Maya Garner

Maya Garner (also Gredderson) is a fictional character from the BBC children's soap opera, MineEnders, played by Indiana Mae-Allum. Her first appearance was on 5 January 2015 and she departed on 27 January 2020. She returned for a brief stint in 2021 to tackle her custody case over her by the Royles and Greddersons, and also to stand a second trial for the murder of Zara Anderson (Amena Burns), after she inadvertently caused the death of her son and Maya's boyfriend Clyde Anderson (Benjamin Ferguson). She departed again in 2022, coinciding with the exits of her grandparents Eddie (Michael Melia) and Eibhlin Royle (Mary Conlon).

Backstory
Eva Gredderson (Ala Gajewska) becomes pregnant after a one-night-stand with Eddie O'Donnell (Oscar Kane), and Maya was the result of this. She resided with her mother until she decided to put the baby up for adoption. Maya was adopted by the Irish couple Mr and Mrs Garner. The Garners sent Maya from Ireland to Blocktura when Maya was a child to begin school. She is completely unaware who her parents are, and eventually makes a friend in Alice Gredderson (Emily Thomas), unaware that they are related as aunt and niece.

2015-2020
Maya is a cool girl, who mostly does not care about the consequences of her actions. She likes to make constant trouble, unlike her best friend Alice Gredderson (Emily Thomas), who gives her life lessons and advises her on what and what not to do. Maya is patiently pursued by Ivan Bres (Lucas Jordan and Charlie Matthews-Grout), but turns him down. She falls in love and becomes attached to Clyde Anderson (Benjamin Ferguson). They begin dating, but is usually interrupted by constant rowing and disagreements, but nevertheless still love each other. Their relationship is cut short at her friend Lily Foreword's (Molly-Mae Taylor) party. After declaring their relationship over, Clyde is inadvertently run down by his mother Zara (Amena Burns). They admit their foolishness and apologise to each other in the hospital, and they make peace as he dies.

Zara is met with hostility from Maya soon afterwards, and the night before her trial is due to take place, Maya shoots and kills her, but immediately regrets it. She throws the gun away and runs off back to The King Ender pub, where she is temporarily residing with the Greddersons. At the Halloween party the next night, Alice secretly reveals her epileptic condition which she kept secret. Maya is devastated and does all she can to not lose her. Maya is very reluctant to tell her guardian Rebecca Gredderson (Carla Stone) her whereabouts the night of Zara's killing. She performs a speech at Clyde's funeral party, but is interrupted by the police, who have found out about Zara's killer and arrests her. Her trial takes place the same month, and although it was wasn't clear that Maya shooting Zara was murder, she is imprisoned anyway and is not seen again for a month.

Maya returns on New Year's Eve, having been subsequently released on bail. As she arrives, she walks straight into a confrontation between Eva Gredderson (Ala Gajewska) and Darren Targ (Carl Burns) and is accidentally punched by Eva. Having faced this dramatic life, Maya decides she cannot stay any longer, and in January, she returns to the Garners in Ireland.

2021-2022
In May 2021, Alice and Rebecca receive news that the Garners have died in a car accident. They mistake this for Maya as well, leaving Alice heartbroken. However, Maya sends a letter saying she is returning to Blocktura. Maya arrives and meets the Greddersons at The King Ender. Maya is told that a custody case is being prepared for her, and she asks who are the other defendants, who are Eddie (Michael Melia) and Eibhlin Royle (Mary Conlon). Maya wonders to this as she deducts they are not related. Alice is forced to tell Maya the earth-shattering truth that Eddie and Eibhlin's son Eddie Royle Jr. (Oscar Kane) was her father and her sister Eva, was her mother. Maya is left in shock and is sent into a downward spiral. She objects at the custody case that she knew nothing about this and the Garners kept this a secret. In the end, the Greddersons lose and Maya joins the Royles, as she believes that she cannot live with such a family who keep lying to her.

However, Maya finds living with the Royles too much to handle with the arguing and constant rowing from Eddie Jr to his parents, but Maya is still reluctant to make a decision. Maya is given a quiet word by her grandmother Eibhlin, and she says it's not up to them "whether you stay or go back", but advises she "should apologise". Maya takes this and runs to The King Ender to apologise to the Greddersons.

Eddie dies on New Year's Eve and Maya is left without a formal guardian, as Eibhlin has decided to return to Ireland. Alice's boyfriend Jack Crass (Anthony Cassidy) tries to persuade her to stay for her, but now Maya is old enough, she decides she can live an independent life with nobody to object. After sorting out all her mishaps and making her apologies to her enemies, Maya leaves for employment in Ireland.