List of Neighbours characters introduced in 2015
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 appeared in the soap in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the shows executive producer Jason Herbison. The 31st season of Neighbours began airing from 5 January 2015. Cat Rogers began appearing in the same month, while Michelle Kim, [|Tyler Brennan] and Nick Petrides made their debuts in February. [|Jimmy Williams], [|Aaron Brennan] and [|Mary Smith] were introduced in June. Russell Brennan arrived during July and Courtney Grixti began appearing from August. September saw Piper Willis make her debut and Shay Daeng was introduced in October. Cecilia Saint was introduced in November.
Cat Rogers
Catriona "Cat" Rogers, played by Maleeka Gasbarri, made her first screen appearance on 19 January 2015. The character's picture was previously seen in the episode broadcast on 28 November 2014, while Gasbarri's casting was announced on 15 January 2015. Gasbarri was cast in the month-long guest role after she was spotted by a Neighbours casting agent at an Australian Film and Television Academy course in Perth. Gasbarri filmed an audition tape in her home town of Dunsborough and sent it into them. She continued, "They said I had gotten the role and had to be there in two weeks to start filming. It was a bit overwhelming, but I was so excited."Cat is Erin Rogers's daughter. She was taken into care when her mother became addicted to drugs. Erin tells Sonya Mitchell that Cat does not want to see her, and they only communicate through Facebook. Sonya's husband, Toadfish Rebecchi, sets up a meeting between Cat and Erin, but Cat pulls out at the last minute as she is too nervous. Cat asks for another meeting and turns up early. She bonds with Toadie over BMX bikes and talks with her mother. Cat leaves abruptly when she learns that Erin came to see her cricket matches, but did not speak with her. Erin writes Cat a letter and she returns to see Erin. They bond while playing cricket and when Erin asks Cat to stay a few days, she agrees. However, when Cat turns up she learns Erin has gone. Toadie and Sonya allow Cat to spend the night with them. Cat later asks Sonya and Toadie if she can live with them, as she does not want to stay with her foster parents, who she feels do not want her as they are expecting a baby. Sonya invites Cat's foster mother, [|Lorraine], over to talk. Lorraine convinces Cat that she is wanted and Cat decides to return home. Before she goes, Sonya and Toadie tell her she can visit anytime.
Michelle Kim
Michelle Kim, played by Ra Chapman, made her first screen appearance on 6 February 2015. Chapman finished filming with Neighbours during the week beginning 18 April 2015. Michelle is an associate of "dodgy" businessman Dennis Dimato. Chapman compared Michelle to her role as Kim in prison drama Wentworth, saying she was more toned down, but just as "tough". She continued, "In Wentworth, my character takes the lead while in Neighbours, she is running an illegal car racket and is relentless in getting what she wants. Sometimes a bit scary." Chapman enjoyed playing Michelle, as she evolved to become "tougher and meaner".When Matt Turner starts a new job as a security guard at Dimato Industries, he meets with Michelle, who tells him his duties. Michelle tries to befriend Matt and offers him a dress from surplus stock for his wife. She later calls her boss, Dennis Dimato, to tell him that getting Matt onside will not be hard. Matt quits his job after learning he is working for Dimato, but soon meets with Michelle to ask for it back as he needs the money. He later asks her for extra shifts. Michelle meets Tyler Brennan and gives him the details about his new job stripping stolen cars for parts. Michelle later congratulates Tyler for stealing items on a list given to him by Dimato, and she asks him to continue working for them. She exploits his strained relationship with his brother Mark and convinces him to steal cars. When Tyler takes a car that is tracked by the police, Dimato is arrested. When he gets out on bail, he and Michelle buy Fitzgerald Motors to use as a cover for their business. Dimato flees the country and leaves Michelle in charge.
