Maxine Minniver

Maxine Minniver
Hollyoaks character
Portrayed by	Nikki Sanderson
Duration	2012–
First appearance	6 November 2012
Introduced by	Emma Smithwick
Classification	Present; regular
Profile
Other names	Maxine Minniver (maiden name) Maxine Blake (married name)
Occupation	Barmaid (2012–13) Café manager (2013) Switchboard operator (2015) Businesswoman (2015–) Taxi driver (2015–)
Home	5 Oakdale drive (2012–15) 17 Basswood Road (2014–15)
Family Mother Trish Minniver Sisters Mitzeee Minniver Husband Patrick Blake (2014–16) Daughters Minnie Minniver Stepsons Dodger Savage (2014–16) Stepdaughters Sienna Blake (2014–16) Granddaughters Nico Blake (step) Uncles Silas Blissett Aunts Joan Blisset Nephews Phoenix Costello First cousins Heidi Costello Wendy Blissett Other relatives Riley Costello (second cousin) Seth Costello (second cousin) Jason Costello (second cousin) Bobby Costello (third Cousin)

Maxine Stephanie Minniver (previously Blake) is played by Nikki Sanderson; she made her first screen appearance on 6 November 2012.^[1] The character and Sanderson's casting was announced on 28 September 2012.^[1] Sanderson joined the serial on a year contract.^[2] On her casting, the actress said: "Being a member of the Hollyoaks team has so far been an absolute pleasure, and I am excited about what the future holds for my character. I feel very lucky to be part of such a wonderful show and to be working with an amazing team".^[1] Maxine was created as the sister of established character Mitzeee Minniver (Rachel Shenton).^[1] She has been described as being "a confident, lively and flirtatious bombshell, who lives her life on the edge and can spot an opportunity a mile off".^[1] Maxine does not mind taking risks and Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly stated that she would cause fireworks in the village.^[1] Sanderson described her character as being "a really interesting character to play" as she "has got a heart and she is lovely, but she just doesn't show it at first! When she first arrives, she's more interested in herself and how everyone should fit into her life, rather than her fitting into theirs".^[3] Sanderson added that Maxine is "a bit feisty, very confident and knows exactly what she wants, how she wants it and exactly how she's going to get it!"^[4]

Maxine's storylines have been domestic violence at the hands of Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield), having a daughter Minnie with Down's syndrome, a custody battle against Patrick, her relationship with Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) and Patrick's Motor Neurone Disease.

Storylines

Maxine arrives in the village from Marbella to visit her sister, Mitzeee, after stealing money from her cheating boyfriend and leaving him. However, Mitzeee isn't happy with her arrival after Maxine stole the first man she loved, her fiancee Gary. Maxine apologizes to Mitzeee and remembers her of the happier times they shared together. Mitzeee informs her sister that she has to stop to lying to her. Maxine tells her that she has changed and only needs a chance to prove it. Maxine surprises Mitzeee by buying her old place back, and they decide to call it even. Maxine is drugged by Kevin Foster because he was told to kill her. Mitzee told Maxine what happen to Riley Costello, as she was completed devastated as he was shot to death and never got a chance to see him.

After the Bradys leave Hollyoaks Maxine borrows some money from Mitzeee and decides to bid for Chez Chez and run it with her business partner Liam Gilmore (James Farrar). Their attempts are however unsuccessful. After an infestation at their home, Maxine offers for Patrick (Jeremy Sheffield) and Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) to come live with her. After moving in, Patrick discovers that Maxine is unable to read properly and offers to tutor her much to the delight of Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) who finds it extremely humorous.

Patrick and Maxine break up numerous times mainly over her behaviour. He has been seen controlling her, leading to Ash Kane (Holly Weston) having suspicions about him. Maxine has a one-night stand with Patrick's son, Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) and later learns she is pregnant. Maxine has an abortion because Patrick would know he is not the father, as he has had a vasectomy. After Maxine comes home, Patrick looks in her bag and sees a pamphlet about abortion after care. Dodger also learns that Maxine had an abortion and confronts her. Maxine begins experiencing pain and later collapses.

After being discharged from the hospital, Maxine prepares a dinner for Patrick. When she mentions Dodger's name, Patrick punches her. Patrick's abuse of Maxine continues, and Maxine later learns that he has impregnated her. She also learns that their child has Down's syndrome, and during an argument with Patrick by The Loft fire escape, he grabs Maxine, causing her to fall down the fire escape stairs. Patrick's mistreatment of Maxine escalates over the next few weeks, with several incidents including him forcing her to eat an entire cake, threatening her with a knife, and physically beating her. Maxine enlists the help of Blessing Chambers (Modupe Adeyeye) and Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini) in order to help her escape Patrick's grasp. She uses a flower in her window to signal to them when Patrick is absent, thus it is safe for them to visit. She leaves an emergency escape bag containing clothes and her belongings in Dennis's shop.

