List of Neighbours characters (2020)

Lisa Rowsthorn,[1] played by Jane Allsop, made her first appearance on 20 January 2020.[2] Details of Allsop's casting as Lisa were announced on 13 January.[2] The character is the mother of Hendrix Greyson (Benny Turland), and arrives in Erinsborough to help with his rebellious behaviour, which resulted in him stealing a nude photo of his stepmother Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly).[2] Hendrix finds his mother is "surprisingly reasonable and understanding" about the incident, while Hendrix's father Pierce Greyson (Tim Robards) fears for his relationship with his son, knowing that Lisa is "controlling".[2] Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy reported that Lisa's introduction would also test Pierce and Chloe's marriage, as she asks Pierce to father another child with her.[2]

Lisa flies to Erinsborough, after being contacted by Chloe Brennan, who has concerns about her son Hendrix's behaviour. Lisa learns that Hendrix has been living with the Kennedy family and not with his father, Pierce, but she is accepting of the situation. Lisa deduces that Hendrix did not tell her himself because he was embarrassed about why he was there – his crush on Chloe. Lisa gives Hendrix the chance to come back home with her, but he tells her that he wants to stay and make things right. Lisa wants to tell Hendrix about the deal between herself and Pierce, as she realises that Hendrix has spent his life thinking Pierce did not care about him. Hendrix overhears them arguing and Lisa explains that Pierce was only 18 when they dated, and they broke up shortly after he was born. Lisa later asked Pierce to father another child with her through IVF for money, which helped him set up his business. She gave him access to Hendrix and his sister Alana, but told him to focus on his own life, as she did not need him. Hendrix is hurt by the revelation. Lisa admits to Chloe that she thought she was doing the right thing. She then asks about Chloe and Pierce's plans to have a family, but Chloe reveals that she has Huntington's disease, which complicates matters.

Hendrix later moves back in with Chloe and Pierce, but his relationship with Lisa remains strained. Pierce demands honesty from Lisa and she reveals that she wants another child and for it to be Pierce's. Lisa explains that she is willing to move to Erinsborough with Alana and co-parent the child with Pierce and Chloe. They initially agree to Lisa's idea, but Chloe realises it is not what she wants and they inform Lisa. Chloe's brother Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) and his husband David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) later ask Lisa if she would have and co-parent a child with them. David's father Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) is against the idea and asks Lisa to put a stop to it, as he does not want the boys to get hurt. Lisa takes a pregnancy test and learns she is pregnant with her former boyfriend's baby. She tells David and Aaron that their plan cannot go ahead, before telling Pierce, Chloe and Hendrix. She decides to leave for Sydney right away to tell her ex, James, the news. Hendrix comes to see her before she goes and she tells him that she is proud of him. She knows that being with his father is the right thing for him and she will be calling him every chance she can get. A few months later, Lisa messages Pierce to let him know that she has given birth to a daughter.

Zenin Alexio, played by Axle Whitehead, made his first appearance on 24 January 2020.[3] Whitehead's casting was reported in the 18–24 January 2020 issue of Inside Soap.[3] He joins the cast for a short stint as "a shady looking guy" who watches Yashvi Rebecchi (Olivia Junkeer) and Ned Willis (Ben Hall) in the local café, leading to speculation about his identity and interest in the couple.[3] It was later confirmed that Zenin is linked to an illegal fight ring that Ned was involved with in late 2019.[4] Hall explained, "Zenin is under the impression that Ned and Yashvi are on to his illegal operations, which were taking place behind the scenes at the fight club. Zenin threatens to hurt Yashvi, and anyone Ned is close to, if either of them goes to the cops."[4] Hall said Whitehead "brought great energy" to his character, and he hoped Whitehead would stay with the cast for a while.[4] Whitehead later said of Zenin: "My character is very dangerous, and he's someone who takes pleasure in threatening people. He enjoys the hunt, the game of cat-and-mouse, and he'll stop at nothing. Human life is cheap to him."[5] Whitehead explained that playing a bad boy character was his favourite and called Zenin "a truly bad guy".[5] He also said that he enjoyed playing out the hostage scenes involving Ned, as they involved a lot of action. He added that he would love to come back if viewers wanted to see more of Zenin.[5]

