Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring)

[lizann]

She is leaving soon anyways to have her baby

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks schemer Cindy Cunningham will decide to marry a 72-year-old millionaire in a forthcoming storyline, it has been revealed.

The surprise plotline begins when Cindy, played by pregnant actress Stephanie Waring, meets rich Alistair Longford (Terence Harvey) at a party which is also attended by the McQueens. She goes on to work her charms on the new acquaintance as soon as she hears about his massive fortune.

Following the chance meeting, a romance between the pair quickly develops and Alistair proposes to his new love within a week. The couple then start to arrange their nuptials just as speedily.

Although he is a new character, Alistair already has a link to the show as he is the grandfather of sisters India (Beth Kingston) and Texas (Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove).

Yesterday, the Hollyoaks cast filmed scenes in Liverpool for Cindy and Alistair's wedding day, which is to be a garish affair as Myra McQueen (Nicole Barber-Lane) insists on organising the occasion. The matriarch, who was responsible for the duo's first meeting at the party, threatens to tell all about Cindy's gold-digging ways unless she can be the wedding planner.

However, Hollyoaks bosses are keeping tight-lipped over whether the pair will actually tie the knot on the day. According to the Daily Mail, a shock revelation from one of the guests in the church could change everything.

The storyline - due to air in August - is expected to lead to Cindy's temporary departure from the Channel 4 soap as Waring is about to take maternity leave.

[tammyy2j]

I thought Cindy was going to try and hook Dom for some reason

[alan45]

Hollyoaks has been without one of its feistiest characters in recent months after Cindy Longford headed off for an extended honeymoon with her rich new husband Alistair. In real life, meanwhile, actress Stephanie Waring departed the role temporarily for maternity leave and gave birth to her second child Lexi last September. However, to the surprise of the village's residents, Cindy makes a shock comeback this week - and now she's a millionaire and free of responsibilities as daughter Holly is at boarding school, she looks set to be more outrageous than ever! Here, Stephanie chats to DS about her return to Hollyoaks.

How does it feel to be back at Hollyoaks?
"I've been back now for about six weeks and it feels really good. Obviously I do miss the baby like crazy but she's been with me most days when I've had really long days, and work have been really good by not throwing me right back into a demanding schedule. So it's been quite a good balance and I've really enjoyed it. It's been nice to go back. When you've been pregnant and you're thrown into being a mother again, it can be quite consuming, and coming back to work has let me have that bit of sparkle back, which has been nice!"

Did it feel like you were away from the show for a while?
"Do you know what, it's felt like it's gone really fast. It just doesn't seem like two minutes ago that I was on set like a beached whale, having to hide my bump behind counters, handbags and big bouquets of flowers! So it has gone really quickly. But obviously going back feels a bit different because now I'm not huge and there's no baby kicking in my belly every time I'm doing a scene! It's been lovely."


What can you tell us about Cindy's return?
"She's the same old Cindy, but she's been taken to another level because she's a millionairess now and she's got what she's always wanted - the money. She used to go with any guy who had money and that was her main objective because she's basically a gold-digger - the ultimate gold-digger, I would call her! So she's a lot of fun and very camp. It's Cindy with money, but she has no taste! She'll buy things just because they're expensive and she just has no idea. So she's all blinged-up and really fun to play this time around - there's no misery with her and she doesn't really care what anybody else thinks. She'll tell it like it is, and she's come back to make her mark and put her own stamp on the village."

Do we find out much about Cindy's time away, or is it all a bit mysterious?
"It's a little bit mysterious. She's basically been travelling with her hubby Alistair and their last stop was Switzerland, where there was a tragic accident - and sadly poor Alistair fell off an Alp, in true Dynasty style! Whether Cindy was there or not I cannot say. But the circumstances surrounding his death were very simple as far as Cindy's concerned, while others are a bit suspicious of her motives and how she got her money."

How are things between Cindy and Tony following her return?
"I think, in Cindy's eyes, she's got one over on him now. He always used to boss her about when she worked at Il Gnosh and she was his wife, but now she's got the upper hand and she really plays on it. She likes to humiliate him - and I think she does a pretty good job!"

And is there any interesting stuff coming up for Cindy and Darren?
"Initially they have a moment, because there's always going to be a spark there between them. But I think any romance is quickly stamped out when she finds out about the twins and the fact that he was recently engaged to Nancy. She gets over it pretty quickly, though - in true Cindy style!"

