Neighbours: Melissa Bell on Lucy Robinson's return, Paul rows, more
Neighbours welcomes back Lucy Robinson on UK screens this week as Terese Willis calls her back to Erinsborough.
Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) decides that she needs back-up from Lucy after more bad behaviour from Paul (Stefan Dennis) at Lassiter's pushes her to the edge.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Melissa Bell, who plays Lucy, to hear more about her latest return and what's in store.
Up until last year, we hadn't seen you on Neighbours since 2005. How has it felt to revisit the role of Lucy?
"It's been really good actually. When I went back in 2005 that was for the 20th anniversary of Neighbours and it was really exciting. Then I was asked to go back again for episodes last year and it was a pleasant surprise because it worked out really well. The producers said they had some exciting stories in the pipeline and were revamping the show by trying to bring back some older characters. It was really good to be part of that, and there's going to be more to come this year as well."
We know that you've joined Twitter recently, so what has the response been like to your return?
"It's been really positive. The response has been good here in Australia and I believe that I'm about to come back on screen in the UK, so I hope the fans over there will enjoy seeing the character again too. Lucy has grown up a lot now because she's the boss of Lassiter's Worldwide. She is Paul's boss and I think the fans will like that - somebody putting him in his place!"
What can we expect from your return storyline this time around?
"The last time I went back, Lucy came to Erinsborough and said that she was putting Terese in charge of Lassiter's. Lucy has then been overseeing everything from afar, but Terese has been having so much trouble with Paul. He's always up to something and trying to swindle someone! Terese decides to get her own back by calling in Lucy to sort him out and put him into line."
Is Lucy a match for Paul when he's being so sneaky?
"Oh definitely, and I think she sees through him. I think the fans will really enjoy seeing that. Paul can't stand over Lucy - he tries to do that with everyone else on the street, but he isn't able to do it with her.
"When Lucy comes in, she sees through all of that, and Paul also listens to her. He doesn't react to her the same way he would anyone else, because they are brother and sister and they are so close. Paul gave Lucy a job all those years ago but now the roles are reversed, so Paul can't really get away with much!"
There's also quite a bit coming up with Lucy and Lauren, isn't there?
"Yes, their friendship goes back many years. When Lucy comes back, she is a good listener and is there for Lauren as a genuine friend. Lauren confides in her and reveals a secret to Lucy that she hasn't been able to tell anyone else in the street. We've just seen those scenes on air here in Australia and they went down really well. It was also great working with Kate Kendall who plays Lauren - she's lovely."
Have you finished filming your return stint now?
"I have finished filming now as everyone is on a production break, but I will definitely be going back again this year. I don't know how long for, but hopefully it's going to be for a while. That would be nice."
Would you be interested in a permanent return?
"Oh definitely, yes! I think everyone is just waiting to see the response. Hopefully the viewers will really love it - the character of Lucy has evolved a lot now and she's got a lot of depth. It's great to play the character so many years on and bring the role to life again. I feel I have a lot more to offer as a person, so it's going to be exciting."
We know that your career outside of acting is fashion design. How do you find juggling all of your commitments?
"Well, I love being busy! I don't like doing nothing! With acting jobs, there's only a handful of shows and mini-series in Australia. There's not such a thriving industry here, so it's hard. I really like TV as a medium and the whole process of being part of it, so I manage everything and I also have four children so that keeps me busy too."
What's it been like to work with Stefan Dennis again?
"It's really nice and he hasn't changed a bit! I've always got along really well with him, and our characters have always had that good brother-sister relationship. He's a really nice person, easy to work with and really professional."
What are your memories of being part of the Neighbours cast when the show was so huge in the '90s?
"There's so many different memories, but Neighbours have launched so many careers and it's been a great show to be involved with. It gave me a lot of opportunities to work on other Australian dramas, and even live in London and work over there doing plays and pantomimes, which I really enjoyed.
"There's a lot of great memories there for me, because I was able to travel the world and work in different countries. I've been extremely lucky."
How do you feel about the plans to bring in Scott and Charlene's son?
"I think it's a great move. Scott's my brother in the show, so I'll be the aunty! That'll be interesting! It's really good to delve into the past because when the show was so big in the '90s, it had all of those old characters, and Lucy was one of them. It's going to be really interesting and I'm looking forward to finding out who they're going to cast to play that role, because I don't know myself yet!"
What is the atmosphere like on set at Neighbours at the moment with new producer Jason Herbison in charge?
"It's really good. Jason is really nice. I worked with him on another show many years ago, and he's been a big fan of Neighbours for so many years as well. He used to be a writer for Neighbours, so I think by going from writing into producing, he's got a really good grounding for the characters.
"Jason has watched the show for 20-odd years so he's got such a good understanding of it all, and I think it's really important to have that. It's a really good team at Neighbours at the moment and it's just like it was 20 years ago - isn't that funny?"
