As Max George opens up about his health struggles, the Mirror takes a look at his age-gap relationship with EastEnders actress Maisie Smith, including some awkward TV blunders
Lead singer of The Wanted, Max George, is now preparing to spend Christmas in hospital after doctors found “some issues” with his heart. And his girlfriend, Maisie Smith has been on hand to offer some words of support.
Taking to Instagram, former EastEnders actress Maisie “Love you Max,” followed by a love heart emoji, as best wishes poured in for the 36-year-old musician from fans and celebrity pals alike.
Max and Maisie, 23, first met while competing on the 2020 series of Strictly Come Dancing, and got to know each other better after participating in the Strictly arena tour. What started off as a friendship blossomed into a full-blown romance, and in 2022, the pair made things official, making their red-carpet debut as a couple at an awards ceremony hosted by HELLO! magazine.
As 2024 comes to a close, it would appear the couple are still going strong, although there have been a few bumps along the way…
‘Age gap’ questions
During an appearance on Lorraine back in August, host Ranvir Singh quizzed the couple about their 13-year-age gap, which they both agree isn’t an issue. Addressing Max on the show, Maisie explained: “I’ve always said from the start my family and your family – we’re so close. Max has been there for me and my family while we’ve been going through some stuff.” Max added: “We’re not bothered about stuff like that.”
This isn’t the first time their age gap has sparked conversation. In a previous interview with The Sun, Maisie shared: “If it wasn’t that, it would be something else. People don’t understand what goes on behind closed doors in a relationship. I think they also forget that I’m a consenting [then] 21-year-old woman who’s actually been working longer than Max! I don’t notice the age difference, and neither do my friends or family.”
‘Proposal’ blushes
Things got awkward during a joint appearance on ITV’s The Chase Celebrity Special back in April 2023, when host Bradley Walsh initially didn’t realise they were a couple. He then jokingly asked, “When’s the big day?”, prompting Max to pretend to pull an engagement ring out of his pocket.
Max later opened up about Maisie’s reaction to the stunt during an appearance on Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility Max, sharing: “It was like one of them things where Brad [Bradley Walsh] has said: ‘So when’s the big day?’ and then everyone laughed. And I said: ‘Well, it’s funny you ask” and put my hand in my back pocket, like that, and Maisie went all sort of giddy. Off camera, she shook her head, so I’m glad it wasn’t real.”
Pregnancy ‘joke’ backlash
Also, in April 2023, the couple faced fierce criticism after offending fans with a pregnancy prank. In an Instagram story, Maisie and Max could be seen posing in front of a mirror, with Max holding one hand over his mouth while gazing at his girlfriend’s belly.
Maisie, who had covered her tummy with a red heart emoji, teased: “We’ve got some really exciting news.” However, in the very next story, Maisie removed the heart, adding: “I just had the best five course meal of my life”, the joke being that she had a “food baby”.
Taking to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, one unimpressed person wrote: “As someone on the waiting list for IVF not knowing if I’ll ever be a mother, I am disgusted by @maisie_smith_ and @MaxGeorge idea of a ‘joke’. Unbelievable, insensitive, and delusional.”
Another agreed: “Pretending they had a fake announcement that she was pregnant that was actually her stomach bloated from food. No tact at all. So pathetic.”
This comes as Max opened up this week about his health woes, telling fans: “Yesterday I felt really unwell and was taken into hospital. Unfortunately, after some tests, they’ve found that I have some issues with my heart.
“I have a lot more tests to determine the extent of the problems and what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet. It’s gonna be a difficult few weeks/months… and Christmas in a hospital bed wasn’t exactly what I had planned! But, as always, I’m surrounded with love and support by my wonderful partner Maisie, her family, my family and friends.. and I’m 100 per cent in the best place.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads