Nikki Sanderson admits it has been "hard" reading so much "negativity" about her 'Hollyoaks' character.
Nikki Sanderson
The 35-year-old star's alter-ego Maxine Kinsella has wrongly told her new husband Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts) she only has six months to live, but it has now been revealed she is suffering from Munchausen's syndrome - a mental disorder in which someone acts as if they have a physical or mental illness when they're not really unwell - so viewers are "understanding" her actions more.
She said: "I understand why there has been a lot of negativity and a lot of hate towards this.
"Because if you didn't know she had Munchausen's or you don't know what Munchausen's is then to everybody she is just this lying, deceitful, manipulative, horrible person who is trying to do all these things to get attention and love from Damon and the people around her.
"I can understand why people have been so negative about it.
"Now it's been revealed she has Munchausen's and more people are understanding the condition, people are more sympathetic towards her.
"Because they understand she's not necessarily doing this because she's evil, they're doing this because she's ill.
"So the negativity isn't as bad as it was. But yeah people did and do hate Maxine for what she's doing.
"It's hard because I'm quite a softy and I'm like, 'It's not real and I'm not really doing these things.' "
Before joining 'Hollyoaks', Nikki starred as Candice Stowe in 'Coronation Street' from 1999 to 2005, and the star admits she is still recognised just as much for her cobbles days as she is for 'Hollyoaks'.
Speaking on 'Lorraine', she added: "If I'm in the street I get 50 per cent of people shouting 'Candice' and 50 per cent shouting 'Maxine'.
"'Coronation Street' will always have a special place in my heart."
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