EASTENDERS fans will see love rat Max Branning get a split lip following a fight at a family christening as part of the Christmas Day special.

The soap character, played by actor Jake Wood, 53, is seen with blood on his face after an argument with his brother Jack, played by Scott Maslen.

In scenes filmed at a church in Hertford, a fight breaks out at the christening of Max’s grandson Jimmy Beale — the son of Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and Peter Beale (Thomas Law).

Meanwhile, gran Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) was also at the family gathering, alongside Jack’s daughter Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd).

Max returned to the Square earlier this year after a five year absence.

Fans were shocked to see that, during his time away, Max had started a relationship with Zoe Slater (played by Michelle Ryan).

Speaking about their surprising relationship, Jake said in September: “I mean, from my point of view, I think the relationship between them is genuine.

“I think there are genuine feelings between them.

“But I think by the time Max comes back onto the Square, it’s just become very complicated in terms of in terms of where Max is at and what he’s at that moment to be able to commit to her.

“But I do feel like they do have a connection, and I think a lot of that was down to Zoe’s looking for her son that she gave up for adoption and that Max helps her financially to pay for the PI to help look for her.”

He added: “I think he really sort of felt empathy towards her in what she was trying to do and supported her at that time.

“So I think her relationship was genuine, I think there were real feelings between them, so yeah, where it goes in the future, I don’t know.

“But for me, it just felt there was a connection, a real connection between them.”