When new series producer Bryan Kirkwood took in charge of the show back in 2006, one of the first things he did was replace Sam Rowley with Gemma Bissix as Claire Devine. Few questioned this move, but little did they know the huge impact she was set to make as Claire Devine. An out as a uncompromising and direct character, she carries out a unashamed approach in life which help her get what she wants. The sassy blonde first appeared on our screens as the new Events supervisor manager of the Loft hired by Max and OB. It was not although her personal qualifications that attracted the pair as instantly the duo fought for her affections. Claire, however wasted no time in playing games as she juggled with both Max and OB, but it was Max whom she fell for. Although the pair got together, the pair had to keep their relationship

a secret from OB- who himself had feelings for Claire. Eventually though, OB discovered the truth but managed to overcome his crush on Claire. After settling in and making a success of The Loft, Claire also managed to build good friends around her, including Mandy and Louise, while her relationship went from strength to strength with Max. However, viewers were to see another side to Claire as she got involved in business dealings with Sean Kennedy and slept with him as well, while Max was on holiday. Despite Mel Burton witnessing this, she told Max, however Claire convinced Max that she never slept with Sean.

She schemed to get rid of OB whom became suspicious of her and acted the perfect, loyal girlfriend to an unsuspecting Max, who eventually proposed to her. After Tom overheard a discussion that made him suspicious, she has tried to turn Max against Tom! Claire got married to Max, but there was some drama too as OB tried to stop the wedding from going ahead as he found discovered Claire’s plan to make a get away from the village. Claire once again talked her way out of trouble and the wedding still went ahead as she became Mrs Cunningham. Clare repeatedly persuaded Max to provide money for alterations to The Loft, but she kept the bulk of the money for herself. After deciding that she could no longer stay with Max, as he wanted a baby, she lied that she was infertile. She began another affair, this time with The Loft manager Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) and the pair began to take drugs. When Max found out, he decided to take some in order to impress her. This resulted in a heart attack for which he needed to take medication. Clare had tampered with the medication in the hope of receiving £500,000 insurance from his death. She kept Max upstairs in the bedroom and drove visitors away, saying he needs rest. Clare decided to take Max and Tom for a Christmas that Max would ‘never forget‘. She took both Max and Tom to an isolated Cottage in the country and her plan was originally for Max die in isolation so she would have less evidence on her hands. However, when Clare discovered that Max had found out she had tampered with his medicine, she changed tactics. She locked Tom in the car and threw his jacket in the lake, then ran to Max screaming that Tom was drowning. As Max started to drown, OB arrived, punched Clare and rescued Max. She was then taken to the police station and was questioned but, due to a lack of substantial evidence, she was released without charge.

After a month's absence from Hollyoaks, Clare returned to the village and marked her return by picking Tom up at his school without letting anyone know. When Max returned to his flat, he found Clare with a terrified Tom and Clare then made it clear that she planned to ruin Max's life. She pressed charges against Max for assault after abusing herself and than she threatened Max that she will report him to the social services for not taking care of Tom. Desperate to get rid of her, Max settled with Claire by handing over The Loft to her. Claire became the new owner of The Loft and had many run ins with Warren and also began a brief affair with Justin Burton. She continued to make enemies within the village, first by revealing to Louise’s boyfriend Calvin that Louise had an abortion and not a miscarriage. Claire reported Max to the social services who took Tom away after Claire had told Tom that he was the reason why his parents had died. With so many enemies made, this resulted in Claire getting a taste of her own medicine when she was pushed by a mysterious person, off a balcony at The Loft and was left for dead - which put her in a coma.

As Claire came around from her coma her soft side was shown when OB found out she carried a donor cared. But this didn’t last long as she returned to her evil ways. First Claire accused Warren of pushing her which lead to Warren being in prison. During Warren’s trial, Claire told a pack of lies that she saw Warren pushing her off the balcony- however it wasn’t enough to send Warren down. Warren was found not guilty- leaving Claire shaken. Warren tried to persuade Claire to sell him The Loft- however she refused to at first. When her and Max's divorce papers came through, she went to see him, offering to sell the Loft to him. Max refused claiming it was rightfully his. Later, the two had a frank talk. Max called her on her lies and her deceit. However, after signing the divorce papers, Max agreed to escort Clare to the Loft when she signed the Loft over to Warren. Clare was angry when Warren's offer was half of what the Loft was worth, but Max convinced her to sign. When she had, she was shocked and saddened when Max and Warren began gloating at her fall. The following day Claire was set to leave the village, but was in for a shocker. She went over to The Loft to hand it over official to Warren and found all her enemies present. With the club finally Warren’s, Clare had had enough and lashed out at everyone. telling them how she saw them through her eyes. As Claire said one last goodbye to Hollyoaks and Justin confront her outside by the taxi. He then revealed to Clare that he had sneaked back into the Loft and overheard her argument with OB, which she had in the toilets, where she insulted his sisters Mel and Sophie. He then revealed to her that it was him after all who had pushed her!

After Clare supposedly left Hollyoaks, she decided to take her revenge by holding Justin’s girlfriend Katy hostage. Both Warren (Katy’s brother) and Justin, along with Max search for Claire and she contacted Warren by phone and told him it was Justin who pushed her. She offers him a deal, that Warren must kill Justin in exchange for his sister to be unharmed. Claire met Warren and Max at the docks where she demanded to see Justin’s body. The pair brought out Justin’s body, however he was only pretending to be dead and when Claire identified this and she made a getaway in her car, with Katy in the back. Warren chased her, which lead to Claire car going over the edge of a quarry and into the water. Katy was saved by Warren and Justin, while Clare floundered helplessly in the water. Max dove in and attempted to rescue her, grabbing her at one point but then losing his grip. Claire was presumed dead by the others, only two days later reappearing in the airport first class lounge waiting for a plane whilst talking seductively with a wealthy looking man, named Miles. For now, it was the end for one of Hollyoaks all time greats as Claire remains one of the show’s most evilest characters of all time. The door remains open for her and fans of the show remain hopeful of seeing her reappear on screen once again…

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