EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Linda Carter gives into temptation next week, as she leans in for a kiss with her ex-lover Max Branning. But with Max slyly keeping a secret over who is bullying Linda’s son Ollie at school, could this surprise reunion soon turn toxic?
As Linda frets over her boy’s ongoing ordeal, Max is shocked to discover that his grandson Louie is responsible for Ollie’s torment. The local lothario has plenty of chances to be upfront with Linda when she then turns to him for support, but he is determined to do things his own way…
“Max can’t believe his luck when Linda succumbs to his charms again,” reveals our Walford spy. “She’s already rejected him once recently, but when Max becomes her rock throughout Ollie’s problems, Linda starts to see a different side to him.
“There’s no way Max is going to risk ruining it by exposing Louie as the source of all the trouble…”
BBC
BBC
Related: Best streaming services
The week begins as Max notices Linda’s turmoil over Ollie being bullied by a mystery lad. When he offers to help by looking after Ollie and Annie for a while, he soon realises that Louie is behind the schoolyard nastiness.
Max tries to deal with the problem himself by giving Louie a stern telling off, but subsequently decides that Linda doesn’t need to know.
Although Max believes he’s resolved everything, Linda receives a shocking call the next day to inform her that someone has hit Ollie at school. Once again, misguided Max tries to punish the culprit without telling Linda anything about it…
BBC
BBC
Related: EastEnders fans call for another Moon return after Jake announcement
“Max goes to Lauren and Peter and warns that Louie is turning into a spiteful bully,” says our source. “They refuse to believe it, but Max is soon proved right. Afterwards, Max focuses on damage control by urging Lauren not to tell Linda about their discovery. But the worst person possible is eavesdropping on the conversation – Linda’s nemesis from school, Bea.”
Back at the B&B, Linda continues to grow closer to Max as she leans on him for parenting guidance – and then throws caution to the wind by moving in for a kiss. Walford bosses are keeping quiet over how far things go, but giddy Max and Linda couldn’t look any happier together the next day.
BBC
BBC
Related: EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite lands role as ‘one of Britain’s most iconic characters’
As the chemistry sizzles, Bea plots her next move carefully by seeking out Linda’s mum Elaine. She drops the bombshell that Louie is Ollie’s secret bully – and Max knows all about it!
Will Elaine tell Linda and expose Max’s secret?
EastEnders airs on Mondays – Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. The latest episode delves into next week’s soap spoilers, from Moira’s arrest in Emmerdale, to Nigel and Julie’s wedding in EastEnders.