Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974 in Bolton, Greater Manchester) is an English stage, film and television actress known for playing Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, and Twinkle in Victoria Wood's situation comedy Dinnerladies.
Peake has appeared in a number of television and stage productions including Channel 4's Shameless, Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies and Craig Cash's Early Doors as Janice. Between the two series of Dinnerladies, Peake lost so much weight that an explanation had to be written i nto the script for her character...