Do you prefer playing Cindy's softer side or the bitchy side she's showing at the moment?
"I love this side to Cindy that we're doing now - it's so much fun and I think it's the epitome of who she is. She has got a soft and vulnerable side like everyone else, but she just chooses not to show it. There are those moments in life where she is vulnerable and we do see a glimmer of that when she finds out about Steph's death. She's not completely hard and she also has her moments with Darren - I think he's the only person who she lets her guard down in front of. With everyone else, a big wall comes up and she doesn't let anybody else see that vulnerable side. But I definitely prefer playing her at her most glamorous and most bitchiest!"

Who else will we see Cindy sharing screen time with in the coming months?
"I think we'll see her form a nice friendship with Noah, and I think there'll be a nice little relationship with Ste along the way. Also Mandy, as Mandy returns - we have a lot of good stuff coming up together and that's really nice because we started together when Sarah was 14 and I was 18, all those many years ago! So it's nice to have our characters back together again."

Are you enjoying being a mum again?
"Oh yeah, Lexi is such a good baby and I'm very, very lucky because if I thought that I'd be going back to work and she'd be missing me or wasn't in good hands, I think I'd just be on set worrying and always wanting to be with her. But she's such a happy little thing and she comes in to see me while I'm in work, so it just works out really well. I'm really happy that I've got the chance to do what I love and be a mum at the same time. But no more - this is it for me! I've got my two girls, my two little princesses - I've got a nice little family, so I'm very happy."

Is Cindy glad to see that Gabby - her old love rival - has left the village?
"I don't think she really cares, to be honest! She doesn't care one way or the other whether she's there or not. I don't think Cindy cares about anybody, really - it's all about her!"

Will Cindy return to work at Cincerity?
"Cincerity is still there and it's Cindy's business, but now she's a millionairess she's not as interested in it. Let's just say she's hoping to move on to bigger and better!"

Is Cindy surprised by India's recent murder, or had she already heard about that when she was away?
"She'd already heard about it. When it was India's funeral, it was mentioned that Alistair couldn't make it, so Cindy is already aware of it. But it's not touched upon all that much following her return."

Does she still have scenes with Texas?
"Oh yeah, there is very much a huge rivalry between them. I mean, Texas thinks that Cindy has got all of her money - money that's rightfully hers. I think Texas is going to do anything she can to get her money back, so watch this space!"

You returned to Hollyoaks just after Paul Marquess left and Gareth Philips replaced him, so was it strange to come back to a new boss?
"It was in a way, because I heard about it when I was on maternity leave and obviously I didn't know what was going on. But I knew I was coming back and that there'd be no change there. Any changes take time to settle in, but I've met Gareth and he is so lovely and he knows what he's doing. I have every faith in him because he's definitely got the right vision for the show. And when you have someone giving you that positivity when it comes to you and your character on the show, it just makes you feel a whole lot better about being there. I'm looking forward to what's to come because I think it's going to be exciting!"

[Perdita]

Double post!

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring has admitted that her character Cindy Longford has a hidden agenda when she agrees to help ex-boyfriend Darren Osborne with his secret wedding mission.

As fans already know, Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) will soon start plotting the ultimate romantic gesture for partner Nancy (Jessica Fox) as he makes plans for a surprise wedding ceremony.

Cindy later becomes embroiled in Darren's scheme when she pretends to be Nancy in front of the registrar for his wedding licence to be granted - as seen in pictures released at the weekend.

However, Cindy is actually harbouring real feelings for Darren - secretly hoping that she can win him back.

Waring told TV Times: "Cindy has got her own agenda. It used to be all about the money for her, but now she's lost it, she realises what's important.

"Darren is her soulmate. He's always been there for her and she wants him back."

Cindy lost her assets at the beginning of the year after poor financial decisions came back to haunt her.

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4 with a first look screening at 7pm on E4.

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks' Cindy Longford is back at the centre of drama in the village over the coming days as her love triangle with Darren Osborne and Nancy Hayton intensifies.

Cindy has recently agreed to help Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) as he plans his secret Valentine's Day wedding to Nancy (Jessica Fox). However, as Cindy is still harbouring feelings for her ex, matters become complicated when she can keep them to herself for no longer!

Digital Spy recently caught up with Stephanie Waring, who plays Cindy, to hear all about the storyline.

How did you feel about being part of Hollyoaks' big Valentine's Day story?
"I was really excited. I'd had a bit of time off, and it's always a bit worrying when that happens and they're establishing new characters, because you don't want to get lost along the way. So then when our producer Emma Smithwick told me about this storyline, I was really pleased and couldn't wait to get stuck in. Working with Ashley Taylor Dawson again was really good."

We've seen that Cindy really wants Darren back. Did her feelings for him never go away, or have they been reawakened?
"I think they've been reawakened. I don't think they ever fully went away, but obviously Cindy has just lost all of her money and she's on her own, so she's feeling a little bit lost. So when Darren asked her to help with the wedding planning and said that she was the only person he trusted to do it, she felt needed and wanted.

