Dee Bliss (Madeleine West)

[Pantherboy]

Digital Spy article:

Aust Pace


Neighbours reveals new rift for Dee Bliss in her return plot
Trouble with Toadie?

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...rebecchi-rift/

Neighbours spoilers follow for episodes yet to air in the UK.

Neighbours aired Dee Bliss's latest return scenes in Australia today (April 23) – and a rift could be developing between her and Toadie Rebecchi.

Madeleine West has returned to screens and will be playing twin sisters Dee Bliss and Andrea Somers for another exciting stint.

Dee arrived on Ramsay Street after Andrea put the word out that she'd appreciate a visit from her sibling in prison.

Toadie was adamant that getting involved with Andrea would be a bad idea, but accepted that Dee had to make her own decision.

Much to Toadie's dismay, Dee went ahead and paid a visit to the jail without consulting him any further.

Rather than her usual games, Andrea appeared genuine as she came face-to-face with Dee for the first time in months, giving them a chance to talk about their family and how their lives went in such different directions.

Andrea also let Dee know that she'd like her to make visits more regularly, leaving Dee with a big decision to make.

Neighbours fans know that Andrea can rarely be trusted, having hatched numerous twisted schemes since she first impersonated Dee to scam Toadie in 2017.

Despite this, Dee is already giving serious consideration to giving Andrea another chance, despite ongoing disapproval from Toadie.

Toadie understandably wants to keep Andrea as far away from him and his family as possible after all the trouble she has caused over the years. Could this lead to tensions with Dee?

Next week on Australian screens, Dee tells Toadie that Andrea would like a picture of their young son Hugo. Dee is caught in the middle as she tries to deal with both parties, but will Toadie offer out this olive branch to Andrea?

Neighbours airs Dee and Andrea's returns on Channel 5 in May for UK viewers.

Neighbours currently airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and weeknights at 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).

[Pantherboy]

Digital Spy article:


Neighbours star Madeleine West reveals whether she'd return as Dee and Andrea permanently
"Playing these characters is the most complex thing I've ever done."

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...rea-permanent/

Neighbours star Madeleine West has revealed that she'd be interested in sticking with the soap on a permanent basis.

The actress, who was a show regular between 2000 and 2003, has been making guest appearances for the past three years in the roles of Andrea Somers and Dee Bliss.

This week, Channel 5 viewers have seen Andrea reappear as a fellow inmate in Elly Conway's prison storyline. Dee will also be making her own comeback imminently.

Asked whether she'd be interested in re-joining Neighbours on a more permanent basis, Madeleine told Digital Spy: "I've already said that I would love to. Playing these two characters at once is the most complex thing I've ever done.

"With Neighbours, it's very easy to call it a soap. But when a show has such a large cast and is airing as frequently as it is – and has been airing for 35 years – it has no choice but to really capture the zeitgeist and be exceptionally topical.

"It utilises subject matter that is playing out in real time in society right now, whether it's sexual orientation, gender politics or commenting on the environment.

"Neighbours has to be in there first and foremost, with a finger on the pulse. There are very few shows like that. The stories are told with such integrity and realism, so the audience can recognise themselves in the characters.

"If anyone talks down a show like Neighbours, I think they need to sit down and actually watch it because they'll be blown away by the kind of things that Neighbours achieves."

Madeleine also admitted that she was particularly interested in peeling back the layers of Andrea in this stint.

On why she came back again, Madeleine replied: "I think there was much more to explore with Andrea. Her story is so complex. We know that Dee loves Toadie and Toadie loves Dee. Their story is about finding each other.

"But Andrea is such a complicated character and I really wanted to investigate why she is the way she is. This particular run of storylines has fleshed that out more than we had the opportunity to do before.

"I love Dee's softness, but I've played her for many years now. Andrea is such a fascinating character, who came into the show pretending to be Dee. We saw her true colours and she was certainly a nasty piece of work.

"But we see in this run that Andrea just wants her boy Hugo. She had a really rough upbringing and she doesn't really have a firm role model for what it means to be a good person. She's trying to make her way in the world without much of a guide."

Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).

[Rowdydog12]

I don't mind if she stays on the show either

[Aussieguy]

Would be great love Dee. If she does stay can see her and Toad renewing their wedding vows eventually.

[kayuqtuq]

Please, no. Never liked Dee first time around!

[kaz21]

Dee yes , Andrea no. Andrea makes sense this time around, but let her rot in jail after this.

[Aussieguy]

Agree on Andrea after this don't want to see her or her loony mother ever again.

