Mary Cherry

"There's something about Mary Cherry, mysterious transfer from Dallas. Talents include tumbling. So sweet I become diabetic in her presence. Her family is loaded. We're talking black gold, Texas tea. Hair needs work but... I like her. Consider."

This is Nicole's instant assesment of the blonde Texan, who from now on will always be referred to by her full name for reasons unknown.

Practically the first thing she says (at the cheerleader tryouts) is "Um, you'all, do I have to do the splits? I'm a Christian." But despite this reservation and a glaring lack of talent, she gets one of the much coveted places and becomes a Glamazon.

After cloning Nicole's look, which annoys her, she takes to wearing fur, which annoys Lily. These two never get on, and MC often seems to go out of her way to wind Lily up.

MC collects autographs; is fashion obsessed; has a fixation on Gwyneth Paltrow; thinks she is very beautiful; has had a rib removed; has had her webbed hands fixed but not her feet; loves seafood; likes to spread rumours; enjoys gossip, scandal and asking embarrassing questions in Biology.

As a new girl she is overjoyed by her nomination for Homecoming Queen, not knowing it was Nicole's idea of a joke, and promptly calls Momma with the good news. Cherry Cherry initially thinks the call is about shoplifting, (is this the reason for MC's mysterious transfer?) but flies out to take charge of the campaign that MC says she will do anything to win.

But when adverts, incentives, bribes, smears and ballot rigging don't work (and with Nicole in charge how could it?) she gets a consolation crown from her Momma, along with some put-downs about her size 10 looks.

Fortunately her smearing of Brooke is instantly forgotten as she resumes her role of comic relief. She helps Nicole kidnap Gwyneth's personal shopper (who isn't); discovers a career test labels her a serial killer; goes bonkers in the witness stand at Emory's trial; and sells Carmen's panties to April Tuna.

She allows her cheerleading friends to take their driving test in her car, a Humvee with personal plates which show a picture of two cherries. Her licence, B8073884, tells us she is 5'7" tall and lives at 4420 Red Plum Avenue, Beverly Hills, CA90210.

She tells Mr Bennett she likes the gays, but, "This secret is so shocking and dirty birdy," is what she says about Lily's confession of doubts about her sexuality. But she's soon making up even dirtier secrets just to get attention from the others.

This behaviour continues in sensitivity camp when she freely admits to harassing boys. In fact, apart from an inital flirtation with Sugar, she doesn't seem to have had any contact with boys. However, when Adam uncovers her secret past, consorting with "wafer nibblers" in Up With People, she slaps him hard then snogs him good.

She has to be bribed to accept Erik Estrada as CC's tenth husband, then becomes a stripper in order to hurt CC who has publicly denied her existance, but goes to the wedding anyway. 

After double-crossing Nicole over a knee joint transplant, Nicole plans revenge. She blackmails Harrison into going out with MC after being paired for a chemistry assignment. In this we learn that she likes Gianni Versace, Jim Varney movies and the Cha Cha. She dislikes sunshine, all white foods and Big Bird.

He has nightmares about her at first, but comes to see MC has something other than the Psycho-Cherry persona to offer, and after double-crossing Nicole, pays MC a public tribute. Regrettably the budding romance depicted did not develop after this promising start.

MC and CC, who don't really get on, are further estranged when MC learns of what's in CC's book. So she hires Sam to write her version of events. Sam advises a conciliatory letter would be better. But later, after more humiliation when CC's bankruptcy makes MC poor, they bond over the Big Head Challenge quiz, when after she fails a teen talent audition, MC takes on her mother and wins.

Then she decides she wants a sister and offers Nicole the position. Suddenly a long lost twin, Baby Honey (B Ho) Chile, turns up who is more interested in cash than sisterhood. But MC is happy, until CC decides to keep B Ho and put MC up for adoption. In the orphanage she finally meets her father.

Continuing the story in season three, MC is sent to live in B Ho's 'hood but ends up in the dog pound instead. B Ho links up with Nicole and new girl Unique Jones doing drive-by shootings for fun. B Ho gets shot by a rival gang. CC arrives at the pound just in time to prevent MC being put down They then go to B Ho's funeral and she reinstated as CC's daughter. MC joins the Brooke and Sam group to which Nicole turns when Unique turns nasty.

Kennedy High closes and everyone goes to college early. Suddenly it's five years later and MC has bought Melrose Place where everyone lives rent free until the season ends. 

As Sam says, "You know, even though Mary Cherry is psychotic I can't help but feel for her." I agree, her money has got her nothing, all she really wants is a friend.