Shona McGarty has opened up about her split from her EastEnders co-star Max Bowden.
The 31-year-old Whitney Dean star first struck up a relationship with Ben Mitchell actor Max Bowden last year. But the two ultimately ended things when Max’s ex Roisin Buckle gave birth to his first child – a baby boy – in September.
And now, while at the British Soap Awards last weekend, Shona addressed the split – and even teased that love might be in the air for her again.
EastEnders: Shona McGarty and Max ‘split’ last year
Shona and Max’s romance first came to light back in May 2022. Sources at the time claimed the two were “inseparable”. The pair dated for just six months before their romance came to an end. The split came weeks after Max revealed he had become a first-time dad to baby boy who he shares with his ex Roisin.
You take a risk, and you do something and it doesn’t work out, but that’s life, you’ve got to take that risk.
However, despite the heartbreak, Shona has since confirmed that the pair are on good terms. Speaking at the British Soap Awards on June 2 she revealed that she is still good pals with her ex-beau.
‘You’ve got to take that risk’
On the red carpet, Shona told The Mirror: “It’s lovely to be here tonight because Max’s mum’s here and I haven’t seen her for ages, I adore her. So it’s lovely to catch up with her.”
Speaking about Max, she added: “We’re actually better than ever. It’s a friendship, we’re in such a good place. You take a risk, and you do something and it doesn’t work out, but that’s life, you’ve got to take that risk.”
And it seems Shona has already moved on. She confirmed that she is currently “speaking to someone” new. She didn’t divulge any details because it’s “very early days”.
Max and Shona’s split
Back in October, a source told The Sun: “There’s been a lot going on in Max’s life and things were just getting too complicated with Shona being involved.
“Max will always have a lot of love and respect for Shona but it’s just not the right time. Everything is trying to make things as least awkward as possible on set – luckily they don’t have many scenes together.”
However, a friend close to the couple also told the publication they were never in an official relationship. They also stated they “remain close friends who decided not to pursue anything romantic a number of months ago”.
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