Neighbours welcomes back one of its best-loved characters next week as Carla Bonner reprises her role as Steph Scully, who returns to Ramsay Street under a cloud of suspicion.
With Steph's shock kidnap of Lucas Fitzgerald's baby son still fresh in everyone's memories, the nervous locals have plenty of questions to ask about why she's back and what her intentions are. To find out just that, Digital Spy recently caught up with Carla for all the gossip on her exciting return.
How does it feel to be back on the show?
"It feels like I've finally come home. The show has that real family and homely vibe to it, so it's been wonderful to come back. When I left the show originally in 2010, I felt that it was the right time and that Steph needed a break as she'd been through so much, but I always knew that we'd revisit her at some point.
"I came back to the show briefly in 2013 and we started delving into a really serious mental health storyline with Steph, so I knew that would have to be addressed again at some point too."
Did you feel it was important to come back and show Steph's recovery?
"I felt that was of the utmost importance, because mental health is a very real and topical issue. A show like Neighbours has a massive responsibility to its audience to spread the whole message - not just the really bad side of it. We needed to show real-life sufferers that there is a chance of progress and redemption.
"So I always knew that Steph would come back to pay a visit, but I never knew that it would be a permanent return. The producers came back and discussed some potential storylines with me and I really liked what they were saying. I felt rejuvenated and I was really happy to come back as a regular again."
So is Steph back to seek redemption?
"She is, but the reason that she really needs to do this is to get her son Charlie back. That's her driving force. She hasn't seen Charlie for five years and that's been horrendous for her.
"Steph has now been given the opportunity to rehabilitate herself. In doing that, she stands a real fighting chance of having Charlie back in her life. With everything she now has to face, she'll do it because having her child back is the most important thing in her world."
Steph looks for Jimmy
© Channel 5
Steph will be hiding some secrets when she returns
It won't be plain sailing for Steph, especially when Lucas returns to confront her when he hears she's working at the garage. Were you glad they brought him back for some closure on the kidnap story?
"Yes, I think that was a really good idea - although Steph certainly isn't expecting it. She had no idea that Lucas was still involved in Erinsborough and the garage. Steph did always hope that one day she'd have the opportunity to apologise to Lucas and Vanessa for what she did, but this just happens completely out of the blue. But again, if it's going to help and create some movement and progression in her life, she'll do it."
Steph and Toadie have always had a really strong bond. Should Sonya be worried?
"Sonya and Steph have always had a funny relationship. I think it's unnecessary for Sonya to feel worried, insecure or jealous about any infidelity. What's more understandable is that Sonya fears Toadie always gets into trouble with Steph. He bends over backwards to pull her out of these messy situations that she gets herself into. It affects their family and that's not fair on Sonya.
"Steph is genuinely back with the best of intentions, so it would never be to cause disharmony in Sonya's family or to steal her man. But Steph and Toadie do still have their bond - they are besties and they will do anything for each other. Sadly Sonya's just got to cop it."
Fans were surprised by the news that Steph will have a same-sex relationship with a new character called Belinda. Will that be a short or long-term storyline?
"I think there's a good chance Belinda will keep reappearing in the show, because the storyline is quite intense. The relationship between the two girls is very beautiful, but it's also quite strained at the moment. Steph and Belinda spent a couple of years getting to know each other and developing a beautiful bond.
"Now Steph has made this big decision on what she needs to do with her life. It wasn't in their immediate future plan, but it's what Steph feels she needs to do in order to have her son back. Belinda doesn't agree, so this is where the conflict is for the girls. She's still filming with us at the moment so anything can happen. I can't give a definitive answer on that but I hope she'll be around for a while."
Carla Bonner, Shane Connor, Kate Keltie, Janet Andrewartha and Holly Valance as the Scully family in Neighbours
© FremantleMedia Ltd/REX Shutterstock
Steph with the Scully family
We'd love to see some old faces back like Lyn, Michelle, Valda and Libby. Are you holding out hope that Steph's family and friends will return?
"Oh my lord, I'd love it! I've just been waiting to settle in, but I've been known to do a bit of writing over the years and submit some storylines. The producers really love that and they appreciate it. I will be putting fingers to keyboard and trying to bring back some old faces, that's for sure.
"It's just so important to keep that history going. People are so invested in the characters and they don't want to see someone just disappear forever. So I will be getting some of them back - that's the hope anyway."
Have you shared any scenes with your real-life son Harley, who plays Josh Willis in the show?
"Josh and Steph are complete strangers but we have done a few scenes together now, which has been really fantastic. We don't know yet if we've pulled it off and whether people really will watch it and say, 'Yeah, I really believed that you didn't know each other!' We've done our best so we'll have to wait and see on that one."
Neighbours has had its ups and downs over the years. Do you feel as though the show is in a good place now?
"Yeah, it is. It's very much a team collaboration now and our producer Jason Herbison has really opened that up, which is great. The group morale is really high and people are very happy. You're not just a cog in the wheel - you have a voice, you can speak, be heard and it's okay. It's a really good place to be."
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