The mysterious AJ receives various mentions in EastEnders this week as the tension between ex couple Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) bubbles over.
Cindy, as viewers will know, has been on a revenge mission after husband Max dumped her just hours after they exchanged vows, with the lothario admitting that he wasn’t in love with her.
If that wasn’t bad enough, she subsequently found out that he’d been cheating with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan-Levy) and is now seeing someone else in secret!
Given the heartbreak he’s caused her, Cindy is out for blood.
Amid their feud, the pair have made reference to AJ, with the mentions increasing after it’s discovered that Max is selling a property in New Zealand to raise money to buy No. 31.
The update didn’t go down too well with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), who revealed that mum Tanya (Jo Joyner) is struggling financially to look after AJ.
Max had previously told Tanya that he couldn’t afford to help with AJ’s childcare, so it’s no wonder Lauren isn’t happy when she found out that he’ssitting on so much potential cash.
If you’re struggling to recall who AJ is then fear not as we’ve got all the details you need to refresh your memory.
Who is AJ in EastEnders? Connection to Max Branning and Cindy Beale explained
AJ, formerly known as Abi Jr, is the daughter of Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) and Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell).
This therefore makes her the granddaughter of both Max – who was dad to Abi – and Cindy, whose son Steven perished in a fire at the restaurant in 2017.
When he turned up in the Square in 2016, Steven was in a relationship with Lauren – but he subsequently had an affair with Abi, which led to her falling pregnant.
Steven perished in a fire in the restaurant, with Max largely to blame for his demise.
Months later, Abi decided to leave with Lauren and her son Louie on Christmas Day – but they found Max, who was struggling with his mental health at the time, standing on the roof of the Queen Vic.
Tragedy struck as Abi and Lauren subsequently fell from the roof of the pub. While Lauren recovered, Abi tragically died after prematurely giving birth to a baby girl.
Devastated by the death of his daughter, Max vowed to look after the newborn, naming her Abi Jr in her mum’s honour.
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In 2018, he married Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks), who fell in love with and raised baby Abi. Max subsequently departed the Square in 2021, leaving little Abi with Rainie.
Jack (Scott Maslen) later took Abi to visit Max in France – and he kidnapped the child, which is why Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) was so apprehensive to tell him about Annie.
In 2025, Abi Jr was renamed AJ and was thought to be living with grandmother Tanya, which is backed up by what Lauren says in this week’s episodes.
Although Cindy is also AJ’s grandmother, she has never met the eight-year-old, as confirmed by Max earlier this week.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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