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Character Profiles > Lauren Turner Sarah Vandenbergh, Kate Kendall

Lauren Turner nee Carpenter 1993-1994, 2013-2017, 2017, 2018
Lived: 24 and 32 Ramsay Street
Parents: Lou and Kathy Carpenter
Marital Status: Matt Turner (previously named Mark/Craig) (Died 2015), Brad Willis (2016-)
Siblings: Ling Mai and Guy; Louise (adoptive)
Children: Paige, Mason, Amber, Bailey
Family Tree: Carpenter
Occupation: Riding Instructor, Assistant at Daphne's Coffee Shop, The Hungry Bite Cafe and Harold's Store

The youngest child of Lou and Kathy Carpenter, Lauren Carpenter grew up in Brisbane, Queensland, and whereas her older brother, Guy, had a strained relationship with their father, Lauren was always the apple of Lou's eye. When Lou and Kathy divorced, Lauren was devastated, and to make up for his daughter's suffering, Lou indulged Lauren's love of horses by buying her a pony. Horse-riding was Lauren's true love, and she dreamed of one day owning her own horses and stables.

As she grew into a young woman, Lauren saw less and less of her father. So when Lou settled in Erinsborough, Lauren decided to head down to Ramsay Street to live with him. By that stage, Lou's little girl was a beautiful young woman who immediately had the men of Erinsborough vying for her attention. But Lauren fell in love the minute she rode into Erinsborough on her beloved horse, Chucka Mental. Before arriving on Ramsay Street, Lauren had taken Chuckie for a ride along the beach, where she caught the eye of a hunky surfer. The two met again a few days later as Lauren got to know her new neighbours, and it turned out that the surfer was Brad Willis, who lived two doors away on Ramsay Street and was the fiance of Beth Brennan, who was lodging with Lou and had become close friends with Lauren. Due to this friendship with Beth, Lauren resisted giving into her feelings for Brad for as long as she could, but the two finally succumbed to temptation one day when they were at the beach together, and they had sex. Lauren was ridden with guilt over her betrayal of Beth, and the guilt increased as she and Brad started to see more of each other behind Beth's back.

When Cameron Hudson, Brad's cousin, asked Lauren out on a date, Lauren accepted in order to ward off any suspicions anyone in the neighbourhood was having about her and Brad. She soon found herself dating Cameron, but when Cameron found out about Lauren's affair with Brad, he left Erinsborough in disgust. As Brad and Beth's wedding day approached, more pressure was placed on Lauren after Beth asked her to be her bridesmaid. She and Brad eventually agreed that they couldn't see each other anymore, and it was time for them to put what they had behind them. But on the day of the wedding, Beth herself realised that there was an attraction between Brad and Lauren, and she called off the wedding just as the ceremony began, before taking some time away from Erinsborough.

Brad and Lauren decided to start seeing each other again, but agreed that for the time being, they should keep the relationship under wraps to avoid causing any further hurt to their families and friends. Soon afterwards, Lauren suspected she was pregnant, but after a visit to the doctor, she was told that she wasn't pregnant, but actually suffering from a pelvic disease which left her with only a ten percent chance of ever having children. Brad comforted Lauren as she tried to come to terms with the news, but Lou was angry with Brad, and accused him of messing about with Lauren's life. Brad decided that he needed to prove he was serious about Lauren, and so pledged to bring their relationship out into the open. But Beth returned to Erinsborough before the couple went public with their relationship, asking Brad to try again and even asking Lauren to put things behind them. With renewed pressure on their relationship, Brad and Lauren continued to see each other in private, and had several near-misses, including nearly getting caught by Brad's parents at the Willis house, and in the bush by Wayne Duncan. Lou and Brad's sister, Gaby, were the only two who knew about the secret relationship, but the couple finally grew tired of sneaking around after Gaby walked in on them half naked in the empty No. 22 as she was showing some prospective tenants around. Brad finally realised he would have to tell Beth that there was no hope of a reconciliation, and make it clear that he and Lauren were an item. Beth actually took the news quite well, paving the way for Brad and Lauren to see each other publicly at long last.

Only one minor obstacle stood in the way of their relationship, however - Lauren's horse was jealous of Brad! The cost of Chuckie was also starting to take its toll on Lauren, and she was forced to enter into a part-ownership with Lou, Cathy Alessi and Pam Willis. After Raymond Lim bought into the syndicate, he quickly placed an offer of $35,000 for Chuckie on behalf of his company, Brighton Oaks. But Lauren was determined not to sell Chuckie outright, and was desperate to keep some hold on him. The rest of the syndicate wanted to sell, though, and Lauren was eventually forced to give up her beloved horse.