When Bailey Turner takes one of the stolen cars, Michelle demands that Tyler steals a replacement or give her $8,000. After learning Paige Smith reported the stolen car to the police, Michelle blackmails her into helping Tyler. He tries to persuade her to leave Paige out of it, but Michelle makes her the new garage assistant. A few days later, Michelle tells Paige that they have drop off some car parts. However, the police, having been tipped off, arrive and Michelle and Paige try to escape. Michelle trips and sprains her ankle, but Paige helps her. At the hospital, Michelle claims she tripped running for the bus. She accepts Paige's plan to run the garage as a legit business. Dimato later returns to town and reunites with Michelle and their group. Tyler tries to run and Michelle suspects he is spying for the police. When the police eventually arrive, Michelle tries to escape, but Paige trips her up with a dustbin and she is arrested.
A few months later, Michelle is released and she asks Mark for help as Dimato is out for revenge against her, Tyler and Paige. Michelle later turns up at Number 24 and tells Paige that she does not feel safe at the caravan park, where the police have hidden her. They bond over family problems and stay in touch via text messages. Michelle asks Paige to meet her, which results in Paige being knocked out and put in a car boot. Michelle later turns up at Paige's house, claiming that Dimato found her and attacked her. Paige lets her stay the night and tries to help, unaware that Michelle is using make-up to fake her bruises, so she can trick Paige into thinking Dimato is after her, as part of a plan to set Paige up for burglary. Dimato later punches Michelle for real during an argument, but despite this she continues with the plan. After renting an apartment in her name for Michelle, Paige discovers the truth when she finds a large number of stolen items in the apartment, and Michelle tips off the police. Paige manages to remove the items before the police arrive, while Paul Robinson blackmails Dimato into leaving town, after which Michelle also abandons Erinsborough.
Tyler Brennan
Tyler Brennan, played by Travis Burns, made his first screen appearance on 6 February 2015. The character and casting was announced on 3 November 2014. Burns was asked to audition for the part while he was in the United States earlier in the year. Of his casting, he said "When you score a role on a show as iconic as Neighbours, you don't say no. It's especially cool to be joining the show in its 30th-anniversary year. I feel like I've arrived at the perfect time." Tyler is the younger brother of established character Mark Brennan. Burns felt an instant connection with McGregor, as they had previously met a few times through their modelling agency, which he felt helped him secure the role. Tyler is a mechanic and was billed as a "badboy-with-a-heart". Melissa Field from TV Week Soap Extra also called him "troublesome" and a "ladies' man".Nick Petrides
Nick Petrides, played by Damien Fotiou, made his first screen appearance on 19 February 2015. The character and casting was revealed on 20 November 2014, when Fotiou was seen in a behind the scenes video released by Neighbours on their YouTube channel. Nick is Terese Willis' brother, who comes to Erinsborough to visit his family. Fotiou said Nick is an oncologist, but he reassured fans that he was not being introduced as part of any health storylines. The actor explained, "It's all about just coming home I think. He just wants to come home." Nick befriended Georgia Brooks, causing her husband, Kyle Canning, to dislike him. Fotiou later described Nick: "He is a very interesting character. His intentions are certainly noble, however all is not what it appears and I love the way the story unfolds – there's a lot of surprises." Fotiou had to undergo a small makeover for the part, which involved having his curly hair slicked back to create "a more conservative appearance."An Inside Soap columnist thought Nick's fake-cancer plot was "dastardly" and added, "we didn't think there were many people around who are more wicked than Paul Robinson – but it seems he's well and truly met his match in Doctor Nick." Louise Rugendyke of The Sydney Morning Herald observed that Nick "seems to be as competent as Dr. Nick on The Simpsons". Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy branded Nick "one of the show's most twisted villains". Fotiou reprised his role in 2017 when Nick was reintroduced for Terese's breast cancer storyline. He returned on 31 July.
