Real-Life Soap Romance Ends: EastEnders & Corrie Stars Split After Shocking Street Kiss Goes Viral
It was the backstage soap romance fans never saw coming — and now, just as quickly as it began, it’s over.
Katie McGlynn, beloved for her role as Sinead Tinker on Coronation Street, has split from former EastEnders star Max Bowden, only months after the pair stunned fans with a passionate public kiss that left her ex-fiancé “heartbroken.”
⭐ A Spark That Started Behind the Curtains
The pair first grew close earlier this year while touring together in the stage thriller Murder at Midnight. Long rehearsal days, late-night cast drinks, and touring life brought them together — fast.
By October, chemistry spilled out of the theatre and onto the streets of Malvern, where they were spotted:
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laughing together
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holding hands
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wrapped in a kiss outside The Foley Arms pub
An eyewitness said:
“They looked completely wrapped up in each other — very cosy, very comfortable.”
For fans, it was the Corrie x EastEnders crossover romance no one expected.
💔 A Whirlwind That Burned Out Quickly
Sources have now confirmed the relationship is officially over.
“It all happened really fast. Katie’s taken a step back — she ended things. Max is upset and finding it awkward,”
a theatre insider shared.
Despite the emotional fallout, both actors are still locked into professional commitments. They are expected to reunite on stage when the tour resumes after Christmas — a situation described as “tense but unavoidable.”
For now, both are spending the holidays apart, giving each other space before stepping back into character together.
😢 The Complicated Twist: Her Ex Was Left “Heartbroken”
The breakup isn’t the only emotional aftershock.
Katie’s ex-fiancé, Ricky Rayment, reportedly felt gut-punched after photos of Katie and Max’s kiss went viral. The pair once envisioned a future together, making her very public romance with Max all the more painful.
On Max’s side, this isn’t his first relationship with a colleague. He’s previously dated fellow EastEnders stars:
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Danielle Harold
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Shona McGarty
His love life has long been a topic of discussion among fans and tabloids alike.
🎭 Can They Still Share a Stage?
Professionally, both Katie and Max remain committed to the production — but privately, insiders say they are keeping their distance.
Producers are hopeful the pair can maintain their electric onstage chemistry, but tension behind the scenes may prove harder to hide.
What’s certain is this:
👉 Their real-life plot twist is every bit as dramatic as the soaps that made them household names.