Darcy makes sure Adam and Maxine's engagement do is a disaster.

It's party time for Maxine who's organised her and Adam's engagement do to absolute perfection in Hollyoaks. But Darcy's out to make it an utter disaster...

Darcy initially puts a spanner in the works by telling Maxine that it's Toby's birthday on the same day of the party. Maxine reluctantly agrees that Toby can share in the festivities. But Darcy then takes her son's involvement to stratospheric levels and basically turns the bash into a kids' do.

Mortified, Maxine hits the bottle hard and then throws up as she's making a speech! Could things get any worse for Maxine? Well… could they, Adam?

Darcy goes all out to make sure Adam and Maxine's engagement do is a car-crash.

Darcy goes all out to make sure Adam and Maxine's engagement do is a car-crash.

Earlier, Maxine's all dolled up and excited for the evening ahead, celebrating her engagement to Adam.

But Maxine's party prep all but goes to waste with Darcy determined to ruin the event.

As if things weren't bad enough, Maxine starts to feel decidedly dodgy and throws up while she's making a speech!

Marnie looks on in horror...

… as do Darren, Nancy and Neeta!

But Darcy isn't horrified - she's delighted that the party is a disaster...Watch Hollyoaks on Channel 4 from Monday, April 24

There's a surprise in store for Maxine, and also for the McQueens, who have a surprising new house-guest in Hollyoaks!

Alone at the Osbornes' in Hollyoaks, Maxine ignores Adam's warning to leave alone an intriguing box she's found among his things.

Of course, as soon as the coast is clear, Maxine opens the box and is stunned to find it contains an engagement ring! But disaster strikes when it gets jammed on her finger - and is spotted by Adam…

Elsewhere, Myra's alarmed when she finds her cousin, Goldie, cuddled up in Mercedes' bed!

Maxine is unnerved when she's left alone in the Osbornes' house…

She soon finds a way to occupy her nerves, when she opens a box that Adam has warned her to stay away from. She's stunned to find an engagement ring inside it! Adam is furious to later see Maxine wearing the ring that she can't get off her finger!

She soon finds a way to occupy her nerves, when she opens a box that Adam has warned her to stay away from. She's stunned to find an engagement ring inside it! Adam is furious to later see Maxine wearing the ring that she can't get off her finger!

A new face joins the McQueen clan as Goldie, Myra's cousin pitches up!

Myra's alarmed and angry when she and JP find Goldie cosied up in Mercedes' bed!

Myra's not sure what to think when Goldie tells her cousin she's staying around as she needs a place to stay, so has descended on her 'rich' relatives! Watch Hollyoaks on Channel 4 from Monday, November 7

Patrick and Maxine renew their wedding vows...but will the dying groom go ahead with his plan to frame his bride for his death?

Romance, shock secrets and attempted murder in Hollyoaks Village this New Year's Eve.

Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson says her National TV Awards nomination for Serial Drama Performance is 'like being taken inside Willy Wonka's factory and saying you can have as much chocolate as you like'!

Nikki, 30, has been nominated for her performance as Maxine Minniver, once a happy-go-lucky character who has endured an unrelenting campaign of domestic abuse at the hands of her older husband, Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield). The storyline was so effective it was used to promote the Government's This Is Abuse anti-relationship abuse campaign.

Nikki told What's on TV she was 'beyond excited' about the awards ceremony at London's O2 on Wednesday.

"I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to prove to people that I can do it," she said. "I’ve always played comedy, glamorous, cool, funny parts and sometimes you can be pigeon holed and people don’t believe you can do it because they don’t give you the opportunity to show that you can.

"I’m grateful to Hollyoaks that they trusted me with this and believed that I could do it and I’ve worked really hard for the past two years to prove to them that I can and... [to get an] NTA [nomination], it’s just phenomenal."

Other contenders in the Serial Drama Performance category at the NTAs are Danny Dyer (Mick Carter) and Kellie Bright (Linda Carter) of EastEnders and Emmerdale's Verity Rushworth, whose character Donna Dingle died last year in a rooftop plunge.

Nikki said: "Danny and Kellie have both had the most amazing storyline recently and they’ve both been fantastic on screen and Verity obviously had her exit storyline, which was equally terrific, so I'm up against some fantastic competition. But I’m just happy to be in the mix and hopefully will have a drink with them afterwards.

