Jake Wood

Actor Jake Wood has Waltzed his way far from Walford to the Strictly ballroom, following a troupe of EastEnders actors that have also appeared on the show, including on-screen brother, Scott Maslen (Jack Branning), as well as niece, Patsy Palmer (Bianca Butcher). (So you could say he’s keeping it in the family.)

Jake is best known for playing used car dealer and serial womanizer, Max Branning; and he’s been at the centre of some of the biggest storylines in the square since joining the show in 2006. His character is particularly well known for his on/off relationship with his wife Tanya and a string of younger girlfriends. Oh, and did we mention his secret wife, Kirsty? Max is also currently one of the suspects for the murder of Lucy Beale, but did he do it?! All will be revealed in February 2015. For now, it might only be murder on the dancefloor that Jake could be accused of committing!

Off-screen Jake couldn’t be anything less like Max Branning. He’s devoted to his wife of 13 years, Alison, and their two children, Amber and Buster. Jake trained at the Anna Scher Drama School in London and after graduating appeared in some of Britain’s best loved shows including Only Fools and Horses, A Touch of Frost and Silent Witness. But how will he take to Strictly in his new role as ballroom dancer? Jake swaps the Square for the Salsa in a bid to find out…