The BBC's flagship soap EastEnders is preparing to ring in the New Year with a dramatic twist, confirming a special flashforward episode that will see perennial character Max Branning prepare to marry for a fifth time.
A Bold Leap into the Future
Scheduled for broadcast on New Year's Day, the unique 30-minute instalment on BBC1 will catapult viewers exactly one year ahead, placing the chaotic Branning family at the centre of unfolding events on Max's wedding day. Actor Jake Wood, who has played the role since 2006, hailed the format-breaking episode as "brave, big and bold".
"It's a real privilege to be a part of it," Wood, 53, stated. He explained that the episode provides a stark contrast to Max's current plight, depicting a man at his "all time low" on New Year's Eve before the narrative jumps forward. "We see a man who's maybe at the lowest we've ever seen him, and then we flash forward and things are maybe not quite as bad," he added.
Chaos for the Branning Clan
Executive producer Ben Wadey teased significant drama, comparing Max's life to "one big game of Kiss, Marry, Kill" and promising "a whole heap of chaos". The flashforward will intersect with other major family events, including the christening of Lauren Branning's infant son, Jimmy.
Actress Jacqueline Jossa, who plays Lauren, hinted at the high-stakes drama. "You can imagine how it goes, but it's very, very interesting," the 33-year-old said. "We see people meet for maybe the first time. It's very dramatic, but such good television."
A Walford Staple Returns
This narrative device marks a return for the soap, which previously used a flashforward scene in February 2023 to tease its Christmas Day storyline later that year. Max Branning, a character synonymous with turbulent relationships and scandal, first arrived in Albert Square in June 2006 with his then-wife Tanya and daughters Lauren and Abi.
After departing the show in 2021 following the collapse of his affair with Linda Carter, Wood made a highly anticipated return to Walford earlier this year, setting the stage for this latest explosive chapter in the Branning saga.
