Piper Willis

[tammyy2j]

To be supportive of Paige I would imagine since their bond is still there.

Paige has wanted Brad and Terese parted since she arrived so she must be very happy at this party

[LauBuch]

Paige has wanted Brad and Terese parted since she arrived so she must be very happy at this party

Valid point! :P

[badirene]

why is a priest at a divorce party

This make me crack up laughing, it's like something out of father Ted.

[Perdita]

So, will on-off Neighbours couple Piper Willis and Tyler Brennan ever get back together?

It's the question that their die-hard shippers have been desperate to know the answer to in recent weeks after the dramatic events of the Erinsborough High formal drove them apart.

As ever with Neighbours, we'll have to stay tuned to see how it all plays out. But Mavournee Hazel, who plays Piper, may have dropped a hint or two when she caught up with Digital Spy this week...

Did the huge reaction to Tyler and Piper's relationship take you by surprise?

"Yeah, it did! At first, we found that a lot of people said: 'No, Tyler is too old for Piper, it's kind of weird and we don't like it'. But the more the audience saw of our relationship, the more they realised that Tyler and Piper were really clicking as a couple and it wasn't creepy.

"The fans really loved that, especially on Twitter. We were really surprised, but Travis and I both have the same ethic when it comes to social media. We interact with the fans and try to support them in return. It's like a big community, which is really lovely."

Tyler and Piper have now broken up for the time being. Do you think the Neighbours writers will take the fan reaction on board for future storylines?

"Absolutely. I definitely know that is a consideration. When audiences love or hate something, the Neighbours producers, writers and digital team absolutely take that into account when they're deciding whether or not to continue or kill a character's storyline or relationship.

"So hopefully the support is strong enough! I definitely think it is. Travis [Burns, who plays Tyler] even did a petition on Twitter and got 1,500 responses in favour of Tyler and Piper. It was crazy! He really did take that to the producers and they were taken aback by it too. They could see how much hope was invested in our relationship."

So is there anything coming up which will make the 'Typer' fans happy?

"For a while, Piper is an outcast. The writers really did give Tyler and Piper space when they broke up after the school formal, which isn't great because Tyler then went and slept with Paige!

"There is an event that pushes them closer together again, but Tyler and Piper feel like they're having to start again because so much trust was lost in their relationship – even as a friendship. So it feels like they're starting a whole new relationship again. It's like building blocks – slowly but surely they will rebuild their friendship."

Can you tell us any secrets about working with Travis Burns?

"He's so much fun to work with. As for a secret? Travis has a better skin routine than the girls at Neighbours. I'm not even kidding. He gets infra-red saunas, chemical peels... he overtakes Olympia [Valance, who plays Paige] and all of the other girls. I feel like he's got a better skin routine than most YouTube beauty gurus, to be honest!"

We know Piper takes revenge against Paige and Tyler next week by exposing their fling at a family party. Are you glad she does that, or has she taken it too far?

"Hindsight is a great thing, isn't it? At the time, Piper very much acts on impulse and that's very true to her character. All of Piper's decisions are done with her gut and her emotion. Sometimes that's great, as Tyler and Piper's relationship was one outcome of that. But for an intelligent character, Piper doesn't always think about the consequences.

"I think Paige and Tyler had to be caught out for what they were doing, though. They were lying to Piper and didn't want her to know what was going on. That's horrible – and Paige is her sister. Piper feels humiliated by what's happened, so she just wants them to feel as humiliated as she did."

How do you feel when some people on Twitter call Piper immature?

"When I first started, I was very defensive about the character, purely because I felt that her and I had a lot of similar qualities. So when people said 'I don't like Piper', I was taking it personally because I was thinking 'That's me as well, that's what I do!'

"But over time, and after being on the show for a year now, I'm realising that it doesn't mean that. Piper is definitely immature – she's 16 and she does act on impulse. The best way I can describe her is that when she's in teenage situations, she's an adult, but when she's in adult situations, she's like a kid! That sums her up."

