Jacqueline Jossa has admitted she repeatedly texted Jake Wood urging him to return to EastEnders, ahead of his explosive comeback as Max Branning after five years away. The actress, who plays Max's daughter Lauren Branning, said she is thrilled to finally share screen time with Wood again after seven years.
“I kept texting him over the years to come back – so I’m glad the persistence worked!” Jossa said. “It’s going to be electric when all the Brannings are reunited.” Wood first appeared as Max in June 2006 and left in February 2021, while Jossa joined in 2010 and departed in 2018, with brief returns including Dot Cotton's funeral in 2022 before a permanent comeback in 2023.
Max's return is linked to a new romance with Zoe Slater, which was revealed when Kat answered Zoe's phone mid-surgery and heard Max's voice. A flashback episode will show how they met in a bar, bonding over missing relationships with their children. Max helped Zoe pay for a private investigator to find the son she gave up for adoption, sparking genuine feelings.
Wood teased that Max's return will complicate matters, especially with Stacey Slater, with whom he had a notorious affair. “Undoubtedly yes,” he said of unfinished business. “They will always be connected regardless of what they do.” Wood credited executive producer Ben Wadey and nudges from co-stars for tempting him back, saying, “It feels like coming home.”
