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Interactive > The 50 Greatest Neighbours

You voted in your hundreds, we tore our hair out totalling it up, but it’s finally here – the list of The 50 Greatest Neighbours, as voted for by you. We know this should really be presented as a 42-hour clip show on Channel 4, but as Jimmy Carr was busy filming The World’s Greatest Shopping Lists, you’ll just have to make do with a series of articles. And now the countdown from 40 – 31 continues...

40

Rachel Kinski (304 points) Another recent arrival in the top 40, and most probably benefiting from currently being on our screens, Rachel arrived with brother Zeke, along with their father, Alex, who, within three months had married Susan and died, leaving her with an instant family just in time for her reunion with ex-husband Karl. With a personality lying somewhere between mature and whiny, 15-year-old Rachel has found herself in a controversial relationship with older Stingray this year but has also formed strong bonds with Susan and best friend, Bree. Whether her role as a “daughter” to Susan and Karl will see her blossom into the next Libby Kennedy remains to be seen… Biography

39

Nina Tucker (318 points) Played by the now internationally famous singer Delta Goodrem, shy Nina Tucker first appeared on our screens in 2002. Although little more than a showcase for Delta’s pop career to begin with, Nina won a lot of fans as she struggled to overcome crippling shyness and slowly carved her own niche in the music world. Nina’s time in Ramsay Street was cut short, however, when Delta was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and was written out in late 2003 to receive her treatment. Fans were relieved when she beat the illness and came back in 2004 to give Nina a proper send-off and a reunion with the man of her dreams, Jack Scully, and a couple more cameos in 2005 proved that Delta had a lot of affection for the show that had been her springboard to success. Biography

38

Elle Robinson (320 points) Although she only arrived in Erinsborough a year ago, Elle, or Lucinda, Robinson already had a history in Ramsay Street dating back to 1989. One of the triplets born to Paul and Gail Robinson following successful IVF treatment, Elle arrived in 2005 to get to know the father who’d been absent as she grew up (and grow up she did, turning up as a 19-year-old who’d been born only 16 years earlier). Elle soon made it clear that she was used to getting what she wanted and proved how easily influenced she was by those around her, quickly competing with wicked Izzy Hoyland for her father’s attention. But she also showed some of her mother’s compassion, supporting Ned Parker through his reading problems. Most of 2006 has seen Elle at the thick of the action, as her psychotic brother Robert came to Erinsborough, masquerading as his nicer twin, Cameron, and now she’s back to her scheming best, pretending to be seriously ill to keep her boyfriend Dylan. Biography

37

Serena Bishop (326 points) Along with Liljana came Serena, the spoilt Bishop daughter who was a world away from her cousin of the same age, Sky. The friendship between the two girls was a strong one, despite their differences and, after a while, Serena left her expensive private school and joined Erinsborough High, where she softened into a more likeable character. Although she was one half of a popular young couple when Stingray Timmins won her heart, it was her relationship that Luka Dokich that raised eyebrows, as he was later revealed to be her half-brother. More love tangles followed for Serena as she had a brief fling with Boyd, Sky’s ex-boyfriend, and then got involved with older Connor O’Neill. That was to be her final Ramsay Street relationship, as, just as Serena was beginning to find her feet after investing in the bikini shop, she boarded that fateful flight to Tasmania and, along with her parents, never set foot back in Erinsborough. But, as with Liljana, no body was found, and the habit of going missing at sea isn’t a new one for the Bishops… Biography

36

Liljana Bishop (339 points) When David Bishop made his return to Erinsborough in 2003, he brought with him a never-before-mentioned wife and daughter. Liljana, a Serbian woman with a fiery temper, quickly won the hearts of fans as she formed close friendships with Susan and Lyn, and both confused and delighted with her ability to read people’s coffee grounds. The arrival of her slightly barmy mother, Svetlanka, brought Liljana to the forefront of the action as it was revealed that she’d had another baby – a boy, who’d been stillborn. Of course, things are never quite that simple in soap, and by the end of 2004, Lil had suffered a near-death experience and seen the mysterious Luka, who had become romantically involved with Lil’s daughter, Serena, revealed as that “stillborn” baby. Liljana went out with a bang as part of the 2005 plane crash, which also claimed the lives of David and Serena. Biography | Interview

