EX-EASTENDERS star Max Bowden addressed his mistakes leading to his exit after getting axed from the BBC soap.
In December last year, The Sun on Sunday exclusively revealed how the 29-year-old actor had been axed after a showdown with bosses.
Max’s final scenes as Ben Mitchell aired last week, after the character was arrested on an international warrant after his trip to America last year.
Ben faces six years in prison after he stole someone else’s card and spent thousands on hotel bills, car rental and a business class flight home after his own credit cards were blocked.
After his exit from the BBC soap, Max took to Instagram to share a powerful quote about making mistakes and trying again.
The quote said: “No one knows what they are doing. Not even the ones with degrees, big job titles or people on your vision board.
“Everyone is just trying loudly, failing loudly, and trying again. And so should you.”
The actor was caught up in real-life drama behind the scenes at Albert Square when his love life began to resemble an EastEnders plotline.
In May 2022, he started to date his 32-year-old co-star 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 she was left feeling “humiliated and disrespected” by the scandal.
However, the co-stars’ whirlwind romance ended six months later and soon after The Sun on Sunday revealed Shona was quitting EastEnders after 15 years to pursue other projects.
Despite their split Max and Shona have remained good friends.
Max shared an emotional post on Instagram about his exit from EastEnders after his final scenes aired.
He wrote: “Well guys It’s that time! It’s been one hell of a ride! Thanks for taking Ben to your hearts and allowing my version into your lives.
“I had an amazing five years at @bbceastenders and learnt a hell of a lot about myself and the craft I love so dearly; it got me through some very hard personal times and I will be forever grateful!
“I really will never be able to thank everybody for the support enough, because the fans of the show are so passionate, caring, and invested and it enables us as actors to want to keep going and always be better; so I really do from the bottom of my heart appreciate every single person who has sent any sort of positivity my way over the last five years – I love you all.
“Ben Mitchell 6.0 over and out. Goodbye EE! I’ll miss you all.”
Max’s new show has been revealed as he will star in a brand-new stage production of Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks’s epic story of love and loss.
The new theatre show marks the 30th anniversary of the international best-selling novel’s release.
Max will play Jack Firebrace in the play, which tells the story of one man’s journey through an all-consuming love affair and into the horror of the First World War.
Max said: “I’m so excited to be collaborating with Original Theatre again on a project close to my heart.
“Birdsong highlights the tragedy of war, yet the beauty of humanity simultaneously through strong relationships under extreme circumstances, and I can’t wait to bring Jack Firebrace to life under their guidance.”
