Maria Kitson (Claire Tyler) 2000-2001 Duration: EP: 214, 219 - 223 | SE: 4.12, 4.17 - 4.21 Maria had previously worked as a secretary for a dot-com company, being put in charge of the whole office in fact. It went from boom to bust in the new Millennium and Maria was left without a career, only to then be dumped by her boyfriend. Well, that's how Maria told it anyway! In the run-up to Christmas 2000 Maria with pal Donna Friend in tow, showed up outside The Dragon's Lair with their sights set on making ten grand with tabloid stories of Harchester players. After being seen through by big timers Karl Fletcher and Scott Lucas, Maria and Donna realise their best chances lie with first team newcomers Campbell Hooper and Danny Rawsthorne. Maria sleeps with Campbell, but before long at a party she and Donna throw at Eddie Moliano's house, Danny has his drink spiked and has a bad reaction, and Campbell believes she and Donna were behind it. It is while tending to Danny that Eddie first encounters Maria, and he becomes her new target in bagging a player more prominent than Campbell. It is some weeks later after Eddie has returned to Harchester from a disappointing loan spell at QPR, and is getting drunk in the health club, that Maria spots her moment. Taking him home, Maria has a good look around and learns Eddie is on fifteen-grand-a-week. Eddie's game has improved massively, buoyed by the girl he can't get out of his mind. Campbell is not pleased to see Maria has hooked up with Eddie, knowing she is trouble, and Maria sets about creating a rift between Eddie and his housemates. It reaches the point where Maria sees Campbell out of the house, and coming onto Danny, warns him he will meet the same fate if he causes any trouble. When Eddie holds his birthday bash in Studs, he does more than introduce Maria as his new girlfriend, and proposes marriage to her! Maria is shocked, but not wanting to lose her meal ticket says yes. Donna knows Maria is getting in deeper than they planned, and presses on with their plan to escape to Australia. Campbell and Danny make a last ditch attempt to expose Maria, with the assistance of Fletch who believes he will be irresistible to someone like Maria. Maria easily susses them and snatches their video recording, using it as part of her tabloid deal for which she and Donna are handsomely paid. Meanwhile, the Harchester Wives uncover Maria's previous identity as Mary Morton, who did kiss n' tells on footballers in London, though Eddie still refuses to believe it is the girl he loves. Maria is forced to come clean to him when Eddie arrives home before she's fled, and desperate for her to stay with him, Eddie offers her more of his money. Maria's conscience has well and truly gotten to her, and she leaves without taking Eddie's cheque, leaving us uncertain as to whether she was called Maria, Mary Morton or even Muddy Mae Suggins!