"I don't think Cindy sees this as a way to split up Nancy and Darren or sabotage the wedding, but there's just a little part of her that thinks, 'Surely he's going to choose me?'"

[Perdita]

How do things develop over the next few days?
"I think Cindy is very serious about Darren. There's an episode coming up where Darren takes her out shopping for the wedding, and she's trying on different wedding dresses for Nancy. She looks into the mirror, sees herself in this dress and she just thinks that it should be her. Then Darren comes into the dressing room and she's stuck in the wedding dress, so he's trying to help her out of it.

"Cindy reads the signals wrong, as he's been so lovely to her and they're having a bit of a laugh, so she kisses him. It's the worst possible thing she could have done, because she thinks it means something but Darren thinks otherwise."

What happens next?
"Later, Cindy and Darren talk about the kiss and it's so emotional. Filming the scenes, we were genuinely both heartbroken. Because of the history that Cindy and Darren have had together, for me it was stirring up all of these memories and scenes that we've done.

"But now it's going to be no more, because he's in love with somebody else! Darren says that Cindy is going to have to let him go, and she's absolutely devastated by it."

What do you make of the rivalry between Cindy and Nancy?
"I think they've got a bit of a love-hate relationship! On the one hand, Cindy doesn't really like Nancy. But when she realises how much Darren likes Nancy, she starts to warm to her. Cindy says that if Nancy is who Darren wants, then she'll just have to accept it.

"So Cindy tells Nancy that she should marry him. I think if Cindy didn't like Nancy, she would be saying, 'No, don't marry him - I've kissed him', and causing trouble. She could do something really disgusting to try and split them up, but she doesn't. But you'll have to wait and see what Nancy does and whether the wedding does go ahead…"

Whatever happens, will it be the end of Cindy and Nancy's bickering?
"Well, we even filmed a scene today where we had a bit of bitchy banter! Nancy doesn't take Cindy seriously, and vice versa. If they did, it'd be handbags at dawn and they'd be constantly scrapping. But as it is, they just have a few bitchy comments. It's like we saw recently - Nancy welcomed Cindy into the book club, but in the next episode, they were arguing again!"

How did you feel about Cindy losing all of her fortune?
"I was really pleased. For so many years, Cindy has been trying to get the guy with money, so all of the plotting and scheming that came with that was kind of Cindy's 'thing'. But then they decided that Cindy was going to bag a millionaire, which was my way out of the show for a while because I was pregnant.

"When Cindy came back, I think the character was seen as a bit of a joke. I think now everything has been taken from her again, we're seeing a more real side of Cindy. I think we're hopefully going to see more of why people fell in love with her in the first place, rather than having her as a comical rich bitch who's lording it over everybody.

"There's not really many stories you can tell once a character has what they want - where do you go from there? You have to take it all away again!"

How is Cindy coping with losing the money?
"Cindy is devastated, but in public, I think she puts on a really big front. I think Cindy probably does believe that she's going to get back on top again, and I think that's a really great character trait to have - instead of having her sitting there wallowing!"

Did you enjoy the recent scenes which saw all of the female characters get together?
"Yeah, I really liked that female camaraderie - just getting them together was quite a strong story to do, and I think we're going to be exploring that more soon."

Where would you like Cindy to go next?
"I'd like to see Cindy handle something a little bit more serious. The most serious storyline she's had in the past was when Holly went missing. I'd love it if there could be an issue for Cindy to be faced with, but it's down to the writers!"

What do you make of the recent changes at Hollyoaks and the new arrivals?
"As I've had some time off, everyone has bonded in that time, so I'm still getting to know everybody. But I've got some scenes with the new students, so I am getting to know everyone now. Everyone welcomes everybody into the show, and we all become a family. That happens really quickly, because we're all vying for the same thing - to make a good programme."

What's ahead for Cindy in the immediate future?
"Once all of the Cindy and Darren stuff has come to a head, Cindy will be setting her sights on someone else - and it may be someone from her past!"

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks waitress Cindy Cunningham is playing with fire once again in her latest storyline as she enjoys a steamy affair with Rhys Ashworth.

Viewers have seen the pair cheating on their respective partners Tony and Jacqui over the past few weeks, but in upcoming episodes Cindy considers ending the fling as the guilt becomes too much.

When Tony buys the Atwell's gym next week, Cindy sees that he is trying to provide a stable future for the pair of them, so she tells Rhys that their affair is over. But will she be able to resist temptation?

Digital Spy recently caught up with Stephanie Waring, who plays Cindy, to hear her thoughts on the ongoing plotline.