On the night before the wedding, she manages to escape and Blessing drives her to the airport. However, in the airport, security are summoned when Maxine discovers Patrick has planted a knife in her escape bag, leaving her unable to board the plane. She decides to go through with the wedding and they get married. However, at the reception, she realizes she has made a mistake and publicly humiliates Patrick, telling the entire village what Patrick does to her. Some believe her, including Sienna and Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox), however, most believe Patrick - who has told the village that Maxine beats him.

Maxine then reunites with Dodger and they plan on leaving together for America. While Dodger is in the toilet, Patrick arrives and tries taking Maxine home. Dodger then beats Patrick up, leaving Maxine horrified and she tells Dodger that he is exactly like Patrick. The next day, Dennis gets Maxine to talk to Dodger, but while he is on his way to the airport, he is arrested for his attack on Patrick. Maxine then leaves the village to stay with Mitzeee in America. However, later when Dodger goes to the hospital to help Dennis he meets Maxine there and they agree to give their relationship a chance. Maxine plans to propose to Dodger, but the event is ruined by Sienna, and Maxine believes it was Patrick who did it. When Patrick is run over by Sienna. Maxine is arrested and charged after Sienna left her engagement ring in the car.

After Maxine is released, Sienna tries to get her to Dodger to tell him how she feels; but Patrick put a tracking device on her phone and chases them, causing Sienna's car to get stuck on the tracks. Maxine rescues Sienna from the car just before the train hits, and then phones to get help, while Sienna rescues Dodger. She then goes into labor and gives birth to daughter 'Minnie Minniver' in a shack with Patrick delivering the baby. Straight after giving birth, Patrick takes the baby, abandons Maxine and tells everyone that she died during childbirth however Maxine is found by Theresa and Celine McQueen and taken to the hospital.

Patrick then tricks Maxine into driving, which is against her bail conditions by pretending that Minnie is dying. The plan works and Maxine goes back to prison. On the day of her trial, Patrick lies to the jury about what happened, but Maxine is found not guilty. Nancy then helps Maxine get to America with Minnie. When Maxine returns in the New Year, she is held hostage by Patrick, who plans to take her and Minnie to America against her will, but the police manage to stop him.

Will Savage (James Atherton) kidnaps Maxine, as well as Theresa, and traps them in a boat which he later sets fire to in an attempt to murder them in order to ruin his brother Dodger's life. However she is rescued by Dodger. When Dodger takes the blame for pushing Will off the hospital roof, for his daughter, Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson), he invites Maxine and Minnie to run away with him but she refuses and Dodger leaves alone.

Maxine moves in with Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) at the boarding house and he offers her a job as receptionist at his company 'Daz Cabs'. He supports her through her custody battle with Patrick and they start a relationship. On the day of the custody hearing however, Darren being blackmailed by Patrick, lies to the judge that Maxine is an alcoholic. Patrick also puts a bottle filled with alcohol in her bag and she loses custody of Minnie. Devastated Maxine tries to commit suicide by jumping off a church roof, but Darren talks her down. Later when they are alone Darren reveals why he did it: Patrick saw him bury the gun that shot Phoebe McQueen. Maxine forgives him for it, and says that Patrick already took Minnie away from her, but she's not letting him take Darren too.

To prove that she is a suitable mother, Maxine, with the help of Darren, started her own female taxi service named 'Minnie Cabs' in honour of her daughter Minnie so she'll be able to provide for her future. Weeks later, Maxine finds out that Patrick is dying and vows to help him in his final months provided she gets custody of Minnie on his death. He then thought she was still in love with him, but Maxine rejects him. Patrick them tampers with her relationship with Darren and she breaks up with him, unable to see that Patrick is controlling her again.

When Maxine finds out that Patrick is diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, her heart changes for Partick and spends the rest of her days looking after Patrick. She moves into the Blake household and cares for him. One day, Patrick overhears a conversation between Maxine and Darren Osborne and thinks they are getting back together as soon as he dies. Without Maxine knowing, he plots a plan to make Maxine look responsible for his murder, such as pretending Maxine hit him and transferring grand sums of money to Maxine's account. Patrick then persuades Maxine to help him die after they renew their vows, so it looks like Maxine murdered him. However, Maxine does not go ahead with it and Nico ends up suffocating him with a pillow.

