Maxine "Max" Barlow (1991-2009) was a pupil at Waterloo Road from Series 2 to Series 4.
In Series 2 and Series 3 she was in a relationship with Lewis Seddon, with whom she had a stillborn daughter named Charlotte. In Series 4 she dated Earl Kelly, who went on to murder her.
She was close friends with Janeece Bryant and Chlo Grainger.
She was portrayed by Ellie Paskell.
History[]
Maxine met Steph Haydock in the local pub where she asked for money and a drink, but Steph told her no. She then went to Donte Charles's house and stole his things before getting caught by him and Chlo Grainger.
She initially dropped out of school, but after conquering her drug addiction, she returned and was in the sixth form with her best friends, Chlo and Janeece Bryant.
Maxine moved in with Steph after she discovered that her stepfather, Kevin, was responsible for sexually assaulting pupils Celine Dixon and Stacey Appleyard. Kevin was arrested and Maxine was sure that her mother wouldn't allow her to stay with her. She was originally going to be placed in a homeless shelter, but after discovering the conditions there, Steph decided to take her in.
In Series 3, while Janeece and Karla Bentham were doing an archaeological dig, they discovered the remains of a baby's corpse. Once the headmistress, Rachel Mason heard about it, she contacted the police which launched an investigation.
Steph had to interview every girl at the school who had been to the school nurse with sexual health problems. In the end, Maxine admits to Janeece that the baby was hers and it was stillborn. The baby was fathered by Lewis Seddon and Maxine buried the remains of her daughter, Charlotte.
While on a school field trip, Maxine overheard a conversation. between music teacher Matt Wilding and his boyfriend. She quickly informed the other pupils via text message that Matt was gay.
When new pupil Earl Kelly and his siblings were enrolled at Waterloo Road, he became instantly attracted to Maxine much to the chagrin of Janeece, who had a crush on him. At first, Maxine wasn't interested in Earl, but later at a Kelly party, Earl convinces her to give him a chance which she does. When Steph discovers that Maxine is dating Earl, she tells him not to socialise with him because he is a bad influence on her; however, Maxine disobeys her and sneaks out to see him.
When Earl and his siblings are placed in care, Maxine allows him to stay in her bedroom without Steph's knowledge or approval. When some of Steph's money and jewellery go missing, Steph accuses Maxine of being back on drugs, but it is later revealed that Steph misplaced them. The jewellery Earl gave to Maxine was what he had bought her himself.
On 25th February 2009, Earl told Maxine that he wanted to start a family with her which Maxine willingly agrees to do. When she tells Steph about it, Steph is determined to make sure that Maxine doesn't have a baby with Earl.
Despite Steph's disapproval, Maxine ignores her until she meets Earl's ex-girlfriend, Jade. Jade had given birth to a child three days earlier and demands money off Earl to look after the baby. Maxine is hoping that Jade is lying, but when Jade invites her to come and see the baby in a cardboard box, Maxine is horrified when Earl plans to sell the baby.
Maxine immediately breaks up with Earl, but Earl later breaks into her house as she is making a meal for Steph to say sorry to her. When Janeece sees Earl with a loaded gun, she and Maxine try to wrestle the gun away from him. Earl tells Maxine that they are perfect together and wouldn't dream of selling their baby.
Maxine tells Earl, "You’re only happy when everyone around you is miserable or scared! Everything you touch gets poisoned and twisted! You’re just a sick little boy!" Earl loses it and shoots Maxine in the stomach. After realizing what he did, he makes a run for it.
Janeece tries to call the police and when Steph gets home, she sees Maxine lying in a pool of blood. Steph tries to help her, but Maxine dies from her gunshot wound. Earl is then found wandering a nearby street and is arrested for murdering her.
At Chlo and Donte Charles' second wedding, balloons were made for Maxine and released into the sky.
Quotes[]
- "You can't do that on your first day in the job." (first line, to Lewis Seddon)
- "Yeah, well, someone had to put you right!" (to Chlo after Donte revealed she slept with Brett)
- "She might've been a junkie, mightn't she? Off her head on booze and drugs, living rough... I'm going to go to jail! Oh, what's Steph going to say?" (to Janeece, telling her who the mother of the buried baby was)
- "Yeah but you, Lewis, you're always going out with your mates, drinking and that. I mean, having a baby...it's like, oh, you have to come home every night and feed it and nurse it and put it to bed. You can't just row all the time and walk out. You're telling me you'da done all that?"
- "I know what you're offering, and you've got a pretty high opinion of yourself if you think this is gonna get me to drop my knickers!"
- "You're only happy when everyone around you is miserable or scared! Everything you touch gets poisoned and twisted! You're just a sick little boy!"
- "I'm sorry." (final line)