Maxine Donnelly (born 1989) is a carefree, spirited, and clever young woman who was introduced in the second episode of Series 6 when Carl Gallagher, after having his arm casted, briefly did volunteer work at the local hospital. Maxine also became a good friend of Debbie Gallagher's, while simultaneously having a minor fling with Carl. She worked as an auxiliary nurse, and frequently accompanied Debbie on nights out and shopping trips, or more accurately, shoplifting clothes, and often came up with creative tactics of eluding security staff. Later in the series, she became even more infatuated with Carl, despite being frustrated with what she described as his "Benny Hill-character" behaviour and they became a couple.