July 31st 2024.
Earlier this year, Max Bowden, known for his role in EastEnders, made the difficult decision to leave the popular BBC One soap. In a recent interview, he shared his thoughts and feelings about his departure and the emotional storyline that led up to it.
Max's character, Ben Mitchell, had been through a lot in his time on the show, including being sent to prison in America for fraud. But it was his involvement in a heart-wrenching storyline that saw the death of Lola Pearce, the mother of Ben's daughter Lexi, that took a toll on Max.
As Max explained, playing such intense and emotionally draining scenes for so long had started to affect him, and he was experiencing burnout. "The important thing was my time was ready," he said. "I was very tired and, like I said, I wasn't me."
When asked if he had been sacked from the show or chose to leave, Max responded, "The Max sat in front of you today was kind of a ghost, and they recognized that – I recognized that." It was clear that Max needed a break to focus on his mental health and personal life.
In a later interview, Max also opened up about taking over the role of Ben in 2019 and the toll it took on him. "I did nearly six hundred episodes in five years, which is a hell of a lot, and it was time for a rest," he shared. "The character was tired, I was tired, they [the producers] were probably tired of me being tired."
Max also reflected on filming the final storyline with Lola, explaining that it was like "life imitating art to an extent." He had experienced a similar loss in his personal life when he lost his best friend to a brain tumour. "It was a tough old time," he said, "but you know what, I'm a hell of a lot stronger for it."
For fans of the show, it was a difficult time as well, as the death of Lola and the departure of Max's character left a void in the soap. But Max's decision to prioritize his mental health and personal life was a necessary one, and he is now in a better place.
In a separate interview, Max spoke about the loss of his friend Maxwell and how it affected him. "That was definitely the hardest period of my professional life," he said. "I felt like it wasn't well registered or understood as losing a family member or next of kin."
Max also shared that he felt the absence of his friend deeply, as they had spent so much time together. "That overwhelming sentiment of loneliness was so apparent," he said.
Max's honesty and vulnerability have touched the hearts of many, and his decision to leave EastEnders was the right one for him. As he continues to focus on his mental health and personal life, fans are eagerly awaiting his return to the screen.
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