Clare Devine (also Cunningham) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actresses Gemma Bissix and Samantha Rowley.

Bissix reprised the role in 2009 for the culmination of Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) and Justin Burton's (Chris Fountain) storylines.

The character was first introduced to Hollyoaks in December 2005, by series producer David Hanson portrayed by Samantha Rowley.

[3] In August 2009, Bissix announced she would like to return to Hollyoaks as Clare Devine, commenting on the role she said, "You really can't get much better than playing a psychotic murderer turning up in her ripped tights and pouring petrol over everything.

Kris Green from Digital Spy revealed that Clare could be returning to the show to coincide with Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) and Justin Burton's (Chris Fountain) exit storylines.

[7] The succeeding producer Lucy Allan told Kris Green from Digital Spy that Clare was "pivotal in the culmination" of Justin and Warren's departure stories.

It was announced that Clare's arrival would cause problems for Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Doctor Browning (Joseph Thompson).

[12] While appearing on chat show The Wright Stuff Bissix hyped Clare's behaviour on her return as "extra evil".

[15] Bissix told a Birmingham Mail reporter that she would resume filming in July with her return airing in September.

With her friendly face and likeable and vibrant personality, Clare quickly settles into life in the village and becomes popular with the other residents.

Clare becomes friends with Mandy Hutchinson (Sarah Jayne Dunn) and Louise Summers (Roxanne McKee), and participates in a time-share scam set up by Louise's ex-husband Sean Kennedy (Matthew Jay Lewis) while on a holiday in late night special Hollyoaks: Back from the Dead.

and Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) physically remove Clare from the flat and throw her outside, just as the police return and arrest Max for assault.

Clare convinces Louise to have her unborn child aborted and tell fiancé Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle) it was a miscarriage.

Jacqui (Claire Cooper), Carmel (Gemma Merna) and Tina McQueen (Leah Hackett) then find Clare, and beside her, Calvin's mobile.

When she returns home, Max breaks in to Clare's flat and threatens to kill her if she does not tell the social services she lied about Tom's abuse, which she does.

During Warren's trial, he appears to be getting sent down, however Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) arrives and admits to sleeping with him on the night Clare was pushed.

As she prepares to leave Hollyoaks for good, Clare is seen off by Justin, Warren, Louise, Max, OB, Katy and Calvin.

In the coming weeks, Warren receives poison pen letters, telling him that "his days are numbered" and mysterious phone calls.

Warren phones his foster brother Spencer Gray (Darren John Langford) and leaves a message of Clare talking.

When he confronts her about this, she reveals that her real name is Clare Devine and that she gets by conning rich men, failing to tell him about her history in the village.

Clare then locks Mercedes in a metal cage located in an abandoned industrial yard, surrounded by two rabid dogs.

Clare eventually gives Mercedes the key to get out of the cage but as she and Browning attempt freedom, Claire's two rabid dogs rush towards them, barking angrily, so the twosome have to lock themselves back in.

Clare wants revenge on Mercedes for putting her in jail months prior and also her father for her misguided past, so she decides to plant a bomb in The Loft.

Trevor has an argument with Fraser and meets Clare in The Dog, where he angrily agrees to take part in the bombing.

Clare gets to the phone first and presses the 'call' button, and instead, a block of council flats blow up after Sinead O'Connor (Stephanie Davis) took the bag containing the bomb to a party by mistake, killing Leanne, Ash Kane (Holly Weston), Doug Carter (PJ Brennan).

[22] Bissix has acknowledged the comparisons but noted that Clare Devine lacks emotion, kills people and taunts little children.

She made enemies easily, notably Warren and Justin, and when she was pushed over a balcony and almost killed, the list of suspects was longer than the electoral roll.

Now she's banged up, but we don't imagine we've seen the last of her just yet..."[28] Clare was also ranked at Number 7 in Digital Spy's feature on soap recasts.

[1] From Bissix' time in the serial, her portrayal of Clare placed the character in a minority group of the most memorable villains in the shows history.

Bissix introduced a totally different element for Hollyoaks' super bitches, being arguably the first of her kind to reach such popularity and acclaim.