Lauren's relationship with Brad came under an intense strain when he developed a gambling addiction, and he ended up leaving Erinsborough for a couple of months to work on a cruise ship in an attempt to combat his problem. Before he left, Brad did manage to make his peace with Lauren, but while he was gone, Lauren began to feel that their relationship was coming to an end. Her doubts were confirmed when Beth mentioned she had received a postcard from Brad at one point during his absence, and Lauren even found herself being drawn to Connor Cleary, an Irish jockey she met at the stables where she worked. Connor asked Lauren to move to Hong Kong with him to start over, and Lauren seriously considered his offer. But when she heard Brad was back in Erinsborough, she hurried over to the Willis house to see him and find out exactly where they stood with eachother before making a decision about Connor. However, Lauren was shocked to walk in on Brad zipping up the back of a dress on a mysterious blonde girl, and she ran off before he could offer any explanation. When Brad finally caught up with Lauren, he explained that the girl she had seen him with was Lucy Robinson - his ex-girlfriend, who he had bumped into while he was away. Despite Brad assuring Lauren that nothing was going on between him and Lucy, he did admit to Lauren that he felt they should end their relationship. The excitement and passion that had been evident when they first met had long since died out, and deep down, both Lauren and Brad knew this. Despite being single again, though, Lauren declined Connor's offer of joining him in Hong Kong, and opted to stay in Erinsborough.

It was quite a blow to Lauren when Brad and Beth got back together again, and she started to feel depressed and downbeat. Further trauma followed when Lauren fell of her horse while out riding with Lou one afternoon, and damaged her spine. While Lauren awaited the test results on her back, she and Lou swapped jobs - with Lou having to contend with early start at the stables and Lauren throwing herself into sorting out the accounts at Lou's car yard. But Lauren was shattered when the doctor rang her with the test results and told her that she had damaged a disc in her spine and wouldn't be able to ride for at least a year. Aside from not being able to ride, Lauren was also forced to give up her job at the stables because it would have been too strenuous for her, and instead, she had to make do with working at the Coffee Shop.

It was at the Coffee Shop that Lauren made two new friends, Jacob Collins and Ruth Avery. They were two customers who she got to know from calling in each day, and when they asked her out with some more of their friends one day, Lauren took them up on their offer. A week later, Lauren was asked to another gathering of friends by Ruth and Jacob, and she let them meet at her place. Lou was initially pleased to see Lauren enjoying the company of her new friends when he met them, but found them a little odd when they lectured him on the perils of alcohol. Lauren, too, started to feel uneasy when the group began reading excerpts from the bible. However, after spending some more afternoons with the group, Lauren started to feel more and more comfortable and welcome by them, and her confidence in herself was restored after months of personal trauma. It was at this stage that Jacob and Ruth explained to Lauren that they were all part of a religious group called the Children of Barabbas, and Lauren was no longer put off by the group's religious tendencies now that she was so firmly ensconced in their world. Lou, however, began to grow concerned about his daughter when she started preaching to all and sundry about how wonderful the Children of Barabbas were. And Lou ended up confronting Lauren about her new friends when she took to trying to convert Coffee Shop customers. Lauren sought support from her new friends after her row with Lou, culminating in Jacob and Ruth telling her that the Barabbians were her real family now.

Lou, meanwhile, was shocked to learn from Reverend Richards that the Children of Barabbas was actually an extreme cult, and he desperately urged Lauren to stop seeing them immediately. Helen Daniels even arranged for Lauren to meet with a former member of the cult, but Lauren rejected everyone's concern, and insisted that the Barabbians were her spiritual family. It was only when Lauren went to the Barabbians' country retreat for the wedding of Ruth and Jacob that she discovered how corrupt and evil the group was. After the wedding ceremony, which was conducted by the leader of the sect himself, Lauren fled in terror after Barabbas tried to make her have sex with him. As soon as she found a phone, Lauren called Lou to pick her up. While she was waiting for Lou, Barabbas and Ruth caught up with Lauren and tried to force her back to the retreat. But Lou and Brad showed up just in time, and as Brad brought Lauren to the safety of the car, Lou warned the Barabbians never to come near his daughter again.

After Brad and Beth married, Lauren had a brief romance with Wayne Duncan, who was also nursing a broken heart over the Brad/Beth union due to a past relationship he had had with the bride. When Lou moved his new love, Cheryl Stark, into No. 24 with her two teenage children, Brett and Danni, Lauren started to feel out of place - especially after feuding with Danni. After calling her old boss in Queensland, Lauren was thrilled when he offered her her old job back, and she returned to live with her mother. Lauren eventually opened her own riding school there and she later married, before presenting a proud Lou with his first grandchild - a son called Mason. When she experienced marital problems and left her husband, Lou rushed up to Queensland to mediate between Lauren and Matt, eventually succeeding in getting them to reunite. In June 2012, the Turners' riding school closed down.