Paige is getting a bit of a backlash from fans at the moment. Do you think it's unfair that Tyler – the male character – is almost getting off scot free?

"That's a really good point. I was even talking today to the make-up girls about this. I also said to Travis today: 'I can't remember if Tyler actually says sorry to Piper!' Piper and Paige are both saying sorry all the time for what they've done, but it's never the male's fault!

"It shows the fans' loyalty to Piper and Tyler that they see it as Paige's fault and not Tyler's. But Tyler is equally to blame – he could have said no but he didn't. Twice!"

Who do you miss most from the cast who have left Neighbours recently?

"Ari and Harley [who played Imogen and Josh]. When I first moved to Melbourne, I didn't know anyone and the Willises were really like a family to me. Ari is my best friend here in Melbourne and we still see each other outside of work. So I really miss being in the Willis house with her and getting to do breakfast scenes with her – they were so much fun.

"It's the same with Harley. I really miss him. He's over in LA at the moment doing his thing over there, but I'm still close to him outside of work."

Who from the current cast would you like to have more scenes with?

"I love working with Ryan Moloney, who plays Toadie. He's so funny and it's such a shame that our characters never cross over. When they do, I try to make the most of it because he's such a fun guy. I learn so much from him as a person and as an actor.

"I'd also like to work even more with Rebekah [Elmaloglou, who plays Terese]. Piper and Terese's relationship is really weird and I feel like a lot of younger audience members can relate to it. It's that awkward mother/daughter relationship."

We know that Piper's half-brother Ned is back on the Street next week. Will he cause a lot more drama?

"Naturally – he's a Willis! I feel like Piper learned a lot from him. Piper plays the revealing video footage of Paige and Tyler next week, but Ned also played some incriminating video footage at the Citizen of the Year award, so they're similar in that respect.

"And of course he's going to cause trouble – he's Brad Willis's son. He's going to be causing trouble in lots of different ways with lots of different people..."

Digital Spy

[Aussieguy]

I'd like to see Piper and Tyler back together but geez Piper has recently been so annoying. I like her but it seems whenever something doesn't go her way she throws a tanty and does something childish and stupid. Another tanty coming up next week.

[lizann]

This make me crack up laughing, it's like something out of father Ted.

ah go on that is the irish catholic in me

[lizann]

This make me crack up laughing, it's like something out of father Ted.

ah go on that is the irish catholic in me

[Ruffed_lemur]

I'd like to see Piper and Tyler back together but geez Piper has recently been so annoying. I like her but it seems whenever something doesn't go her way she throws a tanty and does something childish and stupid. Another tanty coming up next week.

True, but must have been very upsetting for her. Love can hurt so much sometimes. I'd like to see Piper back with Tyler too.

[Splashy]

If I was Tyler I would be asking for a copy of the tape Nothing worse for someone who is trying to humiliate you as when you roll with it and laugh .... or he could simply say "well I had a lucky escape"

Paige, well she has a twisted motive that deserves questioning, but then ex Home and Away priest boy needs to cut his man bits off if he really wants to be a priest and stop messing with the girls head as if she is some kind of religious test of his reverence to the god bloke.

I may not be a fan of the celibacy criterium in that faith as it was only enacted within the church because of nun priest interactions way way back and isnt in the bible. We may as well still be fiscally buying our time out of purgatory or purchasing the 1006th nail that held Jebus to the cross. But then the very fact that the Pope has to walk over a pit to confirm his hs man bits before he can be the pope reaks of weird reactionary riles.

Oh and Ive said this before, but Saint Susanh had already seduced a priest into her bed way back when in a story line, so this is kinda deja vous.

[kaz21]

True, but must have been very upsetting for her. Love can hurt so much sometimes. I'd like to see Piper back with Tyler too.

Espically when its your own sister, sleeping with your ex