"I’m not one of those... I don’t get nasty or competitive. I’m one of those who goes, 'It’s fantastic to be in the final four and whoever wins, I’m chuffed'."

Nikki will be joined by Cameron Moore, who plays Cameron Campbell, nominated as Best Newcomer at the NTAs, and other Hollyoaks cast including Ashley Taylor Dawson, Jennifer Metcalfe and the about-to-depart Danny Mac, all of whom will be hoping the Channel 4 soap lifts the Serial Drama award.

Nikki said: "Whatever the outcome it’s going to be quite a party. At Hollyoaks we’re just grateful to be in the position we’re in and nominated for three awards, so whatever happens on the night we’re going to be celebrating… If one of us was to win, then fantastic, but if not we’re still going to celebrate!"

Nikki said she was just about to head off for an afternoon of pampering before picking up her handmade gown by Bolton designer Nadine Merabi.

Would she sleep tonight? "I hope so! It’s one of those things, I know I’ve got to be up really early to get the train… I’m hoping I have a sleep, but if not it’s only for one night!"

You can still vote for your favourite shows and stars at the National TV Awards here.

The awards themselves screen live on ITV from 7.30pm on Wednesday, January 21.

Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson has said she had a great time filming Danny Mac's final week in the soap, but was 'devastated' to see him go.

The actress plays Maxine Minniver in the Channel 4 soap, who suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her former partner and father of her child, Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield), and has been trying to move on with her new boyfriend, his long-lost son Dodger Savage (Danny).

But Danny is due to leave Hollyoaks and in his final week Dodger is kidnapped by estranged twin sister Sienna Blake (Anna Passey), while his own psychotic brother, Will (James Atherton), kidnaps Maxine and his other love interest, Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter), leaving him time to save only one of them.

Nikki said: "It's a really big week - there's going to be explosions and kidnapping and fires and fights. I love filming anything like that. Hollyoaks always puts 100 per cent into those scenes.

"Will Dodger follow his heart or his head? Which one will he choose? The viewers like Maxine and Theresa so I think they'll be split on who they'd like it to be."

She added that she was sad to see Danny go: "It was really sad, especially his last day, I was devastated. I'm really proud of him that he's taken that leap of faith, but selfishly I am devastated because I loved working with him. Everybody loves Danny Mac."

Nikki is nominated in in the Serial Drama Performance category at next week's National Television Awards.

You can vote in the NTAs here.

Hollyoaks' Nikki Sanderson has never had a baby and had no coaching for this week's episodes so she acknowledges she looked 'hilarious'.

The actress plays Maxine Minniver in the Channel 4 soap, who went into labour after being driven off the road by villainous husband Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield), who then delivered the baby!

She told What's on TV: "The whole birthing thing was a lot of fun to do because I've never given birth... so it was something a bit different and fun and it wasn't in a clean hospital, it was in a dirty shack."

Nikki added: "[I had no] coaching. I spoke to a lot of people who've had children and the main point was you're in a lot of pain so that's what I've tried to do, to be in a lot of pain...

"Jeremy was wonderful. He did think my face was very funny, but to give him credit I do look hilarious, so I don't mind people laughing at me a bit."

Co-star Danny Mac interjected: "I really wanted him to say, 'Don't worry I've been in Holby! I've played a doctor, you'll be fine!'"

Jeremy starred in Holby City for three years in the early 2000s.

Watch the interview about the Hollyoaks train crash and birth with Nikki Sanderson and Danny Mac, above.

During the chaos of the McQueen wedding day disaster, Maxine goes into labour...

There's a romantic surprise in store for Dodger when girlfriend Maxine pops the question!

Hollyoaks' Maxine Minniver finally looks happy after breaking free at last from her abusive relationship with Patrick Blake.

Maxine (Nikki Sanderson) sneaks away from the village on the eve of her wedding with the help of friends Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini) and Blessing Chambers (Modupe Adeyeye) and plans to flee Hollyoaks forever.

Maxine has been trapped in the violent relationship with teacher Patrick (Jeremy Sheffield) for a year, and viewers have seen her transform from a confident, bubbly fun-loving girl, to a withdrawn and terrified victim.

But with the fear of Patrick a weight off her shoulders, she finally looks happy and carefree again as she arrives at the airport to make her escape to America.

