List of Neighbours characters introduced in 2012
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel Eleven. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the soap in 2012, by order of first appearance. Until May, characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Susan Bower. Thereafter, they were introduced by her successor, Richard Jasek. The 28th season of Neighbours began airing on 9 January 2012. Four-piece indie band William and the Tells made their debut as Red Cotton in the same month, while Toby Wallace made his debut as Corey O'Donahue. Dominic Emmerson and [|Rani Kapoor] began appearing from February. [|Vanessa Villante] arrived in March, while [|Sheila Canning], Bernard Cabello and Zoe Alexander made their debuts from May. [|Ed Lee] arrived in June. Alex Delpy and Dale Madden appeared in August. Harley Canning and Bradley Fox arrived in September, while [|Georgia Brooks], Francesca Villante and Father Guidotti made their debuts in October. Monica Wetherby appeared in November. Scotty Boland and Patrick Villante began appearing from December.
Red Cotton
Red Cotton, played by real life band William and the Tells, made their first on screen appearance on 16 January 2012. The band's casting was announced on 21 September 2011. William and the Tells are a four piece indie group from Melbourne fronted by siblings William and Pete Ewing, with their friends Ben Callaghan and Sam Walsh. The group were renamed Red Cotton for their guest stint with the show. William Ewing told Clare Quirk of The Warrnambool Standard that a friend revealed Neighbours were looking for a band and that they had auditioned seventy already, but none of them could act. Musician, Pete Ewing told Neighbours that William could act and they were given the role of Red Cotton six weeks later. The band members began filming their first scenes the week following the casting announcement. Of joining the show, William Ewing said "It's a huge opportunity for a bunch of local boys. Being able to blend acting and music will be great fun, and I'm looking forward to meeting long-time hero Lou Carpenter." William and the Tells performed their own material when they appeared as Red Cotton. Their storyline saw Andrew Robinson become their manager.Andrew Robinson gets in contact with [|Griffin] O'Donahue and his band, Red Cotton, and arranges for them to play a gig at Eden Hills University. Andrew then tries to get the band to sign with him. Andrew persuades Griffin and Red Cotton to film a music video at Erinsborough High. Griffin is unhappy when Sophie Ramsay turns up, as he believes she dated his younger brother, Corey, to get closer to the band. Sophie apologises for hurting Corey, but explains she did not date him to get to the band. Sophie halts the music video and explains the band need more attitude, which Griffin agrees with. However, she gets carried away and wrecks the bathroom they are filming in. Griffin meets Andrew in Charlie's and gives him the bill for the broken guitar. Andrew tells Griffin the music video is ready and Griffin likes what he sees. He agrees to speak to the rest of the group about Andrew becoming their manager. Griffin tells Andrew to find them a label and a producer so they can make a record. Andrew manages to secure the band a month-long residency at Charlie's and the first gig sells out. Griffin comes to Andrew and tells him he and the band have been asking around, and the deal they have is not fair. Griffin explains that the band will not play unless they are paid more. Andrew eventually agrees to give them more money and the band play the gig. Red Cotton play another gig at Charlie's. Griffin asks Natasha Williams out, but she tells him she has a boyfriend and encourages him to ask Summer Hoyland out instead. Griffin talks to Summer and they kiss at the end of the night. Griffin and the band are not happy when Andrew starts managing The Right Prescription and moves their gig to another night. Summer and Griffin begin dating, but Andrew learns Griffin is seeing other girls at the same time. Andrew asks Griffin to tell Summer, but he refuses, so Andrew drops the band. Summer later learns Griffin is seeing other girls and she breaks up with him. Red Cotton later find new management and get a record deal.
Corey O'Donahue
Corey O'Donahue, played by Toby Wallace, made his first on screen appearance on 16 January 2012. Wallace's casting was announced in December 2011 and he had a one-month guest contract with the show. Of his casting, Wallace told TV Week "I grew up in England and Neighbours is quite big there, so when I got the part it was really weird." The actor revealed he had to change his appearance quite a lot for the role. Corey has "a funky-looking" hairstyle and he wears earrings.Describing his character, Wallace said "Corey's brother is in a band, and he sees him as a really cool person. Corey wants to follow in his footsteps, so he dresses like him and pretends he's into music and going to gigs. Underneath he's almost a geek, but he gets away with it because he's got this charm about him." When asked if he could relate to Corey, Wallace said he could, especially when it comes to lying about what music and movies he likes to the people he is with. Corey meets Sophie Ramsay at one of his brother's gigs and manages to win her over pretty quickly. Wallace said the characters click and Sophie really likes Corey. He added "But there's this wall between Sophie and Corey in that she doesn't really know who he is. She likes that mystery." Corey gives Sophie her first kiss and Wallace said he and Jones had to do the scene about fifteen times to film the different angles.