In February 2013, Lauren, Matt and their two younger children, Amber and Bailey moved to Erinsborough, staying with Lou at 32 Ramsay Street. Though Lauren was delighted to be with her dad again, she was unaware just how much his life on Ramsay Street had changed in the 20 years she'd been away, still believing that he owned property and his car yard, and she was surprised to find out that he'd lost all of his businesses and was currently renting a room. However, it wasn't just Lou who was keeping secrets, as Lauren struggled with hiding the truth from her dad about why they'd really come to Erinsborough, and why their eldest son Mason wasn't with them. Upon their arrival in town, Lou told them that they could stay with him at 32 Ramsay Street until they found a home of their own, but with house prices so much higher in Erinsborough than back in Mount Isa, Lauren decided to try and find some part-time work, and was soon back behind the counter at the local cafe, now known as Harold's Store.

Lauren quickly managed to fit in with the locals once again, but her family problems still plagued her, particularly as Mason's 18th birthday came around, and she struggled to deal with him being away from her, though still couldn't tell her father the truth - that Mason was actually in juvenile detention. When number 32 was then targeted by a burglar, Matt assured her it was just a random act, but Lauren grew concerned that moving down from Queensland wasn't going to be quite the fresh start she was hoping for. When Matt then heard that Mason had been released from juvenile detention a few days earlier, Lauren became increasingly concerned as he failed to get in touch. When he did eventually arrive, he was apologetic, claiming that he'd turned over a new leaf since the warehouse robbery that had landed him inside. Delighted to have her son back, Lauren began to think that maybe things would work out for the family in Erinsborough after all, but she was unaware of the complex web of secrets that her family had been keeping from her.

The truth finally came out after Lou found a pregnancy testing kit in the bins outside the house. When Lou started dropping hints about a baby, Lauren was forced to tell him that she wasn't pregnant, but it didn't take much figuring out for them to find its owner. Amber explained that she wasn't pregnant, but refused to discuss who the father was until an argument broke out between the Turner kids. Lauren and Matt learnt that Amber had been secretly seeing Robbo for months, and then Lauren was horrified to realise that Bailey had been at the warehouse robbery that had sent Mason to juvie - and that Matt had allowed his younger son to get away and only arrested Mason. Lauren struggled to deal with everything that her family had been keeping from her and although she forgave her kids, she admitted to Lou that she wasn't sure if things with Matt could ever be the same again. As the animosity between the couple got worse, the kids decided that a family cricket match might help repair things, roping in the Rebecchis from next door to join them. The game was over quickly, as an angry Lauren hit the ball straight at Toadie's crotch, and she ended up pouring her heart out to Toadie's wife, Sonya about her marital problems. The Rebecchis thought that perhaps the Turners could use a dinner with the Kennedys - Karl and Susan had been living on the street for many years, moving in only months after Lauren had left Erinsborough in 1994. Their marriage had survived many problems, but during dinner, their over-the-top attempts to show how happy they were with jokes and banter just managed to irritate Lauren and Matt. Thankfully, back home, they ended up laughing about their terrible experience and fell into bed together.

As Lauren realised that Matt had only lied to protect her, she thought that the family would finally be able to move on, until a letter arrived, postmarked Mount Isa, warning Matt that somebody knew their secret. Though the family closed ranks, believing that Robbo was out to get them, it actually turned out that the letter had come from Rhiannon, Mason's old girlfriend, who'd been angry about Matt splitting them up when he sent Mason to juvie. Relieved that they might finally be able to move on from everything, Lauren was concerned when Mason confessed his criminal past to Kate, a girl he was interested in. Lauren asked Kate to keep it to herself, hopeful that their fresh start wasn't about to come crashing down around them for a second time. Sadly, Lauren's fears proved to be correct, but it wasn't because of Kate, but Sonya. Mason and Robbo had attempted to rob Lassiters hotel some weeks earlier, with Robbo saying that he'd take the money and get out of Erinsborough for good. They'd been spotted by Sonya, running away from the scene but, following an explosion at her wedding reception, she'd lost her entire memory of the day. But as her memory came back, she remembered seeing Mason, and reported it to the police - he was arrested, and soon the truth about Bailey's involvement in the Mount Isa robbery, and Matt's cover-up, came out. As they waited for Mason's trial, there was good news for both Matt and Bailey; Matt kept his job, but received a demotion to Senior Constable, whilst Bailey received a police warning.

As the Turners waited for Mason's court hearing, Lauren was in for a huge surprise when a blast from her past - in the form of ex-boyfriend Brad Willis - moved back to Erinsborough. Now married to his second wife, Terese, Brad returned to town as Terese accepted a job as manager of Lassiters, and the accommodation at 22 Ramsay Street that came with it. And as the residents of Ramsay Street gathered to watch the eclipse, Lauren was stunned to find out the identity of her new neighbour. Old feelings quickly resurfaced for her, but she played them down, and Lauren also struggled to tell Matt about her history with Brad, even asking Terese not to say anything. However, Brad quickly put his foot in it when he mentioned it to Brad, and soon there was a rivalry building between the two men. When the Turners got some of their possessions out of storage, after selling the Mount Isa house, Lauren found another reason for Matt to be jealous, as she stumbled upon one of her old sketchbooks with a drawing of Brad when he was younger. Lauren quickly tried to dispose of it, but Matt found it in the bin, and decided to get one of the sketches, of their old house in Queensland, put into a frame, unaware that the picture of Brad was on the other side. Lauren was relieved that her secret was safe for the moment, and another huge weight was taken from her shoulders when Mason's court hearing arrived, and he received a three-year good behaviour bond.

Meanwhile, as renovations began at Harold's Store, owner Lyn Scully suddenly announced that she could no longer afford it, and would be putting the business up for sale - and with the money from the sale of the Mount Isa house, Lauren suggested to Matt that they should be the ones to buy it. At first, Matt wasn't keen on the idea, and Lauren was upset, feeling that it was because of the failure of her riding school, and that he didn't trust her to run a business. However, Matt eventually gave in and the pair made an offer to Lyn, which was accepted. Although it stretched the family financially - and there were some problems with the electrics only hours after the re-opening - Lauren was determined to prove herself and make a success of the venture. With things finally settling down at the store, and after spending her day off babysitting babies Nell and Patrick, Lauren told Matt that she was starting to think about them having another baby. Though unhappy with the idea at first, Matt soon realised how much it meant to Lauren, and started to come around to the idea. But more babies were the last thing on their minds, when Lucas broke the news that he was selling number 32, and having put all of their money into the store, Lauren and Matt realised that they'd have to leave Ramsay Street and move somewhere cheaper.

As if the Turners didn't already have enough to worry about, Lauren and Matt were concerned when Robbo Slade returned to town and, after being arrested for his part in the Lassiter's robbery, was released on bail. When they realised that Amber was confused over her feelings for her ex, and had been seeing him in secret, Lauren warned her daughter to stay away from Robbo, and was relieved when Amber seemed to be moving on, into a new relationship with Josh Willis. But Lauren was unaware of just how much trouble Amber and Mason were getting themselves into, as they tried to get Robbo to leave town. When Amber slept with Robbo, he recorded it and threatened to put it online, telling Mason that he wanted $10,000. Mason only confided in Paul, as he struggled to raise the full amount of money, but a few weeks later, Amber learnt what had been going on, whilst Mason confided in Josh, Chris and Hudson. The men went to give Robbo his money, whilst Amber was also looking to confront him over his actions, and the next morning, he was found unconscious in the road, the victim of a hit-and-run. With her children doing their best to cover up their actions, Lauren was completely unaware that neither Amber nor Mason had an alibi for their whereabouts that night. She then found herself drawn into the case when Mason stole Robbo's laptop from his squat before the police got to it, eventually guessing the password, and surprised to find that his mum had been emailing Robbo. Lauren explained that she'd just been trying to help bring some resolution to matters, but had never met with him as planned - and when Matt found out, he persuaded Mason to hand in the laptop, and Lauren to tell the police about the emails. There was also some good news to come, when Vanessa and Lucas decided at the last minute, following a windfall from her ex-husband, that they didn't need to sell number 32, and the Turners were able to stay.

Only days later, it was finally revealed that Hudson had been the one who'd run down Robbo that night, but the truth also came out about what the Turner and Willis kids had been doing, and how much they'd been covering up. As punishment, Amber and Josh were banned from seeing each other, and Matt's relationship with Mason was also left badly damaged. As she and Brad found out that Amber and Josh had still been sneaking around to see each other, they agreed to lift the ban and change the punishment, but both Matt and Terese were annoyed at not being consulted, with Terese demanding that the original punishment be reinstated. As the parents all tried to resolve the situation, Lauren found herself feeling unexpectedly upset as Brad sided with his wife during the mediation but things then got more serious as Josh announced that he was quitting school. Matt and Lauren's concerns then turned to whether Amber and Josh were about to start having a sexual relationship, as they felt that Amber needed to take things a lot slower this time, after Robbo had treated her so badly. After talking things through with the Willis parents, Lauren had a chat with Amber, who made it clear that she had spoken to Josh and they were going to wait a few months. Josh, however, had other ideas, thinking they'd only be waiting a couple of weeks, and the misunderstanding came out when Lauren rushed home one day, after learning that Amber and Josh were alone in the spa together. Amber was mortified, as she came to the conclusion that her mum didn't trust her to say no to a boy, and realised that Josh wanted sex sooner than she did. However, when Josh told her that he loved her for the first time, she struggled to stay angry, and Josh told her that he'd be happy to wait, if that was what she wanted.

Meanwhile, Lauren's old sketch of Brad reared its ugly head once more, having gone missing earlier in the year, when Matt found it at the local junk shop. As he realised just how hard Lauren had been trying to keep it from him, Matt wondered what exactly she was trying to hide, and, with Lou away visiting Louise, he moved into the spare bedroom for a while. As she struggled to explain her actions to her husband, Lauren started being plagued by dreams of Brad, with them dancing the tango together. As the dreams started to become more frequent, Lauren tried to figure out their meaning, and was very alarmed when one day she was having a nap, and her dream of Brad ended with her seeing a pram, and the sound of a baby crying. The situation grew more awkward when Matt found out about the dreams, through Sheila, who Lauren had confided in. Rather than get upset, Matt went very quiet, and Lauren was concerned when she spotted him with his colleague Kelly Merolli, only to learn that she'd been giving him secret dance lessons. Lauren was touched by the gesture and the marriage was back on track. However, with Christmas approaching, Lauren continued to suffer from sleepless nights, eventually calling her mum for a chat - and Matt was pleased to find that Lauren's regular conversations with Kathy seemed to be helping her to sleep properly again. When Lucy returned to town, Lauren was a little distant with her - Lucy believed that it was because she'd been the one who'd appointed Terese as Lassiter's manager and had brought Brad back into Lauren's life. But Lauren actually had something far bigger to hide and when Lucy caught Lauren crying over a small bear that had fallen from the Christmas tree, the truth finally came out, and Lauren admitted that she'd been pregnant with Brad's child when she left Ramsay Street all those years ago. The next day, away from the Turner house, Lauren explained to Lucy how she had gone back home to Brisbane, and only her mum had known about the pregnancy, but following a very difficult birth, she'd woken up to learn that the baby, a little girl, had died. Needing to get away, she'd gone to visit an old friend in Mount Isa, which was where she met Matt and made a fresh start, and nobody but her mum had ever known about the baby she lost.

Over the weeks that followed, Lauren decided that she wasn't ready to open up to Brad or Matt. However, when Mason decided to leave town, accepting a job with Lassiter's in Darwin, Lauren found her emotions getting the better of her, struggling to say goodbye to her son. The following week, neighbour Georgia suffered a miscarriage, and Lauren went to see her and told her about the baby she'd lost. The events made Lauren realise that she needed to be honest with Matt and Brad about the past if she was ever going to move on. However, when Matt surprised her with a salsa class that afternoon, she couldn't find the right moment to speak to him. Having mentioned to her mum what she was planning to do, Lauren was surprised when Kathy arrived in Erinsborough and immediately tried to discourage Lauren from telling her husband. As Lauren pressed ahead with her plan, and even spoke about visiting the town where she'd lost the child, Kathy finally told her the truth - the baby wasn't stillborn, it had been taken away and adopted. Lauren went into shock as her mother told her that she'd managed to arrange things with a doctor in the town of Maleny and, when Lauren had woken up and assumed that her child had died, Kathy simply hadn't corrected her. She explained that she had no idea where Lauren's daughter was now, and that she'd even had second thoughts about the whole thing and gone back to to the doctor to find out, but he was already dead. Lauren then had to be honest with Matt, who was supportive, and with Brad, who was left stunned at the news that he had a 20-year-old daughter somewhere out there in the world. Terese, meanwhile, was furious about the whole situation, and the couples agreed that they wouldn't tell any of the kids until they'd decided what they were going to do.

The revelations destroyed Lauren's relationship with her mum, as Kathy was told to leave, and Lauren made it clear that she would never forgive her for what she'd done. A few days later, Terese realised that Kathy hadn't gone back to Queensland and was actually staying at the hotel, and she passed this information on to Lauren. Lauren went to her mum's hotel room and again told her to get out of town, though Kathy did her best to get her daughter to open up. Lauren explained that she and Brad weren't even sure if they were going to try to find their daughter, but admitted that she desperately wanted to. As they thought through their options, Lauren realised that if they involved the police, then Kathy could be facing criminal charges, as could the people who'd adopted the baby - which Lauren confessed to Brad she'd been calling 'Lily' for all these years. The next idea was to use a private investigator, though the expense made that difficult too, but there was a sudden breakthrough when Bailey admitted that he'd posted on an internet forum which reunites adoptees with their birth parents, and that someone called Lisa had been in touch. After reading her story, and then speaking to her, Brad and Lauren wanted to meet her straight away, and she flew down to meet them the following morning. Though Lisa wasn't entirely honest about her family life, for fear that the Turners and Willises would think badly of her, as her adoptive father was in prison, she eventually opened up and it looked like she might have found her family. However, at the hospital, Brad, Lauren and Lisa were upset to realise that, from their blood groups, there was no way that they could be related. Lisa returned home, and a devastated Lauren closed herself off, deciding that she no longer wanted to search for Lily, as it was too painful.

Though everyone could see that Lauren was unhappy, she told them all that she was OK and would bounce back from this. But she was unable to stop thinking about Lisa, and decided to call her without telling anyone. When Lou then mentioned that he was planning to cut back on his shifts at the store, and go to pay Mai Ling another visit in Cambodia, Lauren had the idea of bringing Lisa back down to Erinsborough and offering her a job and somewhere to live. The family thought it was a slightly strange idea, and Lou was certain that Lauren was beginning to use Lisa as a replacement for the daughter she might never find. With Brad unable to get through to her, Terese attempted to make Lauren see sense, and as they were arguing about it, Lauren accidentally said 'Lily' instead of 'Lisa' and realised that her behaviour wasn't healthy, so she contacted Lisa and told her that she'd changed her mind, relieved when Lisa admitted that she'd also had reservations about the whole idea.

A few weeks later, Lauren was surprised to learn that Brad had secretly hired a private investigator to continue the search, and had been given a lead to a family in Adelaide. Originally intending to go there on his own, Brad had been caught out by Terese, who had persuaded him to tell Lauren - who then decided that she was going to go with him. Once in Adelaide, Brad and Lauren were disappointed to find that the address they'd been given no longer existed, and the land was now subdivided with an entire housing estate on it. Worried that they were on a wild goose chase, they headed to a motel so that they could contact Tracey, the private investigator, and hopefully resume their search the next day. That night, as they struggled with the emotion of the situation, Brad heard Lauren crying and comforted her, but as they spoke about how different things might have been, if only she'd told him about the baby all those years ago, they ended up sharing a kiss. The next morning, Lauren decided to go home rather than continue the search, and intended to be honest with Matt about the kiss, only to find that he'd arranged a surprise wedding vow renewal, just a few days ahead of their 20th wedding anniversary. They then headed off for a short holiday in Daylesford, whilst in Adelaide, Brad believed that he'd hit a dead end when he spoke to Ethan Smith, who said that he was the son of Mary and John Smith - a couple who'd been in the area when Kathy had the baby adopted - but that he was an only child, so they couldn't be the people he was looking for. However, as Brad left Ethan with his business card and Lauren's number, just on the off chance, Ethan went inside and made a phone call to his sister, Paige, telling her that her biological father had just come looking for her.

As Paige arrived in Erinsborough and, without revealing her real identity, got closer to Brad and Lauren, Lauren continued to wrestle with her conscience over her kiss with Brad. She confided in Lou as he prepared to take a trip to Cambodia, and he told her that he couldn't tell her what to do, but that she needed to think very carefully, as neither outcome would be that great. Ultimately, Lauren was unable to tell Matt the truth, and she did her best to move on, focusing on problems at home instead, as Bailey turned to alcohol to deal with his problems, and Amber cheated on Josh, starting a new relationship with Daniel Robinson. Meanwhile, Lauren also formed a friendship with Paige, unaware that the young woman was trying to find an opportunity to tell her that she was her long-lost daughter. When Kathy sent a telescope to Bailey, it got Lauren thinking about her mum and trying to mend their relationship for the sake of Bailey and Amber. Lauren invited Kathy for a visit but Paige, who'd found out the true circumstances of her adoption, was determined to get revenge on the woman who'd arranged her illegal adoption and had ultimately changed the course of her life. As Lauren and Kathy sat down and talked things through, Paige was plotting her next move - she grew closer to Kathy, claiming to be interested in learning more about her homewares business, and learned that she had a heart problem and was required to take medication whenever she felt any symptoms. However, Paige's odd behaviour raised Kathy's suspicions, and it wasn't long before Kathy realised Paige's true identity. With everything closing in on her, Paige impulsively stole Kathy's heart medication and the next day, as they were going to see a supplier together, Kathy found a sketchbook, in which Paige had drawn herself and all of her new relatives, including one of Kathy, labelled 'Grandma Witch'. During the confrontation that followed, Kathy suffered a heart attack and was unable to find her medication, and panicking, she drove off and ended up hitting Toadie. Kathy then started to choke, as her scarf had been caught in the door earlier and was strangling her, and Paige acted quickly to help her.