Maxine comes home, overjoyed with the news that Patrick may not be going through with the death, according to Sienna Blake. She then enters the bedroom, and is shocked to find Partrick's lifeless body lying on the bed. She screams, alerting Darren outside. He enters the house and finds Patrick. Darren finds a camera and then tells Maxine about Patrick's plan. Darren drives to a cliff side and tips Patrick's wheelchair over to make it look like he committed sucide.

Creation

Casting

Digital Spy noted that, "Maxine is billed as a "confident, lively and flirtatious bombshell" who lives her life on the edge and can spot an opportunity a mile off."^[1]

The Standard stated "Maxine is described as savvy and not afraid to take risks and she is expected to cause fireworks when she arrives in the village."^[5]

Backstory

Sanderson explained the character's backstory, saying she has "just come back from Marbella, where she sold the bar she had with her boyfriend over there, took the money and ran. She's come to Hollyoaks to find her sister, which was quite arrogant of her really because five years earlier she stole Mitzeee's fiance".^[6] She added that the relationship is "more than strained" but Maxine "is so ignorant she reckons she can swan back into Mitzeee's life and everything will be totally hunky dory".^[2] Sanderson said that Maxine does not feel guilty as she is "quite ignorant and quite selfish" and thinks "Mitzeee should get over it as it was such a long time ago". When speaking to Mitzeee, Maxine realises "the impact it had on her life". Sanderson added that "Maxine stops and thinks about it. She realises that she actually did cause a lot of pain for her younger sister. I don't think she'd realised what she'd caused until now. Maxine was looking after number one, but she sees that she did the wrong thing and maybe she shouldn't have turned up to see Mitzeee after all".^[3] Sanderson said that Maxine begins to"realise what a tough time Mitzeee has had" although she "doesn't understand the extent of Mitzeee's feelings" for Riley. She commented that Maxine "does want to put things right with Mitzeee - and with all the other people in Hollyoaks she upsets".^[4] Sanderson's initial scenes feature her being slapped by Mitzeee, she revealed that she was slapped for real to make the scenes look realistic. In some of the character's other early scenes she arrives in Hollyoaks village and "decides to pretty much con everybody that she meets on the way through".^[6] She added that her character is a "little bit of a conwoman" but will have to "face the music" when she meets those she has conned.^[3] Sanderson said this was a "wonderful way of coming into the show".^[6]

Development

Domestic Abuse

The storyline of Domestic Abuse between Maxine and Patrick was first announced on 23 October 2013 in Metro. Actress Nikki Sanderson said she was "honored" to be apart of the storyline.^[8]

During the storyline, Nikki was showing support to Knowsley Council and Champs’ ‘No to injury time’ campaign.^[9] Nikki Sanderson said "I am proud to be supporting the ‘No to injury time’ campaign as shockingly, the issue of domestic abuse affects so many people each and every day."^[9]

Christian Today reported that the domestic abuse storyline "should challenge us all" it was also written "Hollyoaks couple Maxine Minniver and Patrick Blake are at the centre of what has been described as "one of the UK Soap's darkest storylines"."^[10] Speaking to the Mirror, Nikki Sanderson said that the storyline has helped real victims.^[11]
In Revealation TV, it was said "With the demographic of Hollyoaks’ viewers being younger than many of the other soaps, it has used the Patrick/Maxine storyline to raise awareness about abuse within teenage relationships, partnering with the Home Office’s This Is Abuse Campaign. In the UK, by age 16, 25 per cent of girls will have experienced physical abuse and 72 per cent will have experienced emotional abuse from a partner."^[12]

During the storyline where Patrick is trying to get custody of Minnie, the boarding house that Maxine is staying at with Darren Osborne and Tony Hutchison, is vandalized with the words "Once a Victim, Always A Victim".^[13]

Darren Osborne

In March 2015, it was announced that Maxine would find love in friend Darren Osborne. It was also said in Daily Mail "She’s had a tumultuous time where her romance with abusive ex Patrick Blake is concerned.

But it appears as if Maxine Minniver is set to find love with Darren Osborne as the pair share their first ever kiss in an episode of Hollyoaks."^[14] It was also noted in the article that Patrick Blake would be watching it from his car.^[14]

Reception

Nikki Sanderson was nominated for a Best Serial Drama Performance in the National Television Awards in 2015. But she lost the award to Danny Dyer^[15]
The Liverpool Echo talked about the way Nikki Sanderson was dressed at the TV Choice Awards.^[16]

The Manchester Evening News noted Maxine's most notable storyline (Domestic abuse at the hands of Patrick Blake) when reporting about her birthday.^[17]

Sanderson has been nominated for "Best Actress" and "Best show-stopper" in the Inside Soap Awards of 2015 as Maxine Minniver. The Show-Stopper award is for when the character was contemplating suicide off a church roof.^[18]

See also

• List of Hollyoaks characters (2012)

References