[its.like.that]

They are going to try and redeem andrea

[Pantherboy]

Digital Spy article.



Neighbours star Madeleine West promises softer side to Fake Dee
"She genuinely just wants to see her son."

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...s-softer-side/

Neighbours spoilers follow.

Neighbours star Madeleine West has revealed that viewers will see a softer side to scheming Andrea Somers in her latest stint on the show.

This week, viewers have seen Madeleine reprise her role as twisted Andrea, who's in the same prison as Elly Conway.

Upcoming episodes for UK fans will see Andrea start to make an impact on Ramsay Street life from afar.

This includes asking her twin sister Dee Bliss if Toadie Rebecchi would be prepared to hand over a picture of their baby son Hugo, allowing her to feel close to him in jail.

Asked whether Andrea's interest in her youngest child is genuine, Madeleine told Digital Spy: "Absolutely. I don't think, at that point in time, there's any ulterior motive.

"Look, Andrea always wants to find a way in. But at that particular time, I think she genuinely just wants to see her son. There's the pain of not even knowing what he looks like and being apart from him for so long.

"It'd be too Machiavellian if she had any other intention at that point in time. She's definitely a bit sociopathic, but she loves her children and just needs to know that they're part of her life."

Andrea has also been bribed by Sam Fitzgerald to manipulate Elly from the inside. Despite this, Madeleine has insisted that Andrea feels a genuine bond with Elly as the scenes progress – especially when Elly ultimately gives up on having baby Aster with her at the jail.

Madeleine continued: "More than anything else, Andrea has intentions there, but it's much more complex than that. She sees in Elly another woman who is being kept away from her baby, due to circumstances that she can't control. So her interactions with Elly are quite genuine."

On whether Andrea could ever be fully redeemed, Madeleine laughed: "I think she's fully redeemed in her own eyes already! In her own warped mind, she has never really done anything wrong. We have to remember that she's a product of her upbringing and Heather is her mum.

"In pure sociopathic terms, her psychology is that she's doing what she feels is the right thing. I think she has good intentions but she doesn't necessarily find the best route to fulfil them."

The current dramas are building up to a permanent exit for Elly, as Jodi Anasta finished filming on Neighbours last week.

Madeleine added: "Jodi is an absolute delight. She's such an accomplished actress. I've been a fan of hers since her Home and Away days. She has such a beautiful, delicate touch in bringing Elly to life.

"Her scene work was beautiful – she often had me in tears, playing against her as Andrea. We will retain a friendship moving forwards. She's just such a pleasure to work with and it's a beautiful end note to farewell Elly."

Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).

[Pantherboy]

Digital Spy article:

AUST PACE!


Neighbours brings back another character in Dee and Andrea storyline
The drama just keeps coming.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...illing-return/

Neighbours has brought back another familiar face for new drama in the Dee Bliss and Andrea Somers storyline.

Kerry Armstrong has reprised her role as ruthless Heather Schilling, who's the mother of twin sisters Dee and Andrea.

This week's episodes in Australia have seen Elly Conway get released from jail, freeing her from Andrea's terror behind bars.

Elly may have served her time but the jail scenes aren't over just yet, as we'll still see more of Andrea at the prison – this time with her mum.

Kerry's return scenes as Heather aired in Australia yesterday (May 18), as Dee caught a brief glimpse of her while visiting Andrea in jail.

Spoilers released for upcoming episodes have revealed that this chance encounter will pique Dee's curiosity, leaving her to wonder whether it's worth pursuing a relationship with her birth mother.

This is sure to spark tensions with Dee's partner Toadie Rebecchi, who doesn't want anything to do with Heather or Andrea.

We'll also see more of Andrea's dynamic with Heather at the jail. We've seen that Andrea is top dog among the other prisoners, but how is Heather getting along?

Kerry first played Heather for guest stints in 2018 and 2019. The memorable character was initially introduced under the guise of nanny Alice Wells – a false identity to fool the Rebecchis.

In a recent chat with Neighbours co-star Takaya Honda on his YouTube series Tak Talks, Kerry admitted that she refused to tone down her scenes as 'Alice' despite advice from a director on set.

Kerry laughed: "I said, 'Can I ask you something? If this were The Shining, and I was Jack Nicholson, would you be saying pull it back?' And he said, 'No, why?' I said, 'Ah okay, great – can you just from now on pretend that we're doing The Shining?'

"Then the following week, another director, Declan, he came down and went, 'Hello Kerry, it's lovely to meet you and I believe I'm to call you Jack'.

"You have to back yourself."

Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).