Sanderson played Maxine Miniver, first joining the soap in November 2012 and has since been part of many major plotlines.
Viewers watched Sanderson’s final scenes on Hollyoaks on Wednesday, April 16, when Maxine left the village in a taxi with her daughter, Minnie.
However, Hollyoaks viewers were surprised to be met with a twist for Maxine’s final episode.
Goodbye Maxine and Minnie 😢 💕 #Hollyoaks pic.twitter.com/Mni4OouM4i
— Hollyoaks (@Hollyoaks) April 16, 2025
Hollyoaks star breaks silence after quitting soap
Maxine’s final episode revealed that she and Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) had faked her death after he shot her to prove his loyalty to Grace Black (Tamara Wall).
Dodger took Maxine’s ‘body’, but it was soon revealed that Maxine was still alive.
The two planned for Maxine to escape to the country with her daughter, however, Dodger could not join the pair as he needed to find more answers.
Breaking her silence on her exit from Hollyoaks, Sanderson told The Mirror: “It’s the weirdest feeling because it’s an end of an era.”
Adding: “It’s exciting but also really sad.
“It’s hard to describe how I’m feeling about it. It’s going to be very different and I’m kind of getting used to it I guess. It’s a different normal for me now.
“I think she’s done everything she can possibly do, and I’ve been very fortunate and extremely grateful for the things that I’ve been able to do within the character.”
The Hollyoaks star also praised the production crew behind the Channel 4 soap, sharing: “When I went in for the meeting to say I thought it was my time to exit the show production were wonderful.
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“We got to discuss how it would work and they had ideas and I had ideas for it and what we ended up with I was really pleased with it.”
The actor added that she will miss the soap but is excited to see what her future has in store: “I will really miss Hollyoaks.
“It took a lot to make the decision and I will it so much but I’m excited to what the future holds for me.”
