BBC/Composite: EastEnders Insider Share By Joel Harley Sep 4 2025 By Joel Harley Sep 4 2025 Max and Zoe explained: How they never met in Walford, and what she knows about Bradley, Stacey and the affair Zoe's missed a lot over the last 20 years Max Branning Zoe Slater Share By Joel Harley Sep 4 2025 By Joel Harley Sep 4 2025 Last night’s episode of EastEnders (airing Wednesday, September 3) revealed a shocking connection between Max Branning and Zoe Slater, as he came crashing back into the Slater family’s lives in a sudden and surprising twist. As Zoe lay dying from a gunshot wound (thanks, Jack and Ravi), a series of flashbacks revealed what had happened in her life over the last few years. She’d given birth soon after leaving Walford, losing one twin in labour while abandoning the other in the hospital. Shocking stuff, but the soap had another surprise in store – the return of Max Branning, who called Zoe’s phone as she fought for her life in hospital. But what do we know about Zoe and Max’s relationship? And did they ever meet in Walford? What’s Max’s connection to Zoe? (Credit: BBC) How Zoe never met Max – their history in EastEnders explained They’re both iconic residents of early 00s EastEnders, but Max and Zoe have never actually met on the soap. Zoe’s final scene aired on June 24, 2005, as she left Walford to explore a life away from Albert Square. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers Max, meanwhile, didn’t join the soap until a year later, with his first episode airing on June 26, 2006. This means that the pair missed each other by almost exactly one year. What does Zoe know about Max, given her estrangement from the rest of the Slater family? Zoe never looked back after leaving the country (Credit: BBC) Does Zoe know about Max and Stacey’s affair? It’s unclear what exactly Zoe knows about her family. According to Kat, her daughter slowly ‘drifted away’ after leaving Walford, becoming estranged from her mum and the rest of her family. Zoe moved to Ibiza soon after leaving her family… and immediately after giving birth, if last night’s flashbacks are anything to go by. By 2015, she had a new job and boyfriend in Spain, and wanted nothing to do with her mum. However, she was still in contact with Mo and Stacey at this point, and even reached out to her mum telling her not to bother visiting. This suggests that she shared some form of communication with her relatives back home, so presumably knew about Stacey’s marriage to Bradley Branning and his death in 2010, at the very least. She was also aware of Kat’s marriage to Phil, having turned down Lily’s invite to the ceremony. How much more than that she knows about her family – and Max Branning – remains to be seen. Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Joel Harley Sep 4 2025 By Joel Harley Sep 4 2025
