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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Paul McAuley

Max Parker's love story with Emmerdale co star after engagement

Emmerdale stars Max Parker and Kris Mochrie recently announced their engagement with a series of photos on Instagram.

The couple, who have been dating since 2021, played brothers Lee and Luke Posner on the ITV soap.

Sharing to his 58,000 followers, Max said he popped the question to Kris while on holiday.

However, how did the two meet each other and when did their love story begin?

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Last year, Max shared his coming out story shortly after he confirmed his romance with Kris, saying he felt comfortable now knowing he was gay.

The actor explained how he came out as bisexual to just friends when he was 18-years-old.

He spent the next seven years of his life in a relationship with a woman and it wasn’t until a year after they broke up that he realised he could no longer ‘imagine himself being with a woman.’

In an interview with Attitude Magazine, Max explained: “Around about 18 I came out [as bisexual] to a few friends. My ex-girlfriend knew that before I was with her - about my sexuality.

“As time went on I didn't want to talk about it because I didn't want to make her feel like people would ask questions.

"But it was only when we broke up when I was around 26, 27 that I started to tell more people about my sexuality.”

Max explained one of the main reasons they split up was because of the pressure he was facing to propose and have children after being together for so long, when he wasn’t sure he wanted to spend his life with a woman.

He added: “One of the main reasons why we did split in the end was because I knew that she's a beautiful girl and she could basically be with anyone she wants, and I was stopping her from [doing] that.

“When you get to a certain age and people say, "You've been together for this long, are you going to propose, have kids?" all those kinds of questions, it makes you think "am I doing the right thing by not pursuing this thing that I've had in the back of my mind?"

The following year, the actor started to embrace his homosexuality.

He continued: “There did come a point, maybe about a year later, where I thought ‘From now on I don't think I can imagine myself being with a woman’

“Something in my mind just changed. I feel comfortable now knowing that I am gay.”

Max met Kris when the two played brothers Lee and Luke Posner on the ITV soap.

The couple recently announced on Instagram that they were engaged (Instagram / @Maxparker___)

Although they never shared a scene, the two sparked dating rumours when they enjoyed a rainy hike together and shared a snap of themselves sunbathing on Instagram.

Max revealed he spotted Kris on Tinder before sliding into his DMs.

Talking more of their first meeting, he said: “He was filming his last day on set. That was the first time we met. I didn't know he was gay, but I remember thinking he's very handsome.

“It was later I thought 'I've never done Tinder, so I'll have a go', so I went on Tinder and I saw him pop up, and I was like 'OK this is a sign.’

“So I made the first move by sending a message on Instagram. I didn't know he was gay and I didn't know that he would fancy me, but then he did.”

The pair moved into their first home together in Manchester and offered fans a brief glimpse inside their apartment through their Instagram stories.

Kris was filming his final scenes as Lee when he met Max and kept in touch with him after his character's exit.

Speaking to the Mirror about their romance, Kris explained: “It's great to meet someone through work and have so many things in common and an understanding of each other's jobs.

“We didn't actually share any scenes together on Emmerdale but kept in touch after I left.

“I don't want to jinx things. We are seeing how we get on. We had a great time on holiday in Dubai. Let's see how it goes.”

Now, Max and Kris are engaged and shared a picture in which Kris could be showing off his new ring.

Max said: "He deserves the world, but the best I could do was promise him my heart. HE SAID YES!’

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