Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Janine Yaqoob

EastEnders star Jake Wood divulges secret hobby caring for ex-battery hens

Soap tough guy Jake Wood is guaranteed beak viewing… he looks after chickens rescued from a battery farm.

And Jake, who plays EastEnders’ Max Branning, even brings in eggs to share with his soap co-stars.

The actor adopted the hens and nursed them back to health – and says they are now showing their gratitude by laying dozens of eggs a day.

Dad-of-two Jake, 47, takes the eggs-tras on set for show pals including Cockney geezer Danny Dyer.

He said: “I’ve started to bring loads of eggs into work for the cast members as we’ve got so many.

“They’re getting rave reports. Once you have a real, proper egg, it’s totally different from any you buy in the shop.”

Jake hopes his co-stars may follow his lead and rescue hens themselves.

The star explained how he originally had six of the hens – but is now sadly down to four after two died.

Jake in character as brooding Max Branning (BBC)

He told Chicken & Egg magazine: “We’ve lost two, but the remaining four are really healthy and completely transformed.

"They’re really happy chickens. They come running when I go out, looking for food. They’re laying like you wouldn’t believe.”

One chicken is named after Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan – after being brought back to life with a hairdryer modelled on the star’s face.

EastEnders is not currently filming after production was put on hold.

But it isn’t the first time Jake has been caught up in fowl play – on screen, his character has slept with his son’s wife, brawled with his brother and ended up in prison on suspicion of murder.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.