‘I feel so sad for Maxine over sex work plot’ HOLLYOAKS TWIST IS A BIG TEST FOR NIKKI
NIKKI Sanderson’s latest Hollyoaks storyline will see her being lured into becoming an escort.
Nikki, 35, who plays troubled single mum Maxine Kinsella in the Channel 4 soap, is going through hell on screen.
And she said that the sex worker development made her feel “so sad” for her character.
Maxine has been snubbed by friends after suffering from Munchausen syndrome – which saw her tell a number of despicable lies.
And this week her life is set to spiral out of control.
The soap’s resident bad-boy Liam Donovan, played by Jude Monk McGowan, will convince Maxine to “entertain” one of his business associates – and his demands will get increasingly dark.
Maxine has no choice if she wants to provide for her daughter Minnie.
Nikki told the Daily Star Sunday: “Maxine has nothing and no-one. Liam knows she’s vulnerable and wants to manipulate and use her.
“He blames her for his brother Jesse’s death, even though she had nothing to do with it.”
She added: “Minnie is the most important thing in Maxine’s life.
“At the moment she’s living in a flat that’s cold. She can’t afford food or the clothes that Minnie needs.
“Liam offers her this opportunity to help him close a business deal. She agrees and gets paid a substantial amount of money to pour this guy a few drinks.
“She’s happy to do it but has no idea what Liam is planning for her.”
When Nikki discovered what bosses were planning for her character she could not wait to get her teeth stuck into the gritty storyline.
She said: “It’s a road that Maxine is going to be forced to take. She thinks, ‘I either do this and Minnie gets to stay in a warm home, has food in her belly and clothes on her back, or she’s going to end up on the streets.’
“It just made me feel so sad for Maxine when I found out what was going to happen.”
Nikki is aware that the show has a duty to handle mental health storylines with care.
She said: “As a show we have a duty to play out the fact that actions have consequences.
“She lied to everyone, but we also have to remind people she was suffering from a mental illness.”
Vote for
Hollyoaks at the NTAs by going to national tvawards. com.
Log on before midday on
Tuesday.