EastEnders’ Max left in a panic as his sordid secrets close in on him

| Freelance soaps writer Published August 15, 2026 9:00am Max Branning wouldn’t be Max Branning without his secrets (Picure: BBC) Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) sordid secrets threaten to expose themselves in EastEnders next week, as he continues to risk everything with his dangerous affair with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan-Levy). The Walford love rat has been sneaking around behind fiancée Cindy Beale’s (Michelle Collins) back with his car lot employee Priya, who herself was seeking excitement after being dumped by Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara). Recent scenes saw Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) stumble upon the existence of their affair, and despite warning Priya about Max’s ways, she agreed to keep quiet, believing that cruel Cindy’s feelings are not worth worrying about. But while Max and Priya have managed to keep a lid on Jean, they come close to outing themselves when they hook up once again. Max and Priya have been sleeping together (Picture: BBC) Max arranges to meet with Priya after finding himself getting jealous about his former flame Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) blossoming romance with hunky local councillor Clive Masters (Jason Durr). Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. After he picks up their daughter Annie so Linda and Clive can go on a date, a moment between him and Linda indicates that feelings are still there, but they avoid addressing it. Max being Max, he then buries these feelings by having sex with Priya at her flat. The following morning, it’s the day of Cindy’s hen do, and Max wakes up in Priya’s bed having overslept. Max fears things are about to fall apart with Cindy (Picture: BBC) He flies into a panic after spotting multiple missed calls from Cindy, before running into her at the café, where he makes up an excuse as to why he didn’t come home the night before, which Cindy apparently buys into. But with Cindy having previously been suspicious of Max and Priya, could she be playing a very long game before enacting the ultimate revenge on her cheating fiancé? Deals of the Day Parents can save up to 30% on Kickers school shoes ahead of the new term The back-to-school hack that's helping parents avoid queues and sold-out sizes Could your hair be wavy rather than straight? This brand thinks so Could your star sign improve your skincare routine? This new beauty launch thinks so Best skincare for menopausal skin? This dermatologist-created treatment is tailored to you EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 17th August at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer. Arrow MORE: Kat rescues gloomy Kim after she is left heartbroken over Denise in EastEnders Arrow MORE: Linda and Max New Year wedding ‘confirmed’ in EastEnders as their spark reignites Arrow MORE: Are you a true fan? Test your knowledge with Metro’s weekly Soaps quiz! The Soaps Newsletter – Daily All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.