Hollyoaks' Maxine Minniver is in for a shock next week as she sees Patrick Blake's nasty side for the first time.
Maxine is blissfully happy in her new relationship with Patrick (Jeremy Sheffield), but when she embarrasses the college headmaster at an important event, he lets his true colours slip for a moment…
Nikki Sanderson, who plays Maxine, recently chatted to us about the incident and where the story might be heading in the longer-term.
How are you finding this new storyline for Maxine?
"I'm absolutely loving it. There are so many ups and downs in the storyline, both emotionally and physically. It's really interesting for me to play Maxine at the moment, because usually she's so bubbly, lively and happy-go-lucky, but we might start to see a different side of her in this story.
"I'm excited about what's on screen at the moment, but I'm also really looking forward to what's in store next. I can't reveal too much but what's coming up should be very interesting for me to play, especially how Maxine might adapt and change with it."
Even though they're so different, can you see why Maxine is attracted to Patrick?
"Definitely. They are complete opposites, but that's what draws them towards each other. I think Maxine sees something in Patrick that she wants to have in her life, because he's such an upstanding member of the community, very cultured and very intelligent.
"Maxine is none of that - she's illiterate, she doesn't really know much about the world, and she's never really been anywhere apart from Spain! Maxine is very street-smart, but she's not book-smart. She wants to be more like Patrick in some ways.
"It's the same with Patrick. He can be so uptight and OCD, but all of a sudden he's got this little wildcard on his hands, who lives life to the full and is very free-spirited. Patrick would like to bring some of that into his life, so even though the two characters are opposites, they each have something that the other craves."
Are you pleased to see Maxine going up in the world with her new job at College Coffee?
"I am - it's been fantastic filming all of that stuff. When Maxine becomes the manager of College Coffee, it does go to her head a little bit and she becomes a bit high and mighty! She can be a little bit cruel to the staff - especially George, God bless him!
"The power goes to Maxine's head and she thinks that she's better than she is, but it is great for me to be involved in the shop because it means Maxine features more in the threads of different people's storylines."
Patrick seems pleased when things go wrong for Maxine at the shop, with George quitting in protest! Does Maxine see that Patrick doesn't really have her best interests at heart?
"There are definitely glimpses of it, but Patrick is so good at manipulating Maxine and changing her view on things. She could look at a colour and say it's blue, but he would convince her that it's green! Even if she does see those glimpses, Patrick is very good at reversing it and making Maxine think that she's the one in the wrong."
Things get worse when Maxine hosts an event for Patrick at College Coffee and tries to dance with him in front of the guests…
"Yeah, Maxine definitely puts Patrick on the spot, if I'm honest! I wouldn't do that in real life! It's a shame, as Maxine does a really good job with the event and Patrick is very impressed with everything that she's done. But then Maxine has a couple of drinks, gets a bit tipsy and ruins it all by grabbing Patrick to dance in front of his colleagues and various VIPs!
"Maxine pretty much forces him to do it even when he refuses, and she suffers the consequences because it's the first time she sees a nasty side to Patrick. When they're alone, he grabs her and tells her off. She's never seen that side of him before."
Is Maxine scared?
"It doesn't necessarily scare her, but more than anything she's very confused. She doesn't know why he's done that, because even though the audience have seen Patrick behave like this before, Maxine hasn't. He later switches back to being Mr Nice Guy again, so it's all very baffling for Maxine."
Is it true that the Maxine and Patrick story will get bigger over the summer?
"It is! I can't say much about it, but it's safe to say that it's going to be a slow-burner. You're going to see a lot from Maxine and Patrick and it's going to develop a lot. It's very exciting and I'm glad it's going to be quite a slow one, because it means we can really give the story the time that it deserves."
Are you worried that Maxine could lose her feisty side if Patrick gets his way?
"We'll have to wait and see! Maxine is a very feisty, strong and independent woman, so it'll be very interesting to see how she deals with this. Will she stay the same person, or will she be manipulated into changing into somebody else?"
Do you see this as quite an important storyline to take on?
"Yes, I think it's an incredibly important storyline for us to be doing. That's why we want to make sure that it's the best and most truthful that it can possibly be. There are women out there in the same situation with controlling partners, so we really want to do it justice and show people what the signs are. That's why it's going to be such a slow-burner."
What is Jeremy like to work with?
"Wonderful, although don't tell him I said that! (Laughs.) He's just such a great person to work with and we get along so well. We have some good banter on set as we're always teasing each other! I'm quite lucky, as we're filming quite a long-running and heavy story together, so it's great that we do actually get along."
Does Maxine worry that she's ruined her friendship with Sienna by dating Patrick?
"She does, yes. Maxine just keeps trying to keep Sienna on side, because she does care about her a lot. However, Maxine does really love Patrick, so she's in a difficult situation. Ideally she'd like to keep Sienna as a friend, but she doesn't want to lose Patrick either. It's a tricky balancing act!"
We've all seen how far Sienna will go when she disapproves of someone. Should Maxine be worried?
"I think Maxine should definitely be worried, but she won't realise that. Maxine still sees Sienna as a friend, so she just doesn't see that side of her. Maxine won't have a clue, but she should be careful because nobody seems to know what Sienna is really capable of…"
Nancy needs a friend at the moment! With Mitzeee gone, will Maxine take up the mantle?
"I'd like to think that Maxine would help Nancy out, especially after the friendship that Mitzeee had with her. Even though Maxine can be a bit of a cow, she does care about people and wants to make sure that they're alright.
"The only problem is that Sienna is the main reason that Nancy is feeling down, and Maxine still sees Sienna as a really good friend. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place, because she can't be more friendly with one over the other!"
Have you seen much reaction to the Maxine and Patrick story yet? Are the fans worried about Maxine?
"I think they are and they aren't. It's still really just the beginning of the story, so I'm getting a lot of people saying that Maxine shouldn't get with Patrick. But others are saying they love them together, so it's fantastic that the audience are getting involved either way. It'll be interesting to see if people's opinions change over time!"
Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe