Hollyoaks has been airing dramatic scenes for Maxine Minniver in recent weeks, as her health has become a cause for concern.
Maxine shocked her boyfriend Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts) when she was found lying on the floor at home, seemingly helpless as she revealed that she couldn't feel her legs.
Although the worrying moment was only temporary, Maxine has since suffered more stumbles and funny turns – leaving the medical team at the local hospital baffled.
While there have been very few answers on screen so far, the show has announced exactly what's going on with Maxine. If you're not up to speed with your Hollyoaks spoilers, here's the lowdown.
What's wrong with Maxine?
Hollyoaks has confirmed that there's nothing physically wrong with Maxine, despite her recent troubles. The show is exploring the issue of Munchausen's syndrome, defined by the NHS website as "a psychological disorder where someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves".
The Channel 4 soap first announced this storyline in February, before Maxine's troubles had begun on screen. However, fans who don't follow spoilers may not have realised exactly what's going on just yet, as the on-screen confirmation that Maxine's illness isn't genuine still hasn't aired.
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The seeds for this storyline were first planted at the start of the year, when Maxine suffered a shock collapse after drinking dodgy vodka at The Dog In The Pond.
The worrying incident – which was entirely genuine – helped Damon to realise how much Maxine meant to him, but this gave her the idea that pretending to be ill was the best way to keep him interested.
Nikki Sanderson, who plays Maxine, recently told the Daily Star's TV Life magazine: "Obviously people are not going to like Maxine for this because of what she does to Damon and the people around her, and how manipulative she's being to get attention and love.
"At first people are going to hate Maxine for what she's doing, but we also want to show the other side of it. As much as it's a horrific thing, part of you feels sorry for her because to be doing what she's doing, something's not quite right with her.
"You've got to think: 'Why is she doing it?' Hopefully as it progresses, people will see that side too."
What is Munchausen syndrome?
The NHS website explains that people who suffer from Munchausen's syndrome – also known as Factitious Disorder – intend to play the "sick role", wanting loved ones to care about them and be the centre of attention.
Possible causes can include emotional trauma, illness during childhood, a personality disorder, or a grudge against authority figures or healthcare professionals.
The condition can be difficult to diagnose and treat, although possible solutions to address the issue can include psychotherapy. Medicines can be used to treat underlying causes, such as depression or personality disorders.
Nikki recently told TV Life: "Obviously I didn't have an in-depth knowledge of Munchausen, but I did know about it so I was interested to find out more.
"Some people had never even heard of it, which is brilliant as there will be somebody out there who doesn't know that what they have is a disorder. I'm hoping it's going to draw attention to it and make people more aware of it."
What's next for Maxine?
Spoilers for next week show Maxine's deception continuing as she embraces support from Damon, Brody, Liberty and Sienna, so there are no signs of the truth coming to light among the characters anytime soon. However, there will be a scene coming up which sees the truth of the situation become clearer to viewers.
Nikki added: "It's going to get worse. At the moment, people are saying: 'I can't believe she's doing this!' But honestly, it's only the start of it."
Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.
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