Maxine Minniver's relationship with Patrick Blake took a dark turn on Hollyoaks this evening (October 29) as her controlling partner turned violent.

A furious Patrick (Jeremy Sheffield) lashed out at Maxine as he confronted her for sleeping with his son Dodger when they were separated last month.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Nikki Sanderson, who plays Maxine, to hear her thoughts on tackling the dark story.

Did you always know this storyline was coming up?
"Yes, Jeremy and I have had an idea of how the story would progress for quite a while. The writers have been playing out this storyline very subtly for many months on screen, with Patrick's manipulation of Maxine. We've seen that he's been changing the clothes she wears, and he's bought the flat that she rented so that she has no home of her own. Patrick has also encouraged Maxine to quit her job so that she has no financial independence, as well as alienating her friends away from her.

"We always knew that this was going to progress into a domestic violence storyline, although we obviously haven't been able to say anything until now. I think the reason they've given it such a slow build-up is to make it more realistic. In real life, domestic violence is usually not an overnight thing - it often starts off in a happy and loving relationship and builds to something like this."

Are you grateful that Hollyoaks gave you such a long time to prepare?
"I'm very, very grateful for the preparation. The Hollyoaks team have been fantastic with us. Jeremy and I have been given so much research material and we've been to lots of different meetings with people. I visited a women's refuge and spoke to victims of domestic violence, hearing all of their stories. We've also spoken to domestic violence charities.

"Hollyoaks have really been fantastic in educating us on the subject so that we can play it as true to life as possible."

Has anything from the research surprised you?
"Everything has surprised me, to be honest. When you hear 'domestic violence', you often just think of a partner hitting their partner - you don't think of the other things that come with it. I didn't realise that domestic abuse doesn't have to be physical, it can be emotional as well. I also didn't realise that it doesn't necessarily have to be between romantic partners - it could be between a mother and a son. There are so many things that I didn't realise about it and what can happen in these situations. Our story is about a man hitting a woman, but it isn't always that way.

"A lot has really shocked me to the core and I've met some amazing people who, in my opinion, are extremely strong for speaking up about it. It's been a very enlightening process, so Jeremy and I really want to get behind this now and raise awareness. We want to get a positive message out there to help people."

Are you feeling any pressure to be taking on such a serious story?
"I'm not really feeling any pressure, just because we've got a fantastic team around us. Obviously I want to portray the storyline as realistically as I can. I also want people to believe in the story and for it to make a real impact. I hope people watching the storyline who might be in the initial stages of a similar situation will be able to spot the signs."

How does Maxine feel after Patrick has hit her for the first time?
"She's devastated - absolutely devastated. She's also extremely confused. Here's this man who she's in love with and is fantastic, but then he can do this horrific thing to her. Maxine's confidence is shattered because she doesn't know what to do.

"She's intelligent enough to know that she should leave Patrick because of what he's done, but it's hard for her because she loves him and he's the only person she has. It's a massive battle within herself, because she doesn't know what to do. Her heart is breaking, because the man she loves has physically abused her."

Does Maxine stand up for herself at all, or has she become too fearful of upsetting Patrick?
"It's hard. One of the reasons the writers chose Maxine and Patrick for this story is that they're complete opposites. Maxine was a very vibrant, happy character and a strong woman. You've seen that gradually chipped away by Patrick. There are still elements of that in Maxine, but she isn't herself at the moment. She's like a really watered down version of herself.

"Maxine wants to fight back and become that really strong character again, but it's hard when you've got someone who's even stronger knocking you down."

Does Patrick show any remorse afterwards?
"Patrick knows that he's done something wrong, but he justifies it in his own head - thinking that it wouldn't have happened if Maxine hadn't caused it. Even though nobody ever deserves to be hit, Patrick twists the situation to make it Maxine's fault. He feels remorse, but he doesn't accept the blame."

Will this continue to be a long-running storyline?
"Yes. I can't tell you what's going to be happening in the future, but it will be a long-running story because that is true-to-life."

How are the domestic abuse scenes to film? Are they complex to do?
"They are, because again we're trying to make the storyline as real as possible. Sometimes you might get a little bump or bruise here or there, but fortunately myself and Jeremy get along really well in real life, so we really trust each other. Sometimes I'll tell Jeremy to grab me harder or push things further, because we want it to look real. We're really invested in this storyline and it's worth it because the scenes look so much better."

Do you think Maxine and Dodger could make a good couple in the future?
"I think they make the perfect couple, and that's what is so sad about this situation. Maxine knows that Dodger is the right person for her, and Dodger wants to be with Maxine. But Maxine is already at the point where she'd do anything to be with Patrick, because she's been so heavily manipulated by him.

"It's like a 'head or heart?' situation. Her head is telling her that she should be with Patrick, but her heart is telling her that she belongs with Dodger."

What advice would you give to anyone experiencing domestic violence in real life?
"My advice would be to speak up. Don't speak up to the person who is responsible for the violence, instead speak up to somebody else by phoning a helpline or a refuge. They can speak to you with confidentiality and privacy. They're fully trained and professional people who can give excellent advice."