Max’s grim new plan for Linda after dead Mick lie as EastEnders spoilers confirm what’s next

Detailed summary

Next week's spoilers confirm Max's next move - and it's shocking.

Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) penchant for digging himself into a hole – that is, when others aren’t doing it for him – should be studied as no matter how dire a situation is, the EastEnders icon will always find a way to make it much worse.

Walford’s very own lothario committed one of his biggest sins to date this past week, lying to Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) about the fate of her one true love Mick (Danny Dyer) in order to make her ‘forget’ he ever existed.

Mick vanished at sea in 2022. His ex Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), however, got in touch following her release from prison and claimed that Mick had, in fact, survived the drowning and lived another subsequent four years – before suffering a heart attack two weeks ago.

Max, who has grown jealous of the near-perfect marriage Linda had previously with her soulmate, resolved to go along with the heinous lie in order to get Mick out of Linda’s system for good.

But what followed was utter devastation, with the Carter clan shattered with grief, questioning if they knew Mick at all if he chose to stay away from them all these years.

Lee (Danny Hatchard) hit the bottle, with recovering alcoholic Linda almost relapsing under the stress of it all.

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The weight of his twisted lie proved tough for Max as he realised the gravity of what he’d done – but despite this, he resolved to keep shtum.

While Linda headed to the hospital to welcome her first grandchild, Max devised a plan to ensure his future with the matriarch. And just when you thought he couldn’t make the situation any worse, he does.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Metro. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.