At the hospital, Kathy and Toadie were treated for their injuries, whilst Paige, who'd only suffered a few bruises, claimed that Kathy's medication must have fallen into her bag. When Karl saw her ID and realised that her surname was Smith and not Novak, she began to panic, realising that things had gone too far and that she had to get out of town. Lauren was surprised when, after checking on her mum, she returned home to find the two matching teddy bears - one that had been given to Paige at birth, and the other that Lauren had kept as a reminder, only for it to be accidentally thrown out with the rubbish. Paige had found the matching bear and had left them both on Lauren's doorstep - and a panicked Lauren then realised that her daughter must have been nearby. She bumped into Mark Brennan, who'd been sharing number 24 with Paige and had seen the bears before. Lauren then came to the realisation that Paige was her daughter and chased her as she headed to the airport, managing to stop the minibus. Mother and daughter then had an emotional reunion, with Lauren insisting that she understood why Paige had lied about her identity and that she didn't hold it against her. They went to see Brad, and Paige was relieved as both of her parents accepted her. Unfortunately, the remaining members of the Turner and Willis families were a little less willing to accept Paige after everything that had happened, with Terese feeling particularly threatened by this new bond between Brad and Lauren, and wanting to do everything in her power to show Paige as a troublemaker.

Relations only worsened between the Turners and the Willises when Lou, who'd been badly injured when a tornado hit Erinsborough and caused the roof of the store to cave in, accidentally let slip in his hospital bed that Lauren and Brad had kissed in Adelaide. This revelation looked like it might bring about the end of Matt and Lauren's marriage, with Matt unsure whether he could ever trust his wife again, and almost finding himself tempted into a one-night stand with Sharon Canning. However, as he saw the damage that Terese's mistrust was causing in her own marriage to Brad, and then he caught her looking through Lauren's journal, he realised that they he either needed to end the marriage for good, or attempt to move on from what had happened. He chose the latter, and the Turners then started slowly trying to fix things, with Matt even coming to accept Paige into family, as he moved into number 32, and they all celebrated Christmas together as the year came to an end.

The following year brought new problems, as the kids found out that Kathy had purchased 32 Ramsay Street the previous year - in an attempt to fix some of the problems she'd created by giving away Lauren's baby - and had put it into trust for her grandchildren. Matt quickly became ashamed, feeling that he'd failed his family, and decided that he wanted to buy the house back from them, with the kids eventually agreeing to loan the money back to Matt and Lauren so they could avoid taking on a huge mortgage. Unfortunately, the money was stolen from the bank account when Bailey started chatting to a Russian girl online, not realising that it was all a con, and the Turners were left hugely in debt. Matt then took on a second job, working as a security guard, but was in two minds about sticking with it when he found out he was working for small-time criminal, Dennis Dimato. However, after accepting a bribe to turn a blind eye to Dimato's criminal activities, Matt told Lauren that he'd actually received $10,000 in backpay after a computer error with the police. But it wasn't long before Mark, who'd since returned to the police force, caught Matt out and told him that he'd have to report everything. Matt asked if he could be the one to tell Lauren, who was horrified by her husband's actions, and pleaded with Mark to avoid dragging Matt's name through the mud. He agreed that he wouldn't say anything, but Matt would have to take six months' long service leave, and would also have to give a written statement about his dealings with Dimato, which might then have to go public if the matter came to court.

Though relieved that her husband's career was safe for now, Lauren couldn't deal with the fact that he'd been lying to her for weeks, or that he'd gone against the strong morals that she's always admired in him. As the relationship once again hung by a thread, Matt ended up bumping into Sharon again, and this time they kissed and went back to her hotel room, spotted by Terese. She quickly went to the room and dragged Matt away while Sharon was in the shower, later confiding in Brad about what she'd seen. It was whilst Matt and Brad were arguing over the issue that Danni Ferguson, distracted by a text message, came speeding towards them - Matt pushed Brad out of the way, but was hit himself. At the hospital, Matt was rushed in for surgery and finally, believing that he was going to pull through, Lauren was allowed to see him. As he lay unconscious in his hospital bed, she told him how much she loved him, but he suddenly arrested and had to be rushed back into surgery, where he died.

The Turner family struggled to move on from the loss of Matt, with Lauren doing her best to hold everyone together until the funeral, and slowly finding herself relying more and more on Brad's support, particularly as Bailey was finding it difficult to deal with his grief, and Amber had just announced that she was pregnant. Though the family's financial problems appeared to be over when Matt's superannuation came through, Bailey's behaviour only worsened after learning the real reason behind his dad taking long service leave, and he took his anger out on the roadside memorial to his father, and started drinking again. After he then pushed Lou and stole a car from outside Fitzgerald Motors, Bailey finally opened up to his grandfather about how much he was struggling being at home, around all of the memories of Matt, and Lou suggested that they make a fresh start together up in Queensland. Lauren struggled to say goodbye to her father and her youngest son, only weeks after losing Matt, but realised that it was for the best, and began focusing her efforts on helping Amber with her pregnancy.