What has the Cindy and Rhys storyline been like to film?
"I've really enjoyed this storyline, because there are a lot of twists and turns coming up in it that I don't think the audience are going to expect. It's not going to just be your straightforward affair - there's lots of stuff on the way, and how it develops is going to be very surprising.

"I'd love people to invest a little bit in Cindy and Rhys. I've seen on the forums that people have said, 'Oh no, you can't break up two great couples!', but at the moment the fans have no idea where it's going. I hope they're going to enjoy it when they see it for themselves."

Is it nice to get your first long-running storyline in a while?
"Definitely. Last year was about introducing a younger group of characters, but this next year we'll revisit the families and the characters who have been on Hollyoaks for a long time, and see how everyone interacts together.

"I'm really excited to be involved in this current storyline, and I think it's some of the best stuff that I've done since I've been at Hollyoaks. I think the audience will agree with that when they see how it develops."

Why has Cindy's attention been drawn away from Tony?
"Well, Cindy is like a child and Rhys is like a shiny new toy to her. She does love Tony, as he's her staple and they know each other inside and out. Tony is Cindy's comfort zone and whenever things go wrong, she goes back to him. Tony has always been there for Cindy and he's put up with her for so long.

"With Rhys, he's just a bit of excitement - they're very alike and they both want the same thing at this current time. I think it's a believable storyline for a character like Cindy because she goes through men for fun and if she wants something, she goes for it."

Cindy seems to be feeling more guilty than Rhys, doesn't she?
"Yeah, you would expect Cindy to be the one who's all for the affair and for Rhys to be the guilty one, but in fact it's the other way around. Cindy is not sure if she's doing the right thing, because she doesn't want to hurt Tony.

"I'm not sure I'd go as far to say that Cindy is completely head over heels in love with Tony, but she knows that he's the right choice to make for her in terms of a future relationship. She doesn't really see it going anywhere with Rhys, as it's just a bit of fun.

"When Cindy sees Tony doing various good things because he's such a good man, she does stop and think, 'What am I doing?' But like I say, she's like a child so when he's not giving her attention, she'll run back to Rhys."

Why does Cindy react so badly when Tony proposes next week?
"Because soon after Tony proposes, he lets it slip that he thinks she's pregnant. Tony admits that it's pretty much the only reason why he's popped the question, and Cindy is really angry at that. It's not the fact that he's proposed, but just that he's only doing it because he thinks she's pregnant. So she's not happy at all and storms out."

How does Cindy feel when Tony later buys the gym?
"I think she thinks he's a little bit bonkers, but she supports him and she's pleased that he's done something so grown-up and responsible. Tony is basically providing her with security and that's appealing to her, as she's always wanted a man who's going to provide her with all of the things that she can't do for herself.

"Afterwards, Cindy decides that the affair is over and she's going to stay with Tony, but you'll have to wait and see whether she can resist temptation again."

Is there a part of Cindy that wants to get back at Jacqui with this affair?
"No, I don't think that is her motivation as Cindy isn't that callous. She wouldn't have an affair with Jacqui's husband because she doesn't like her, it's just an unfortunate situation. I think those two could actually be friends at some point, but at the moment they just rub each other up the wrong way.

"Cindy and Jacqui have never had any kind of friendship, but I think they're quite similar. They're both strong women and they're both out for what they can get."

Could Cindy have any involvement in Darren's troubled times at the moment?
"I'd love her to. Even if Cindy and Darren weren't a couple, I think it'd be great to see more from them as a pair. I think they've got great chemistry whether it's as a couple or as friends, and I'd love the writers to come up with a storyline for us both so we could work together again. I love working with Ashley [Taylor Dawson] and I do miss sharing scenes with him."

Bryan Kirkwood was the one who brought Cindy back in 2008, and now he's back as executive producer. How does it feel to have him back in the building?
"I absolutely love Bryan. He knows Hollyoaks so well and he knows the inside out of every single character. With the newer characters, I think he'll make them his own and put his own stamp on them. I'm so excited for the next year on Hollyoaks."

[lizann]

Stephanie Waring has spoken about her Hollyoaks character Cindy Cunningham's storylines in the coming months.

The 34-year-old actress revealed that her bitchy alter ego is set for a new romance and job in the near future.

"I think she gets a new love interest soon, definitely a change in career, that's coming up soon," she told PA.

"I'd like to be the one to create drama, that's what Cindy's all about. And I have my new daughter, she's stunning."

Reflecting on the 17 years that have passed since winning the Cindy role, Waring added: "I've been on it on-and-off since I was 18 and I'm nearly 35. This is my longest stint this time around.

"I just have the security and I just love acting every single day. When you're a working actor you've got to wait for the auditions and you have a lot of downtime.

"But when you're in a soap you're working every single day and I just love it so much."