Nikki Sanderson
Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson reveals all about her relationship with boyfriend Greg Whitehurst, how she feels about internet trolls and why she won’t rule out surgery in the future
When we arrive at Manchester bar Ark for our shoot with Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson, it’s clear she’s feeling nostalgic. “I used to party here in my twenties,” she tells us as she shows us around her old haunt.
As the gorgeous actress, who’s wearing an oversized T-shirt and her hair up in a bun, scoffs a croissant, we can’t help but admire her amazing figure. So we’re shocked when she says she hasn’t been to the gym in months.
Nikki, 35, is in the middle of a hard-hitting storyline in Hollyoaks,
in which her character Maxine Minniver is suffering from Munchausen’s syndrome – a psychological disorder where a person fakes illness in order to gain sympathy.
Maxine, who recently married Damon Kinsella [played by Jacob Roberts], has told her nearest and dearest she has six months left to live. Damon, who believes she has cancer, is even throwing her a ‘living funeral’ to celebrate her life before she dies. Blimey!
Back to real life, and soap queen Nikki has an impressive CV dating back to her days on the Coronation Street cobbles, where she played Candice Stowe for six years from the age of
15. The star also had a stint on Sunday night drama Heartbeat,
and has appeared in Casualty
and Holby City.
As we sit down to chat while Nikki has her hair styled, she tells us she’s chuffed about getting glammed up for our shoot.
“I’m quite a lazy girl,” she giggles. “If I don’t go anywhere
I tend to have no make-up on and I won’t be bothered to do my hair. Today is a special treat!”
Away from Hollyoaks, Nikki is loved-up with her boyfriend of four years Greg Whitehurst. The pair live together in North Manchester and she tells us they are “very happy”.
Here the actress talks about her character’s complex life, her own battle with depression and her thoughts about cracking America... Hi Nikki! How are things going between you and Greg?
Really well! We’re really happy – we’re just like any normal couple. We’ve gone from going out all the time to enjoying sitting in and putting the telly on with a glass of wine and chilling out. I don’t know if that’s old age, but we love it. What’s a typical date night?
Either going for a meal together and then to a couple of bars or, because Greg’s a really good cook, he’ll make a lovely dinner and then we’ll sit in front of the TV and put a boxset or a film on.
Lovely! Does he like going to red carpet events with you?
Yeah. He’s quite a calming influence. He sees how nervous I get. He’ll poke me in my side to make me laugh so I loosen up!
Have you spoken about marriage and kids?
We’re very happy together. There will be those natural progressions in relationships. But when people say, “You’ve got to do this by this age” and “You’ve got to do that by that age”, it makes you feel like you’ve got to force things. But Greg and I are happy and going with the flow. Eventually we will, but we’re just doing us right now.
You look amazing. Are you body confident?
I don’t think anyone can say they’re 100 per cent body confident, but you work with what you’ve got. It’s not that I’m unhappy, but I am what I am.
You’ve said you’re not feeling as good as you did last year. Why?
Last year I was going to the gym and working out quite a lot. This year I’ve relaxed quite a lot. I’m happy, but I’m not at peak fitness like I was before. I’m just chilling out, eating and drinking wine and living my best life.
And what are your views on cosmetic surgery?
If someone wants surgery, go for it. I think it’s unfair when people get brought down on their choices – that’s their right. I haven’t had any surgery yet.
I’m saying yet because I don’t know how I might feel in 10 or 20 years. I’m a supporter of it being your personal choice.
‘I DON’T THINK ANYONE IS 100 PER CENT BODY CONFIDENT’
‘I LIVE MY REAL LIFE AS PRIVATELY AS POSSIBLE’
Let’s talk Hollyoaks. How have you found playing someone with Munchausen’s?
It’s been amazing. When they first pitched the idea to me, I thought it would be fantastic. The audience rightly thought Maxine was being a lying, evil, devious, manipulative cow. A lot of people don’t know there’s a reason behind it – that she has a disorder that’s causing her to do this. She’s manipulating the people around her, but she’s being manipulated by her own mind. She may not be physically ill, which is what she’s trying to portray, but she’s got a mental illness she needs treatment for.
Do you think Maxine feels guilty?
