Shameless Wiki
Shameless Wiki


Maxine Donnelly (born 1990) 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.

In Series 7, Maxine, increasingly disillusioned by Carl's immaturity, secretly aborted his unborn baby, but she later told Carl, which infuriated him enough to make him end their relationship. She moved in with Ian after her breakup with Carl. She later took Ian to a party at her parents house under the pretence that Ian was her doctor boyfriend. She told Ian that her family sees her as a "fuck-up." After witnessing the disparaging remarks from Maxine's father about his daughter, Ian defended her. This lead to an unexpected romance between Ian and Maxine, which in turn lead to a fight and a strained relationship between Ian and Carl as well as Maxine and Carl and Maxine and Micky.

A local thug named Jimmy killed a boy who took advantage of his sister, and he framed Carl and Chesney for the crime, forcing them to flee Chatsworth. Maxine was one of the few people who was concerned about Carl's disappearance. Ian tried to convince her not to get involved, but she persisted and confronted Jimmy resulting in his sister hitting her in the back of the head with a pool cue. Ian felt ashamed that he did nothing to help her, and he confronted Jimmy in an attempt to tape a confession but Jimmy savagely beat him. Ian's sense of worthlessness lead him to withdraw from everyone as well as leaving him unable to perform sexually with Maxine. As she continued to help clear Carl's name, Ian bitterly accused her of caring more about Carl than she did him. Maxine helped convince Jimmy's sister to go to the police, but there was little time for celebration as Ian continued to give her and Carl the cold shoulder. Maxine told him that she was leaving him, but not because of Carl. Carl found Maxine at hospital and admitted to her that she was right to abort their child. When she tried to tell him she was steering clear of the Gallagher brothers because of the damage she had done to their relationship, Carl tried to get her to reconsider, telling her he was her mate, but Ian is her soul mate. Ian arrived and he and Maxine shared sheepish grins, resuming their relationship.

They broke up in the last episode of season 7, on account of her not trusting Ian to never be attracted to men again, and Maxine hasn't been seen since...

Quick Answers

What is the profession of Maxine Donnelly in the series Shameless? toggle section
In the UK version of Shameless, Maxine Donnelly, portrayed by Joanna Higson, is an auxiliary nurse. She makes her first appearance in the second episode of Series 6.
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How does Maxine Donnelly's friendship with Debbie Gallagher influence her actions? toggle section
In the Shameless series, Maxine Donnelly's actions are significantly influenced by her friendship with Debbie Gallagher. They often go on nights out and shopping trips together, which frequently involve shoplifting. Maxine, who also works as an auxiliary nurse, has a minor romantic involvement with Carl Gallagher.
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Who is the actress that portrays Maxine Donnelly in Shameless? toggle section
Joanna Higson, an English actress, portrays the character Maxine Donnelly in the sixth and seventh series of the UK version of Shameless.
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What is the relationship between Maxine Donnelly and Carl Gallagher in Shameless? toggle section
Maxine Donnelly, a character in Shameless played by Joanna Higson, had a romantic relationship with Carl Gallagher. They were briefly involved during the sixth series, during which Maxine became pregnant with Carl's child, but chose to abort. Their relationship was marked by tension due to Maxine's concerns about Carl's brother Ian's sexuality and Ian's doubts about her feelings for Carl.
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In which season of Shameless is Maxine Donnelly first introduced? toggle section
The character Maxine Donnelly, played by Joanna Higson, makes her first appearance in Shameless during the second episode of Series 6. She is characterized as a spirited and clever individual who develops a relationship with Carl Gallagher.
Provided by: Fandom