Corey goes to Eden Hills University to watch his brother, Griffin's, band play a gig. He meets Sophie Ramsay and they kiss. Andrew Robinson breaks them up and orders Sophie to go home. Corey tells Andrew he and Sophie were just having a bit of fun and he asks for her number. Andrew refuses to give it to out and tells him to leave Sophie alone. Corey comes to meet Sophie and he reveals to Andrew that he is the younger brother of Griffin, Red Cotton's lead singer. Andrew then asks him whether the band have spoken to anyone about management. Corey and Sophie go to Harold's Store to hang out. They are interrupted by Paul Robinson, who sends Sophie home. Andrew runs into Corey and encourages him to call Sophie. Corey goes on another date with Sophie and meets Callum Jones, and beginning talking about an online role playing game, which causes Sophie to lose interest in Corey. Corey is hurt when Sophie tells him they should break up. When Corey asks why, Sophie tells him she thought he would be more like his brother and into music. She also reveals Andrew wants to manage Red Cotton and Corey feels that she used him.
Rani Kapoor
Rani Kapoor, played by Coco Cherian, made her debut screen appearance on 1 February 2012. The character and Cherian's casting was announced on 7 December 2011. Rani is the teenage daughter of Ajay and Priya Kapoor. She is "a typical high school girl", who wants to be popular. Rani began a short relationship with Harley Canning, unaware that her friend, Callum Jones, had a crush on her. She later uncovered her mother's affair with Paul Robinson, which left her "reeling".Dominic Emmerson
Dominic Emmerson, played by former Home and Away actor Lincoln Lewis, made his first on screen appearance on 3 February 2012. The character and Lewis' casting was announced on 24 September 2011. The actor had a four-week guest stint with Neighbours and of his casting he said "I've wanted to be on Neighbours since I was a little kid and finally it has happened." Lewis filmed his scenes alongside Ashleigh Brewer and Stefan Dennis on location in Port Douglas from 10 October. The shoot lasted for a week. Lewis and Brewer previously worked together on The Sleepover Club when they were twelve. Producers offered Lewis a one-year contract to remain in the show. He decided against signing up because he was already committed to working on other roles.Dominic is a marine biologist, who is described as being charismatic and a charmer. Of his character, Lewis explained "At the start, Dominic comes across as annoying but as time goes by you see it is just a cheeky persistence. He has a live-for-the-moment attitude. Nothing is too much drama for him." He also described the role as fun. Dominic meets Kate Ramsay after she escapes from Melbourne to Port Douglas and loses her phone on the beach. Dominic finds and returns it and a relationship sparks between them. Colin Vickery of The Advertiser said "At first Kate is suspicious of smooth-talking Dominic but slowly she melts." She finds he is the distraction she has been looking for and they have a holiday fling.
Dominic is walking along the beach when he discovers a mobile phone. When it rings, he answers it and speaks to Lucas Fitzgerald. He tries to tell him where he is, but the signal cuts out. Dominic is looking for the owner when Kate Ramsay calls him and tells him he has her phone. Dominic arranges for them to meet, but Kate is late. They successfully try again and Dominic asks Kate out to dinner. She turns him down and tries to grab her phone, but it falls into a swimming pool. Dominic comes across Kate on the beach and offers to show her around, but she turns him down. Dominic is being told off by a tourist for being late for their tour, when Kate appears and helps him out. To thank her, Dominic buys her lunch and they spend the day together. They later kiss on the beach. Dominic and Kate go on a rainforest walk together and Kate tells him she really likes him. Dominic quits his job, so he can accompany Kate to Vietnam. Kate explains to Dominic that her younger sister is in trouble and her uncle wants her to come back home. Dominic tells that it is okay if she wants to leave and that their time together has been fun, but Kate stays. Dominic and Kate prepare to leave for Vietnam, but Kate changes her mind and reveals she needs to go home. Dominic and Kate say goodbye on the beach.
Vickery praised the actor, saying "Lewis brings a wonderful lightness of touch to his Neighbours role." Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun called Dominic "the embodiment of a holiday romance for unlucky-in-love Kate." A reporter for the Sunday Mercury called Dominic "a roguish stranger", with a "mischievous personality."