List of East Enders Characters (1989) - Maxine Roberts

Maxine Roberts, played by Ella Wilder, is the selfish sister of Carmel Roberts (Judith Jacob), who first appears when she attends Carmel's wedding to Matthew Jackson (Steven Hartley) in January 1989. Maxine works as a health care worker and she is highly ambitious. When Maxine's elderly parents can no longer cope with the responsibility of caring for her brother's two children, Maxine refuses to take over as their guardian. She lives in a single room at the hospital where she works, and makes it clear that her career is more important. She tries to persuade Carmel to take the children in and when she initially refuses, Maxine threatens to put them into care. Carmel has no choice but to allow the children to live with her, although her husband is extremely opposed to this and it causes many arguments. When Carmel's father suffers a stroke in March 1989, Maxine brings her nephew Junior (Aaron Carrington) and niece Aisha Roberts (Aisha Jacob) to the Jacksons, insisting that they take them immediately. Matthew is furious, but he eventually relents.