EastEnders star Max Bowden leaves pregnant ex ‘heartbroken’ after starting relationship with co-star Shona McGarty
EASTENDERS star Max Bowden has left his pregnant ex feeling “heartbroken” after embarking on a relationship with co-star Shona McGarty.
Stunning Roisin Buckle, who is expecting a baby boy with the actor, was “devastated” when she found out he had started a relationship with his co-star and told a friend: “I feel humiliated and disrespected.”
Yesterday, Roisin, 36, took to social media and proudly shared pictures of her baby bump, but admitted it has been a “tough few weeks”.
We revealed in May that Max, 27, and Shona, who plays Whitney Dean, had become “inseparable” and he was pictured slipping out of her home after spending the night.
Weeks later we pictured them holding hands together outside a kebab van and at last Saturday’s British Soap Awards Shona, 30, joked: “Who doesn’t love a kebab?”
Last night a source told us that insurance executive Roisin, who is due to give birth in August, feels let down by the actor, who has played Ben Mitchell for three years.
Read more on Max and Shona
Talking to The Sun on Sunday they said: “It has been dreadful for Roisin, she feels humiliated and disrespected. She is expecting a baby and although she is a strong woman she feels very let down.
“She never expected Max to move on so quickly. She believed they were on a break, taking time out of their relationship to sort out their differences.
“Having to see him and Shona together has been heartbreaking.
“When he was pictured leaving Shona’s home she had people asking her what was going on; work colleagues asking if she was OK about it all, which she found incredibly embarrassing.
“He knew the news about his closeness to Shona was coming out.
“And during this time she didn’t think he was involved with anyone else. She’s always been such a private person and now feels like she’s at the centre of a real-life EastEnders plot.”
Max and Roisin met in a pub last summer and went public with their relationship in October.
Weeks later he gave up his rented flat, close to the EastEnders set in Elstree, Herts, and moved into Roisin’s £550,000 home in Hertford.
The source said: “Everything between them had been going really well. Max called her the love of his life. They had a wonderful Christmas together and had a conversation about starting a family.
“Roisin was always a career girl and hadn’t really thought about having children but she was so loved up with Max.
“At the beginning of January, she discovered she was pregnant, she never thought it would happen so quickly. She was over the moon.”
Max and Roisin only told a handful of close friends and family until the 12-week scan in February.
The source said: “Max took her to the set after the scan to show everyone the pictures. He was so excited about becoming a dad.
“It was the first time Roisin had met some of his cast mates. They had lunch in the canteen and were very much looking forward to the future as a family of three.”
But cracks started to appear in their relationship and they decided to take time out to work on their problems.
Max moved out of Roisin’s house at the beginning of March with the pretty blonde believing they would come back together following the break.
She never expected Max to move on so quickly. She believed they were on a break, taking time out of their relationship to sort out their differences. Having to see him and Shona together has been heartbreaking.
A source
The source said: “Roisin was crying a lot and her hormones were all over the place. It was agreed that they would work on their problems and Roisin believed that having some time out would do them good.
“She was feeling so tired and sick during those first few months, while Max was working long hours at EastEnders.”
But as Roisin was getting her head around it all, a close friend had to break the news to her that he had grown close to Shona, who was single after splitting from her electrician fiancé Ryan Harris.
The source said: “Things had been tricky between them for a few weeks. They were still talking and Roisin was keeping him updated on everything to do with their baby.
“Then she found out about them and was so shocked.
“Her friend learned the news and rushed to tell her.
“Roisin burst into tears. She was devastated he hadn’t told her. She was six months pregnant and the man she was having a baby with was already seeing someone else.
“She felt heartbroken, humiliated and disrespected. Luckily she’s got a close group of friends around her who rallied round. She couldn’t believe what was happening. It was like her whole world was crumbling around her.
“Yes they’d split up but she truly believed that they would work through their problems and find a way back together.
“She didn’t hear from Max at all during this period.”
Roisin has remained silent about her relationship with Max, however in May she created Instagram account @one_mum_and_a_baby saying: “I’m now a single mum to be, very excited yet the future is all very unknown to me so I would like to document my journey.”
Since then she has posted photos of her pregnancy and earlier this month wrote: “Just under three months now I am so excited to meet him. God how can you love someone that you’ve never met, this much.”
The source said: “It has, obviously, been a tough time for Roisin. But she’s a strong independent woman, owns her home and has a successful career. She knows it’s going to be hard but what choice does she have?
“She is doing everything right as a mother and keeping Max informed throughout the pregnancy but she knows she is looking at the future as a single mum.
“She’s incredibly excited about the arrival of her son, and although she feels let down by Max she hopes that he will start being more supportive.
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“Max is very charming and although she can’t get her head around Shona starting a relationship with him knowing that she is pregnant with his baby she has no ill feelings towards her.
“She’s trying her best to look forward and enjoy the last couple of months of her pregnancy before the arrival of her baby.”