However, previous images have shown that Maxine - who is pregnant with the baby of Patrick's son Dodger - does end up walking up the aisle at the church on her wedding day, so fans will be wondering what could possibly make her go back to Patrick.

And will she actually say 'I do'?

Maxine's airport scenes screen tonight (July 28) at 7pm on E4 and tomorrow (July 29) at 6.30pm on Channel 4.

Hollyoaks has overtaken EastEnders as the UK's most violent soap, according to new research from Ofcom.

The media watchdog found that Channel 4’s serial drama had 11.5 violent scenes per hour in 2013, up from 2.1 in 2002.

So that's not even including most of the domestic violence storyline between Maxine and Patrick.

By contrast, violence in EastEnders has dropped, from 6.1 scenes per hour in 2002 to 2.1 per hour today.

The violence logged by Ofcom's researchers ranged from intimidation and menace to drownings and shootings.

Pushing, prodding and grabbing were the most common acts, accounting for 35 per cent of all violent scenes across the 11-year period of research.

Strong violence which might make the viewer uncomfortable was very infrequent, Ofcom noted, accounting for six per cent of the total.

“Violence appears to be quite prevalent,” the report said. “It occurred in the large majority of episodes and even the remainder may be considered to have had an evident potential for violent scenes to develop.

“However, most of the violence portrayed was quite mild. Indeed, in the majority of cases, the violent act portrayed was judged as too mild to result in any evident injuries.”

The study found soaps usually indicated when violence was likely to occur, so viewers were “rarely surprised” by it.

Across all four main soaps, including Coronation Street and Emmerdale, 70 per cent of episodes depicted at least one incidence of violence.

Carried out in four “waves”, over a 12-year period, the research reflected an upward trend in soap opera violence, but noted the incidence of aggressive acts fluctuated widely between programmes.

Hollyoaks’ Nikki Sanderson reveals to Soaplife the strain Maxine’s under as she waits to find out if her unborn baby has Down’s syndrome - and why she’s sticking with the abusive Patrick!

How does Maxine feel about her pregnancy?

“She’s pleased about being pregnant. She wants to be a mum, but she’s scared. Does she really want to bring another life into this misery?”

What if her baby does have Down’s?

“Maxine will love her baby whatever. She would see her child and not the disability. Of course she’s concerned, any mother would be, but she will love this baby whatever.”

And Patrick?

"Maxine hasn’t told him that doctors have concerns. She knows that he wants a perfect child and he’ll blame her if the baby has Down’s."

Why is she marrying him? He’s a brute!

“It’s fear. Things aren’t going well with Patrick and Maxine thinks that if she announces a surprise wedding, he will be happy and stop hurting her. It doesn’t work.”

Well, that’s predictable. Why doesn’t Maxine just leave him?

“She has nowhere to live, no friends and no money. There are people around to support her, but she can’t see that and isn’t reaching out. Also, every time Patrick promises that he’ll change, Maxine believes him.”

Dodger is there, ready in the background. Is he the man Maxine really loves?

“She wants to be with Dodger and he wants to be with her, but there’s always someone or something in their way. Being pregnant with Patrick’s baby complicates things because Maxine doesn’t want to take her child away from its father.”

And then Dodger’s accused of assaulting Holly…

“Well, it’s a big drama. Dodger sleeps with Holly and Cindy suggests that Holly didn’t give her consent. But Dodger swears he did no wrong. Maxine doesn’t want to believe that of Dodger… He’s everything she could wish for in a man."

Things are looking bleak for Maxine…

“Yes, and what’s to come is very exciting for me as an actress. The great thing is, viewers seem to be enjoying her story. I get lots of tweets and messages. Loads of people want her to be with Dodger and say they would have gorgeous babies. They call us Daxine…”

Hollyoaks’ Nikki Sanderson reveals to Soaplife that terrified Maxine’s in big trouble with Patrick - again...

It’s hard to picture Maxine the way she was when she first arrived in Hollyoaks. Thanks to Patrick, that bubbly, independent young woman is long gone and in her place is a scared woman who fears there is no way out of her abusive relationship. "Things have got so bad, Maxine can’t bring herself to tell Patrick she has to do community service because she lied for him in court," Nikki tells Soaplife. "She is trying to hide it and this is putting her under a lot of stress. Things are really coming to a head."

How is Maxine coping with the community service?

“She’s pleased she didn’t go to prison, but she’s terrified of being seen. In fact, Sienna does see her, but doesn’t tell Patrick.”

