As for whether passion will ensue, we’ll just have to wait and see but given just how much Linda still misses her beloved Mick – and holds their iconic New Year wedding day in her heart – it’s hard to picture a reality where she would marry Max on their anniversary.

It’s been just over a month since EastEnders fans witnessed Max Branning (Jake Wood) preparing to wed a mystery bride in a special flashforward episode of the BBC One soap.

The events of the unique offering take place on New Year’s Day 2027 and posed questions aplenty, with various mysteries and twists that are sure to keep viewers guessing for the rest of the year.

With mysterious newcomers, shock hostage situations a new baby and another on the way, it’s safe to say that speculation is rife among fans, though the biggest question of all is who is Max’s new bride-to-be.

Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) were showcased as potentials to walk down the aisle, with the legendary Walford women getting ready for some big event on January 1 next year.

But back in the present, Max isn’t in currently a relationship nor does he have a romantic story of any kind so it’s likely that it will be quite some time before we get any sort of confirmation regarding who the legendary lothario’s intended could be.

There have been one or two scenes, however, where he’s got particularly close to ex Linda – and he even attempted to kiss her on one occasion, much to her chagrin.

You might think this makes Linda the likely suspect to be walking down the aisle come New Year’s Day, but there is one pretty big reason why it simply cannot be her.

The wedding is set to take place on New Year’s Day, which is a very special day for the Carter matriarch. It was this very day that she married one true love Mick (Danny Dyer) all the way back in 2016.

The day in question was a very special one for her, as she got to say ‘I do’ to her soulmate before embarking on a new chapter of their lives together.

Given that Mick, who tragically vanished at sea four years ago and is presumed dead, was her absolute everything, it’s somewhat unlikely that L would tie the knot with anyone on the anniversary of their wedding, let alone doing so with Max.

As fans will recall, Linda controversially cheated on Mick with Max back in 2020. The former Queen Vic landlady had come to believe that Mick was pulling away from her at the time, completely unaware that he had just discovered he’d been abused when he was 12 years old.

Linda was horrified to realise she’d almost made the biggest mistake of her life by leaving him for Max and thus put an end to her affair, choosing to stay with Mick.

Max subsequently made a number of plays to win Linda’s affection and even claimed to be in love with her, much to Linda’s shock, but the pub landlady was adamant that Mick was the man she wanted, which prompted Max to leave the Square for four years.

Following his exit, Linda gave birth to his daughter Annie and, despite her initial hesitation to inform him he had another child, the duo agreed to co-parent upon his return.

Thus far, nothing romantic has ensued between the two, though Linda has often been Max’s only source of support, with his family consistently turning their backs on him over his lack of followthrough to be there when they need him.

As for whether passion will ensue, we’ll just have to wait and see but given just how much Linda still misses her beloved Mick – and holds their iconic New Year wedding day in her heart – it’s hard to picture a reality where she would marry Max on their anniversary.