EastEnders star Max Bowden is reportedly expecting his first child with ex-girlfriend Roisin Buckle.
The actor, 27, who plays Ben Mitchell on the soap, is said to have split from Roisin earlier this year but is "thrilled" to become a father.
A friend told The Sun: "Max and Roisin are delighted they’re expecting a baby – even if they are no longer together.
"They broke up earlier this year. There was no one else involved, it just simply didn’t work out."
The source suggested that the former couple had remained good friends despite the break-up and were thrilled after discovering that she was pregnant.
They added that pair are determined to co-parent their baby together and will continue to support one another.
The actor's reps declined to comment when approached by the Mirror.
Max, who is the sixth actor to play Phil Mitchell's son Ben, joined the BBC soap in 2019 and quickly became a fan favourite.
Over the last three years, Max has been part of a number of huge storylines - from parenting daughter Lexi with ex Lola Pierce and struggles with deafness to his 'forbidden' romance with policeman Callum Highway.
Max last shared a selfie with Roisin back in February on Instagram as he captioned the photo: "'The course of true love never did run smooth' - William Shakespeare. Absolutely cringe but what a beautiful three days with this one."
The happy news of the pregnancy comes after a difficult 2021 for Max.
He made headlines in December last year as the BBC crew have rallied behind him offering support after the heartbreaking deaths of three of his friends.
The actor admitted that he "isn't doing great", with the team behind the scenes at his work trying to make his days a little less hard to handle.
He took to his Instagram Stories to share a snap of a card he received from the costume department at EastEnders.
The card read: "Hey Max, just wanted to say we know you're not great at the moment, but we are always here if you need a rant or a cry.
"Keep doing your best because we think you're great."
The actor seemed moved by the gesture, captioning the picture: "I work with some amazing people."
The message was signed with love by Annie, Inca, Becky and Meg from the costume department.
He went on to share a devastating picture of a gift his late best friend Maxwell Thompson had given him in order to ask him to be best man at a wedding that was supposed to take place in April of this year.
Maxwell sadly died in September, with the devastated actor sharing a moving tribute to his friend.
He wrote: "Thank you for being my best friend for 15 years, for walking every avenue with me, entering into battle with me every time, lighting up my every minute of every day, and for loving me like you did.
"I will never have a better friend, and I will never love a man so much in my life. You were my soulmate, my rock, my ride or die, my everything - and I am so grateful that I got to call you my best friend. I am so so lucky."
Just months before the tragic death, his close friend Luke Goodings sadly passed away in June.
In February, his friend Terry Mills died after battling with Covid in a hospital in Cancun, Mexico.