With Terese away in Canada, Lauren and Brad started spending more time together, but after an evening alone at the Willis house, the pair fell asleep on the couch after reminiscing about old times. As Lauren attempted to sneak back across the road the next morning, she was spotted by Susan, and later went over to the Kennedy house to make it clear that the whole things was not what it looked like, and was completely innocent. Though Susan believed her, she was also concerned for Terese, and went to see Brad to find out if he planned on telling his wife what had happened. Brad said that there was nothing to tell, but that he had decided to try and spend less time with Lauren, as he didn't want her to become too reliant on him. When Lauren heard about this, she angrily confronted Susan, breaking down in tears as she admitted just how much she was struggling without her husband, and Susan reminded her that she didn't need to lean on Brad, as she had so many other friends in the street who would be only too glad to support her.

Lauren soon found something new to occupy her mind, when she developed a friendship with artist Robin Dawal, who'd been hired to come up with a concept for the rebranding of Lassiter's hotel. As Lauren finally learnt the truth about Matt's dalliance with Sharon just before his death, and Paige became determined to push her parents back together, Terese grew increasingly nervous that she was about to lose her husband. Seeing the growing bond between Lauren and Robin, Terese did her best to get them to spend time together, even suggesting to Robin that Lauren might be interested in dating him. However, with Matt only gone for a couple of months, Lauren was nowhere near ready to move on, and knowing that Robin had feelings for her, she told him that they couldn't continue to see each other.

With the Willis marriage continuing to suffer, and Terese relying more and more on alcohol, things eventually came to a head as months of tension spilled over, and Brad and Lauren slept together. Terese found out almost immediately, after Paul sent her some aerial shots of the neighbourhood, which featured Lauren and Brad kissing in her backyard, then him leaving the house the next morning. While Lauren and Brad insisted that it was the first time that it had happened, Terese was certain that Lauren had been planning to steal her husband for a long time, angrily pushing her rival into the swimming pool. The situation grew even more awkward as the kids found out and started to take sides, and Brad moved into a motel to figure out what to do next. Though they were struggling to resist each other, Lauren and Brad agreed that they couldn't be together with everything still so raw, but Terese was convinced that they were still getting together in secret. After learning of all the problems Brad was having at his motel, Lauren offered him the use of number 32 to do some house-hunting, which quickly developed into an offer for him to move in until he found somewhere else. This caused further bad feeling, particularly from Terese, who'd been playing to move into one of the Eclipse Apartments at Lassiter's, but decided that she would stay at 22 Ramsay Street, so that Brad and Lauren would have to face her each day. Relations worsened when Terese attempted to block some renovations at Harold's Store, which Lauren planned to turn into a cafe - Terese claimed that she hadn't agreed to anything, and Lauren realised that, as it had only been a verbal agreement, she had no proof. However, after some legal consultations with Toadie, she found some email proof, as Terese had agreed to Lauren getting quotes from the hotel's plumbers and electrician, and Terese was forced to back down.

With Lauren asking Brad to make 32 Ramsay Street his permanent home, it seemed as though the three members of the love triangle would either have to learn to get along, or someone would have to move out. Matters only worsened when Terese and Lauren were amongst those trapped at Erinsborough High, when a fire broke out whilst everyone was gathered for a sleepover, protesting the school's planned closure. Following an explosion, Lauren and Terese were trapped beneath some lockers, and as Brad found them, he managed to move Lauren, but was unable to lift the lockers enough to get Terese out. He carried Lauren to safety, promising Terese that he'd return for her, but soon after, the firemen found her with bad burns on her shoulder. At the hospital, the kids believed that Brad had rescued both women and, not wishing to cause any further problems, Brad, Lauren and Terese allowed them to believe that. It wasn't long before Imogen found out the truth from Toadie, who'd also been involved in the fire, and Brad was facing the anger of his children for abandoning their mother. As he then did his best to make it up to Terese and the family, he gradually found himself spending more time back at number 22, and although Lauren tried to be understanding, she couldn't help but worry that Brad was about to go back to his wife.

Trivia Notes
• Lauren was originally played by Sarah Vandenbergh between 1993 and 1994, and the role was taken over by Kate Kendall when the character returned to the cast in 2013
• The name of Lauren's husband was given as both Mark and Craig at various points, but when she returned, it had been changed again to Matt
• The birth of Lauren's eldest son, Mason, was mentioned on screen by Lou in June 1999, though when Mason appeared in February 2013, he had just celebrated his 18th birthday
• In February 2013, Lauren mentions that she used to work at Daphne's Coffee Shop, although for the majority of her time working there, it was named The Hungry Bite Cafe

Magic Moments
Episode 2098: Lauren's Departure
Episode 6574: Lauren's Return/The Turners' Arrival

Tenure
1852-2098, 6574-