'Oaks star: 'New plot will change Cindy'

Stephanie Waring has predicted that her new Hollyoaks storyline will have a long-lasting effect on her bitchy character Cindy Cunningham.

In this week's episodes of the Channel 4 soap, Cindy has faced heartbreak and worry after her young daughter Holly (Lydia Waters) ran away. Her anxiety has grown since the child's schoolbag was discovered in a bin, making the situation appear more serious than initially thought.

Asked whether the experience will change Cindy permanently, Waring replied: "Definitely. I hope so."

She continued: "I hope not to the extent that they stop making her fun. She says what she thinks but she's got a vulnerable side as well. She doesn't want to be seen as joker all the time. I hope they keep that but that she becomes a better mother because of it. I just hope we don't lose the essence of Cindy."

Waring also revealed that she is currently on an 18-month deal with the teen drama like her co-star Bronagh Waugh (Cheryl Brady).

She told PA: "I am contracted until next April so a long time yet. I'd love to stay as long as they want me. I got an 18-month contract, which they offered me last September. I was really surprised. They are usually six months or a year."

> Hollyoaks plot hit home for Waring