EastEnders’ Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) and Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) festive period is set to be packed with tension and secrets as they both find themselves in drama this Christmas.
For Michelle Ryan, returning to the Square has meant stepping into some of the show’s strongest festive material. ‘The Christmas scripts are the best ensemble scripts I’ve ever read and been a part of in EastEnders. The You Ain’t My Mother scenes and the two-hander that followed will always be really special to me, and these scripts are really up there alongside those.’
Jake Wood agrees that Christmas provides the perfect backdrop for drama, with Max Branning returning permanently to Albert Square carrying a lifetime of baggage.
‘Max is busy [laughs], very busy! He’s got a lot of history with a lot of the residents, some of whom he’s met before and others he’s yet to meet. There’s a mountain of secrets waiting to be exposed, and a whole lot of drama.’
While the Square may look festive, neither Zoe nor Max is heading for a peaceful Christmas. Zoe’s return continues to be overshadowed by the absence of her son. ‘She’s desperate to find her son and really will do whatever it takes to track him down. It’s especially hard during this time of year, as Christmas is a time for family.’
Similarly, Max’s return is driven by regret and a desire to fix past mistakes. ‘I think ultimately, he wants to right his previous parenting wrongs with Lauren and Oscar. Even though Max makes more mistakes than most, I do believe that his heart is in the right place.’
Both characters are fragile as Christmas approaches. Zoe believes she is being targeted, leaving her spiralling and vulnerable. ‘Zoe is still very much in a spiral. She feels someone is out to get her and Kat is very worried.’
Meanwhile, Max’s presence threatens to ignite old rivalries. ‘It’s a joy to play out big stories with iconic characters who’ve got a huge history on the show – you put plenty of obstacles between them and watch the fireworks go off!’
‘Expect a classic EastEnders Christmas showdown.’
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday on BBC One with catchup via iPlayer, Classic EastEnders airs on Drama with catchup on U.