Max George has shared what Tom Parker once told him about Maisie Smith (Picture: REX/Backgrid)

Max George has shared what his late bandmate Tom Parker said about his now-girlfriend Maisie Smith before they started dating.

Back in 2020, The Wanted star Max, now 35, competed on Strictly Come Dancing, where he met EastEnders actress Maisie, now 22.

While Max and his professional partner Dianne Buswell were eliminated in the third week, Maisie and her partner Gorka Marquez made it to the end and became one of the three runners-up.

Then, in September last year, it was revealed that Max and Maisie were dating, with the couple since regularly sharing updates of their relationship.

Now Max has revealed what Parker, who died aged 33 of a brain tumour in March last year, said about Maisie when the now couple first crossed paths.

‘When Maisie was on Strictly on the very first night, Tom said, “The girl from EastEnders is well cute, isn’t she?”,’ he recalled.

The couple met while competing on Strictly Come Dancing (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

‘I replied, “She’s dead nice mate – she’s lovely”,’ he added when speaking to New! Magazine, as reported by The Mirror.

At the time, Max was in a relationship with Stacey Giggs and reportedly had little interaction with Maisie.

However, the two were later reunited on the Strictly live tour, during which they got to know each other more.

Max was eliminated in the third week of the 2020 season of the dancing series (Picture: PA)

But since announcing their relationship, the couple have come under fire for their age gap.

They’ve both rubbished claims that he’s too old for her on several occasions, with the self-proclaimed ‘consenting 21-year-old woman’ now proud to have shown their love ‘isn’t just for cameras’.

Speaking to The Mirror, Maisie previously argued: ‘When you’re in a new relationship, people have a lot to say. But we’ve been together a while now and we’ve proven our love isn’t just for the cameras. We’re genuinely two best friends, in love and we’re so happy.

‘We still get negative comments. Family and friends are so supportive and have never seen either of us so happy. I’ve never been in such a happy position.’

Calling Max ‘the boyfriend of my dreams’, Maisie said she was ‘living on cloud nine’.

Last year he hit back at naysayers, posting on Twitter: ‘I’ve just read that apparently mine and Maisie’s age gap is “controversial”.

‘A woman in her 20’s and a man in his 30’s… what the f**K are they implying? I’d love an explanation please DM,’ he added.

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The now-couple met while competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020.