Nick comes to Erinsborough for an interview at the local hospital with Karl Kennedy. While he is at The Waterhole, Karl introduces Nick to nurse Georgia Brooks. She attempts to tell him about working at the hospital, but he cuts her off as he is trying to send an email. Nick catches up with his sister, Terese, and stays for lunch with her family. Terese's husband, Brad is uneasy about Nick's arrival and later tells Terese that Nick engineered a meeting between Brad, his former wife and son before their wedding. Terese confronts Nick, who admits that he wanted to see if Brad was faithful to her. Nick befriends Paul Robinson and decides to accept the job at the hospital. During a function at Paul's penthouse, Chris Pappas chokes on some food and Georgia saves his life. When Nick questions Georgia as to why she did call for his help, she calls him arrogant. Nick makes a bet with Paul that he can have sex with Georgia, even though she is married. Nick gets closer to Georgia when he asks for her help with fundraising ideas. He gives her tickets to the ballet as a gesture of thanks and accompanies her when her husband is busy with work. Nick later asks Georgia to a conference in Hobart, but Georgia overhears him talking about the bet with Paul. He tries to pass it off as a joke, but Georgia pours her drink over him, causing Nick's stutter to return. Paul angers Nick when he informs him that his application for a cancer research centre has been denied. Nick doctors Paul's blood test results and tells Paul that he has leukaemia. Nick begins Paul on a course of chemotherapy.
Paul tells Nick that he is willing to back his plans for the treatment centre, after the sale of the site does not go through. Nick tries apologising to Georgia again, but she makes a complaint against him. She is suspended from work after she accuses Nick of framing her by hacking into her social media page to reveal a patient's details. When Nick learns the decision about the research centre has been delayed, he tells Paul that his body has stopped responding to the chemotherapy. Paul later informs Nick that the cancer centre has the go-ahead. Nick finds Georgia in his hotel room and believes she has been going through his computer. She is arrested and later fired from the hospital. Paul collapses at The Waterhole and Nick is prevented from treating him in private. Georgia confronts Nick and claims that he has faked Paul's illness. Georgia takes the evidence to Mark Brennan, who questions both Nick and Paul. Nick is suspended when IT find out that he deleted Paul's patient files. He confesses what he did to Terese, claiming his motivation was to find a cure for cancer. He then attempts to flee Erinsborough, but Brad calls the police and Nick is arrested. Paul asks to see him and tells him that the research centre will be shut down and he will see to it that Nick loses his medical license. At the station, Nick belittles his family, before he is led away.
Two years later, Terese's fiancé Gary Canning visits Nick in prison. He tells Nick that Terese has been diagnosed with breast cancer and that her current treatment is not working, before asking him for his help. Terese also visits Nick and he recommends immunotherapy, but tells her he has to get out of prison in order to help. Terese agrees to talk at his parole hearing, while Clive Gibbons, the hospital's COO writes a letter of recommendation. Paul also comes to see Nick to let him know that he will do everything he can to stop his release. However, Nick is paroled under the condition that does not practice medicine, but he can continue his research and oversee Terese's treatment. Nick is reacquainted with his niece Piper Willis, while David Tanaka is assigned to oversee Nick's work. While attending church, Nick helps Amy Williams when she sprains her ankle. Nick soon learns Amy is Paul's daughter and attempts to speak to her, but Leo Tanaka tells him to stay away. The West Waratah Star publishes an article about Nick's employment at the hospital and the hospital board threatens to reverse the decision to let Nick consult on Terese's treatment. A further article painting Nick in a more favourable light is later published.
Gary overhears Nick on the phone admitting to keeping something from Terese, before putting a file in his briefcase. Amy invites Nick to the penthouse for a drink. He later realises she has taken his file. Amy refuses to hand it over until he tells her the truth. Nick says he wants to help Terese and attempts to take the file from Amy, who hits him with a vase. Amy learns that Nick wants to open a wellness centre for cancer patients, and she apologises to him. They later spend the night together, and she comforts him when a young patient dies. Stephanie Scully offers up Robinsons Motel as the location for the wellness centre. Paul tries to write Nick a cheque for any amount, as long as Nick leaves town and opens his wellness centre in Perth, but Nick refuses the money. As Nick is spending time with Amy and Terese, Mark Brennan comes to search his room after receiving a tip off that Nick has taken cancer drugs from the hospital. Mark finds the drugs and Nick accuses Paul of planting them. A patient comes to Nick's hotel room claiming that Nick texted her to pick up the drugs. Mark finds the sent text on Nick's phone and takes him to the station, where his parole is revoked. Paul reveals he planted the drugs, but Nick is kept in prison after he assaults a guard. Paul's actions push Amy away from him. Consequently, Paul pays a top barrister a few months later to represent Nick in court. Terese is told off screen by Nick that he plans on heading back to Darwin to see family.