 was revealed during that infamous 2007 Christmas special. Career since EastEnders Earlier this year, Jake reprised his role of Ben in the critically acclaimed supernatural theatre production 2:22 A Ghost Story. He was called in to replace actor Hugo Chegwin who fell ill last minute, leading to casting chaos before its official opening night. In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Jake warmly praised co-star Cheryl's West End debut performance, hailing her the Girls Aloud singer as "fearless". He continued: "It's quite remarkable to see someone who has never acted before come on stage at the West End, she is in the spotlight, with all that pressure. It's quite amazing how resilient she is, really. And she is giving amazing performances, people are blown away by how good she is.' Jake was among the original cast members of 2:22 A Ghost Story when it first opened in the summer of 2021, with his performance earning him the What's On Stage Award for Best Supporting Actor. During an appearance on Loose Women earlier this year, Jake remarked that he would be for a return to soap acting but appeared to be more interested in rival show Coronation Street. No doubt dismaying many EastEnders fans, Jake procee){kind=link}
As Max Branning in EastEnders, Jake Wood brought viewers some of the most nail-biting storylines in soap history, but his life away from Albert Square is a world away from his character’s antics
As loyal viewers will no doubt know, EastEnders legend Max Branning left Albert Square for a new life in Croatia back in 2021, but fans have never stopped hoping that he might make a dramatic re-entrance. With rumours swirling about a potential return, many fans have been wondering what actor Jake Wood has been up to in the years since, and whether his life is anywhere near as tumultuous as that of his onscreen counterpart.
It would appear however that the 51-year-old couldn’t be more different from ladies’ man Max, whose affair with daughter-in-law Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) was revealed during that infamous 2007 Christmas special.
Career since EastEnders
Earlier this year, Jake reprised his role of Ben in the critically acclaimed supernatural theatre production 2:22 A Ghost Story. He was called in to replace actor Hugo Chegwin who fell ill last minute, leading to casting chaos before its official opening night. In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Jake warmly praised co-star Cheryl’s West End debut performance, hailing her the Girls Aloud singer as “fearless”. He continued: “It’s quite remarkable to see someone who has never acted before come on stage at the West End, she is in the spotlight, with all that pressure. It’s quite amazing how resilient she is, really. And she is giving amazing performances, people are blown away by how good she is.”