Phew! It must be hard keeping it secret from him…

“Patrick said he would rather Maxine went to prison for a few months than do community service which would embarrass him. He has such a controlling nature that it's hard to hide anything from him. He has made sure she's tied to the house all day with the dog, doing chores for him and so on. Plus hiding a fluorescent yellow jacket from him is not easy.”

Having the dog isn’t easy, either, is it?

“Everyone thinks it’s really sweet that Patrick has got Maxine a pet, but he's told her, ‘You will have to be in the house all day’, except when she’s walking the dog at 7am, 1pm and 10pm. It’s just another way of controlling her.”

So why doesn’t she just leave Patrick?

“It’s not that simple. He has chipped away at her for a year and now she is a shell of a person. He bought the flat that she lived in and told her to give up her job, so she is reliant upon him financially. Her sister is in America and he has taken her friends away from her. She is isolated and has nowhere to go. And she believes him when he tells her he’s going to change.”

What happens when Patrick catches Maxine washing grafitti off a wall?

“Maxine is terrified. Patrick is there on a school trip and doesn’t do anything in public - he gives her a cold stare and tells her he'll see her at home. When they're back at the flat, Dennis brings the dog back and hears Patrick having a go at Maxine behind a closed door. Pots and pans start crashing and Patrick hits Maxine. It’s another situation she’s going to have to explain her way out of.”

What do you think of the ad campaign about your storyline?

“The ads are hard-hitting and effective and I’m really proud of Hollyoaks. We have heard that people in abusive relationships have called the police after seeing our adverts. The story has touched a lot of people. Some of the scenes are emotionally draining, but once I go home and watch a horror movie and have a lovely glass of red wine, I’m sorted.”

As Brendan prepares for his impending court case he's frustrated when Jim reveals the dire truth about his case and decides to take matters into his own hands. Later, Maxine overhears Brendan offering Kevin money to leave and suggests they run away together - her desire to escape increasing. Kevin buys it and lets her out of the locked bedroom, but as the pair run through the darkness, a furious Walker arrives...

Cheryl and Nate decide to break the news of their engagement to Cressida, who apologises for yesterday by producing Nate's inheritance - a grand manor house in Donegal. At their engagement party, Brendan turns up drunk and warns Nate never to let his future sons near Seamus.

Jacqui is tempted by the dark side, but can she go through with it? Trudy offers Jacqui a chance to make some serious money and it soon becomes clear that she was in on Alan's attack all along.

Also, Jacqui offers to help Trudy with a delivery, however she's worried about the delivery address 'HMP Marsh Hill'. It goes like clockwork and with £500 of danger money in her hands, Jacqui starts to consider her options.

Still shocked by what he saw last night, Will wonders whether he can confide in anyone without revealing his own sordid secret. Meanwhile, Kevin watches on anxiously as the police drag a large body shaped object from the river, which turns out to be a rolled up carpet. Back at Mitzeee's flat, Maxine is not dead, just heavily sedated - he's trying to protect her from Walker.

Sinead's forced to make a serious life decision, and when the subject of adoption comes up, it gives Sinead food for thought and she offers Diane first dibs on the baby...

Jacqui and Theresa are desperate for extra shifts when the McQueens' boiler breaks. They have to go cap in hand to Trudy but are suspicious by their boss's relationship with the chief security guard, Alan. Jacqui knows she's got one over on her boss when she spots her shifting boxes from the store room and realises everything's not all it seems.

Also, Cindy unwittingly pushes Holly further away; Cheryl tries to make it up to Nate after her mistake last week but she's suspicious about his unwillingness to mention his mother.

Maxine is in serious danger when Walker issues a lethal ultimatum and Kevin is filled with dread as Walker tells him he's going to kill Maxine today. He worries that he cannot bring himself to go through with plan.

Sinead reluctantly looks for work and ends up with a job at Price Slice, but with Cindy as her boss, it's not going to be an easy ride for the expectant mum.

Former bully Ruby prepares to go back to college after her suspension, but when Phoebe confronts her and tells her no one's going to make it easy for her Ruby is terrified.

Will decides to manipulate an awkward situation and makes a cunning plan but putting the pressure on Texas to tell Dodger about their relationship. He can tell his brother still has a hold over her and sets it up for Dodger to walk in on them kissing.