EASTENDERS actor Max Bowden has been told his time on the BBC One soap is over in a showdown with producers.
Max, whose partying lifestyle and checkered love life overshadowed his four years as Ben Mitchell, met with bosses who decided not to renew his contract after it expired in March.
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Max Bowden has been axed from EastEnders after four years following a showdown with bosses last monthCredit: BBC
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Max had a whirlwind romance with co-star Shona McGarty that lasted six months Credit: Instagram/@shonabmx
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Last weekend The Sun reported on Sunday that Max had escaped unhurt from a three-car crash
His character will leave Walford in the spring, but is unlikely to be killed off.
Several different actors have played Ben over the years.
A TV insider said: “Max has played Ben for the last four years and bosses have decided his time on the show is up.
“There’s been a lot of hype around him for too long and that can reduce the drama in the show.
“He went to the meeting because his contract was due to be renewed next year.
“No one knew how it would go and after a discussion it was decided that they would leave.
“The bosses have yet to plan his exit story, but Ben is not a character to kill off as we’ve seen in all the previous remakes.”
An EastEnders spokeswoman confirmed yesterday: “Max will be leaving EastEnders next year.
“We wish him all the best in the future.”
Max, 28, was caught up in the real-life drama behind the scenes at Albert Square when his love life began to resemble an EastEnders plot.
In May 2022, he began dating 32-year-old Shona McGarty, who plays Whitney Dean.
At the time, Max’s insurance executive partner Roisin Buckle, 38, was pregnant and thought they were just on a break.
She said the scandal left her feeling “humiliated and belittled”.
However, the co-stars’ whirlwind romance ended six months later and shortly after The Sun revealed on Sunday that Shona was leaving EastEnders after 15 years to pursue other projects.
Despite the split, Max and Shona remained good friends.
Earlier this year he said: “We are actually better than ever.
“It’s friendship.
“We are in such a good place.
“You take risks, you do something and it doesn’t work out, but that’s life.
“You have to take that risk.”
He was later linked with Love Island star Olivia Hawkins after the pair snuck into his dressing room during a soap opera party.
During his time on the soap, Max — who is the sixth actor to play Ben — has been involved in some of the show’s biggest storylines.
He was involved in Danielle Harold’s heartbreaking brain tumor story because the character she played, Lola Pearce-Brown, was the mum of his daughter Lexi.
Ben struggled to cope with her death and developed the eating disorder bulimia nervosa.
A source said: “Max has dealt with some serious storylines in the past year, particularly when his character stopped eating before breaking down and admitting he had a problem.
“It opens the door to a number of ways his character could leave Walford next year.
“Plans for his departure will begin after the Christmas holidays, but he is expected to be on screen by spring.
“And, of course, if they decide to bring him back at some point, the character can always be transformed a seventh time.”
Last weekend The Sun reported on Sunday that Max had escaped unhurt from a three-car crash.
He was pictured looking shocked as he got out of his wrecked Mercedes CLA in the middle of the day.
Its engine was left with its front fender and is believed to have been written off.
No injuries or arrests have been reported following the crash in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey.
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