Every day she feels the guilt of knowing she’s destroying the people around her. She gets plenty of opportunities to stop. In normal life you’d go, “I can just stop. I’ve been given a way to get out of this.” But it’s not Maxine who’s controlling this, it’s her mind. She knows she’s not ill and knows she’s lying, but she’s addicted to the attention she gets.
What advice would you give her?
To take the help she’s being offered. Maxine’s Munchausen’s stems from abandonment issues she’s never dealt with. She wants to hold on to Damon any way she can, because she’s so scared she’ll lose him.
Is mental health something that should be discussed more?
A lot of people are embarrassed about it, but the more people are comfortable, the more help is available. There is still that taboo, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
You’ve previously tweeted about struggling with your own mental health. Do you feel comfortable speaking about it now?
Absolutely. I had depression in my twenties and wouldn’t accept I had it for a long time. I didn’t want to talk openly about it, because I felt ashamed and embarrassed. When I first started having those feelings I was like, “I’m just a bit sad, I’ll get over it.” But it’s never that easy. I only feel more comfortable saying something now because of how many people have been open and honest.
What got you through that?
Definitely my family and friends, and I went to see a doctor. I’m a huge advocate of the NHS and they were wonderful with me. I was lucky I had a good supportive network around me. You’ve been on Hollyoaks since 2012. Are there any other roles you’d love to play?
As long as I’m acting, I’m happy. I love TV, theatre, film and radio
– every type of acting. I’m one of those actresses who doesn’t mind looking awful. I’m like, “Make me look crap and I’ll go with it!”
Do you worry about being typecast as a soap star?
I wouldn’t be where I am without the characters I’ve played, so I feel it’s more of a blessing. Yes, people may not want you at an audition because you’re too well known as a certain character, but it doesn’t mean they’re all closed to you.
So would you ever try to crack the US?
There are many people who go there and do well. I love American Gods [which stars ex-hollyoaks actor Ricky Whittle]. Then you’ve got Nathalie Emmanuel who has done so well [in Game Of Thrones]. If I got the opportunity, of course I would.
Corrie was a big part of your life. Are you in touch with the cast?
I am. I was there a few months ago and said hello to everyone. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Corrie. It was a massive part of my life, so it’d be weird if I walked away and never thought about it again. Was it hard to get another job after Coronation Street?
I was quite lucky. I did some dramas, theatre, radio and small parts in films. I also did Heartbeat
and that was so lovely. But there was a time when there weren’t any jobs coming in. There was an influx of reality programmes and there weren’t many dramas being made. Brooke Vincent once took a job in a pub. Would you ever do a “normal” job?
If you’re not working you have to be prepared to do other things. I have a lot of respect for people who go, “I’ve been on screen all these years and now I’ll do this as I need to earn money.” Your old Corrie pal Ryan Thomas is engaged to Lucy Mecklenburgh. Are you happy for them?
Very happy! I’ve met Lucy and she’s lovely.
I adore Ryan – he’s brilliant. I think those two make such a lovely couple. Whenever I’ve been around them they seem so happy together. Good on them.
And do you still see Tina O’brien?
I do. I adore her and we essentially grew up together. She’s supertalented, fantastic and lovely.
Lots of soap stars have done I’m A Celeb. Would you consider it?
I’m always up for a challenge. The only thing I wouldn’t be great with is creepy crawlies. I wouldn’t want to eat something that tastes like arse! But it looks like a laugh, so never say never.
You’ve been to lots of awards ceremonies over the years. Which was the craziest one?
I won Best Actress and Best Storyline at an awards do and had a few drinks after. I went to get in the lift, fell over and knocked half my tooth out. They had to rebuild it!
What’s the hardest part about being in showbiz?
I want to say privacy, but it’s not. I live my real life as privately as possible, but you have to give away a bit, because that’s your job. The worst thing is trolling, because people can forget you’re a real person with feelings.
Have you had a hard time with internet trolls?
Yes and no. I’m very lucky that I’ve got a lot of people who are very supportive. But for some reason you can have 1,000 positive comments and then you can have one negative comment and it hurts you. You’re human and it does get you down, but
I try to laugh at them. I would never feel the need to go online and put someone else down. I’d rather say something nice than say something nasty.
‘YOU CAN HAVE ONE NEGATIVE COMMENT AND IT HURTS YOU’
Don’t miss Hollyoaks this week to see Maxine’s ‘living funeral’. Mon-fri at 6.30pm on Channel 4