EastEnders' Max Bowden shares 'dark times' as he reveals new image | Television and radio

EastEnders actor Max Bowden revealed a new look, complete with mustache, as he candidly discussed his feelings of burnout and depression ahead of his departure from the popular BBC soap on ITV’s Loose Women .

Earlier this year, the 29-year-old actor said goodbye to his role as Ben Mitchell after his character was jailed in America for fraud. Before this dramatic turn of events, he was involved in a heartbreaking storyline which saw Lola, the mother of Ben’s daughter Lexi, die following a brain tumor diagnosis.

While appearing on Loose Women, alongside panellists Judi Love, Denise Welch, GK Barry and Charlene White, Max admitted the storylines had hit close to home as his best friend tragically died from the same type of cancer.

Referring to his friend Max, he shared: “It was very quick. Max was the life and soul of the party and was very successful. On Friday I sent him a voice message about football and the next day, he fell into a coma from an undiagnosed brain tumor.

The actor continued: “It was a very dark time for me because I had to deal with what was happening and from a selfish point of view, when you’re playing a story like that, it was weird.” reports the Daily Star.

When Judi asked: “There was a while before you said that towards the end of EastEnders you had burnout. Was it because you had to re-leave a story that was close to you or just because that you were in a major soap opera?

Max candidly responded, “I was very tired and I was very depressed, honestly, because of the nature of what we were doing. It was very intense.”

“When you’re telling the story of every man and woman, it’s important that we do it justice so sometimes you can burn out and I was in that moment, so it was the right time.”

In another part of the series, Max discussed his new appearance, admitting that it was not his “personal choice” but rather a requirement for his next role.

Max is set to star in a theater project marking the 30th anniversary of the production of Birdsong. The play, based on the novel by Sebastian Faulks, chronicles one man’s journey through an intense love affair and the horrors of the First World War.

Loose Women is on ITV1 weekdays at 12.30pm and on ITVX