35

Cheryl Stark (345 points) In 1993, brassy bar owner and lottery winner Cheryl Stark was a breath of fresh air, following a 12-month period that had seen the departures of two of Ramsay Street’s strongest women, Madge Bishop and Dorothy Burke. After an initial guest stint in mid-1993, Cheryl was made a regular character by the end of the season and it wasn’t long before she and Lou were one of Neighbours’ most popular couples. She also currently holds the distinction of being the only Neighbours regular to be temporarily recast, when Colette Mann stepped in late in 1995, as regular actress Caroline Gillmer was struck down with illness. By the end of 1996, amidst talk of her own spin-off sitcom, In Cheryl’s Arms, Cheryl was written out permanently, killed off after being hit by a car. Described by Caroline in a 2003 interview with this site as “uninhibited, unpredictable, unleashed, undeniable, unusual”, Cheryl was sorely missed in the years that followed. Biography | Interview

34

Joe Scully (355 points) Gruff builder Joe arrived with the rest of the family in 1999, replacing the Martins, who were the last traces of one of the show’s original families, the Robinsons. This meant that they had a tougher time than most when being accepted by fans, but Joe won fans as he struggled to cope with financial problems and a house full of women. And his passing resemblance to another Joe, Mangel to be precise, didn’t go unnoticed by some fans either. But it was the departure of actor Shane Connor, after 3 and a half years, that the character will unfortunately be remembered for, as Shane was dismissed from the set one day, leading to a trial for unfair dismissal. This led to a sudden vanishing act for Joe, as he went to care for family in Bendigo and never returned. Although his ex-wife, son, daughter and grandson are still Ramsay Street residents, it seems unlikely we’ll ever hear Joe’s startled cries of “Lynnie!” ever again. Biography

33

Dione Bliss (357 points) Beautiful nurse Dione ‘Dee’ Bliss almost didn’t become a Ramsay Street resident, with rumours suggesting that it was a choice between Dee and her best friend, Carrie Clark for a new regular character. Dee won out, and Carrie then disappeared, never to be mentioned again. Dee, meanwhile, grew to become one of Erinsborough’s most popular character in the early 2000s, thanks, in part, to Madeleine West’s excellent comic timing, taking her into a different league to many of Ramsay Street’s other glamorous females. When Madeleine West was knocked down by a bus in 2002, the sheer volume of support from the show and its fans showed how popular she was, and before long, she was back on our screens and in the midst of a love triangle with Toadie and Darcy, that would eventually provide her exit from the show. Her exit too wasn’t without its controversy, as Dee disappeared into the sea on her wedding day, and to this day, fans are still wondering if she will ever ‘do a Harold’ and come back to reunite with her husband of just one day. Biography

32

Bree Timmins (367 points) One of Ramsay Street’s more recent residents, Bree Timmins has been through a lot, and clearly made an impact, during her 18 months in the show. Her reputation as the quietest, most intelligent member of the rowdy Timmins family was cemented early on, as she developed a friendship with teacher Susan, and won a national spelling bee. Fans enjoyed seeing a young character who wasn’t the normal skinny blonde, only worried about her love life and, in 2006, she was given her first major plot when a school project about DNA led to the discovery that she wasn’t a Timmins at all and had been swapped with another baby at the hospital. Her attempts to find her real family have so far come to nothing, and she has instead concentrated on publicising her first novel, The Bogan’s Tipped Hair, which led to her meeting her biggest fan, the mysterious blind girl, Anne Baxter, who seems intent on taking over her life. Biography

31

Gail Robinson (372 points) Fondly remembered by many fans as the glamorous no-nonsense second wife of Paul Robinson, with a wardrobe by Kamizole, Gail also had a soft side, as shown by her search for her birth father, her heartbreak as she came to terms with problems conceiving a baby of her own, and the death of her adoptive father, Rob, following a car accident. Although their marriage had originally been one of convenience, Paul and Gail’s relationship captured viewers imaginations and, by the end of 1987, they were in love for real, renewing their vows a few weeks later. But it was Gail’s emotional side that saw her leave Erinsborough, heavily pregnant and unsure whether work-obsessed Paul could really devote himself to being a proper father. Fans were thrilled when, in 2006, with the three triplets that resulted from the pregnancy now with their father in Erinsborough, Gail returned, having found out that one of the twin boys was in a coma and the other was a cold-blooded killer. Her six-week return was only too brief, as she almost reignited the flame with Paul, before deciding not to revisit the past, and returning to her new life in Tasmania. Biography

Thanks to Billy, Callum, Lucy, Ryan and Steve