Max Branning
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| EastEnders character | |
|---|---|
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| Max Branning | |
| Portrayed by | Jake Wood |
| Duration | 2006— |
| First appearance | 27 June 2006 |
| Marital status | Married |
| Home | 5 Albert Square |
| Occupation | Insurance salesman |
| Family | Jim, Carol, Sue, April, Derek, Bradley, Tanya, Lauren, Abi |
Max Branning is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He is played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.
Contents |
[edit] History
Max is the estranged son of Jim Branning and the father of Bradley, Lauren and Abi Branning.
He arrived in Albert Square with a broken down car, and met Stacey Slater in the street. She gave him directions to The Arches to get his car fixed. He flirted with mechanic Carly Wicks while he booked his car in. He went to his father's house where Pauline Fowler was cleaning. He presumed Pauline to be Jim's wife. Jim was shocked when he returned home to find his son, after a seventeen year absence from his life. Jim asked Max to leave, saying that he didn't want to be reminded of his past mistakes. He refused to apologise for the way he raised Max, and Max pushed him against the wall. Bradley came in to see Max and Jim fighting, not knowing who Max was. Jim reluctantly left Bradley and Max to talk. Max told his son how he was a teenage father and couldn't cope, leaving his wife Rachel and young son after an affair with a woman named Tanya, who he later married. He explained that he had come to Walford to make amends with Bradley. Bradley asked him to leave, and he went to pick his car up from The Arches, generously tipping Carly, while his estranged wife Tanya walked up behind him. When she saw him flirting with Carly, she demanded a divorce. Max begged her for one more chance, and saw a 'To Let' sign outside Johnny Allen's house, number 5 Albert Square. He suggested that they moved into Albert Square, with Tanya not knowing that Bradley and Jim lived at number 25. Tanya decided to give him his last chance, despite having discovered Max's mistress and deciding to file for divorce.
The next day, Jake Moon, who was taking care of Johnny Allen's estate, showed Max and Tanya around number 5. Max and Tanya argued about his affair while viewing the house, but he assured her that he was focused on his family now. He sent Tanya to look around Walford, which she approved of. The Brannings moved into number 5 on 3 July 2006, and Max announced that he had bought number 10 Turpin Road for Tanya to open as a beauty parlour. He met up with Bradley again, who was warming to him more. Bradley asked how Tanya, Lauren and Abi had reacted to him living in the square. Max hadn't yet told them, but lied and said that they couldn't wait to meet Bradley, but Jim revealed the truth to Bradley, culminating in Bradley confronting his father in front of a stunned Tanya. Max eventually charmed his family into peace, after Tanya threatened to leave Walford with Abi and Lauren.
Max and Tanya decided to have a house warming party, inviting Garry Hobbs, Phil and Peggy Mitchell, Pat Evans, Kevin Wicks, Denise Fox and Elaine Jarvis. Max spoke to Pat about a hotel he had been to with Gemma. Tanya overheard and got upset. Max assured her that his affairs were in the past. The next day she persuaded Bradley to come to dinner, much to Max's joy. On the night of the dinner party, Max was late home, and Tanya discovered a text message on his phone saying "Thanks for tonight". She sent a text to the sender, inviting them to come over. Max realised this and stopped his mistress from coming, and instead invited his friend Jason, who was designing the beauty parlour for Tanya. This humiliated Tanya, as Max pretended that his meeting with Jason was meant to be a surprise for her. He visited his mistress, Gemma, and ended the affair for good.
The next day, Gemma visited Max at the same time as Bradley, introducing herself to his son. This made Bradley decide not to talk to Max again. However, after Max had made it clear that he never wanted to see Gemma again, she booked an appointment with Tanya for a makeover, intending to confess the affair to her. Bradley saw her and made her leave, not wanting Tanya and his sisters to get hurt. Max thanked him, but he was unresponsive.
Max got involved with Bradley's life again when he saw Bradley being bullied by his work colleague, Steve Clarke in The Queen Vic. When both Bradley and Steve were put up for promotion, Max advised Bradley to tell his boss of the bullying, which got Steve sacked. This reaffirmed the bond between Max and Bradley, but Jim was disgusted at Bradley's following his father's advice. He threw Bradley out and informed Rachel that he didn't want Bradley living with him anymore. Bradley moved in with Max, but Rachel arrived and was upset that Bradley hadn't told her that Max was living in Walford. She decided to stay in Walford with her son. She later got jealous of Max and Tanya's relationship, still bitter at him cheating on her with Tanya. She attended the opening party for Tanya's beauty parlour, Booty, and attacked Tanya. Max escorted her out and she tried to kiss him, but he did not reciprocate. The next day she told Tanya that they had kissed, but Tanya didn't believe her and Rachel left Walford.
On Bradley's birthday, his girlfriend's brother Sean invited himself round to the Brannings' for dinner. He kissed Tanya when she didn't want him to, and she told Max. He threatened Sean not to go near her again. Stacey also revealed that she was pregnant, and Max tried to persuade her and Bradley to keep the baby, but she had an abortion.
[edit] Max and Stacey
After Bradley and Stacey broke up, Max and Stacey started an affair. They slept together on Christmas Day and have been taking every opportunity they can find to spend time together. On 15 January 2007, Max was meant to pick Abi up from school, but he was with Stacey, kissing in the toilets of The Queen Vic. Abi walked home alone and was hit by a car being driven by Deano Wicks.One day later because of guilt he dump his mistress and blamed her for the accident. Their affair stopped for a while, but it resumed again in mid February 2007. Max felt extremely guilty when Bradley told his dad that he had dumped Lydia Asler but still had feelings for Stacey. On Valentine's Day Max did not go out with Tanya but enjoyed a night with Stacey in bed. Tanya told Max that she wanted marriage counselling the next day, though, as she had twigged something was going on. They planned to meet for lunch the day after that, but Max made an excuse that he was going to Kensington for work. He was with Stacey once again. Max brought earrings from the jewellery for Stacey but accidentally the receipt fell out. Tanya returned to the house and saw the receipt and assumed that Max had brought her birthday present. But then Abi revealed that Max was giving Tanya a handbag. At this, Tanya became even more suspicious. After this, Tanya told Preeti about the receipt, and later that day Stacey came into Booty to book an appointment when Preeti told her about the receipt. At this Stacey immediately informed Max about the receipt and urged him to buy some jewellery for Tanya. On Tanya's birthday Tanya and Max went to The Vic to celebrate. Stacey went to the toilets and knew Max followed her. They started kissing in one of the cubicles, but they froze when Tanya came knocking at the door. Max is a pathological liar who is incapable of fidelity.
[edit] Family
- Father: Jim Branning
- Mother: Reenie Branning (deceased)
- Brother: Derek Branning
- Sisters: Carol Jackson, April Branning, Sue Branning
- Wife: Tanya Branning
- Son: Bradley Branning
- Daughters: Lauren Branning, Abi Branning
- Nephews: Robbie Jackson, Billy Jackson
- Nieces: Bianca Jackson, Sonia Fowler
- Great nephew: Liam Butcher
- Great nieces: Natasha Butcher (deceased), Rebecca Miller
- Cousin: Gordon Branning