Zenin comes to Harold's Café and listens in as Ned Willis and Yashvi Rebecchi talk about her police academy exam. He makes a phone call and tells the person at the other end that they might have a problem. He briefly makes eye contact with Ned on his way out, and later follows him to Ramsay Street. Zenin breaks into Ned's home and is waiting for him when he returns. Ned works out that Zenin is connected with a fight ring he was involved in, however, when Zenin asks him what he saw while he was there, Ned does not know what he is talking about. Zenin brings up Yashvi and believes that Ned told her what he saw, as the police have been investigating. He tells Ned to make sure Yashvi keeps quiet and he leaves. Zenin later meets with Ned, who explains that his lawyer Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) has a written statement from him containing everything he knows, so if he or Yashvi are hurt, then it will be given to the police. Zenin then sabotages Yashvi's car, and sends Ned a text saying that he has seen his lawyer talking to the police. Toadie's office is broken into and Ned meets with Zenin, who threatens to break into Toadie's home, where Yashvi also lives, to search for the statement. Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan) meets Zenin to exchange money for a 3D printed gun, and Zenin later texts Yashvi to say he is glad she has joined the team and gives her a job to do. Ned finds the text and contacts Zenin, who tells him that Yashvi approached him begging him to keep her family safe. Ned asks to take Yashvi's place but Zenin is not interested. Zenin later catches Ned at his warehouse and is about to shoot him when the police and Yashvi arrive. Zenin grabs Ned and holds him hostage, so Yashvi goes over to the waiting van and pushes the horn, causing Zenin to fire the gun into the air and allowing the police to arrest him. Ned then learns Yashvi was working with a police task force to catch Zenin and his associates.

Owen Campbell, played by Johnny Ruffo, made his first appearance on 8 June 2020.[6] The character and Ruffo's casting details were announced on 28 May 2020. He filmed his six-episode guest stint in March.[6] Ruffo remarked that the show was "very fast moving" when it came to filming. He said, "I thought Home and Away was quick, but Neighbours was so much quicker. You can't mess around, they were such professionals. I really enjoyed it. It's just Australian royalty, those two shows [Neighbours and Home and Away]. It was such an incredible experience and now I'm fortunate to have been on both shows."[6] Ruffo's character, Owen is a prison guard.[6]

While on duty in the visitation room at Goodwood Women's Prison, Owen meets Dee Bliss (Madeleine West) and recognises that she is related to Andrea Somers (also West) and Heather Schilling (Kerry Armstrong). Owen later goes to Harold Cafe, where Dee buys him coffee and they bond over gardening. Back at the prison, it emerges that Owen is conspiring with Andrea, who has seduced him. Owen gets Dee and Heather accepted onto a visitors gardening program. After their first session, Dee thanks Owen for organising it and he suggests that she schedule another visit soon, as the program is very popular. He tells her there is a spot free in a few days and Dee agrees to book it. Owen later tells Andrea that everything is going according to plan and asks for a shiv that Andrea has hidden. On the day of Dee's visit, Owen plants the shiv on an inmate to force the prison into lockdown. As Dee waits in the garden, Owen gives her some water, which has been drugged, and she passes out. Andrea swaps clothes with her and she escapes the prison with Owen. Andrea collects her son Hugo Somers (John Turner) and hides out at an apartment that Owen has found for them. Owen soon realises that Andrea has been using him when she no longer reciprocates his feelings. He takes some money she asked him to hide and calls Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) to tell him where Andrea is.

Emmett Donaldson, played by Ezra Justin, made his first appearance on 10 June 2020.[7] The character and Justins's casting details were confirmed in March 2020. Emmett is introduced as part of a storyline focusing on adoption and fostering. He is fostered by David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson).[7] The character's initial episodes were directed by actress Deborra-lee Furness, who founded Adopt Change. Of the plot, she stated "By telling this story through characters that are known and loved by millions really brings the message home as to what it’s like to navigate this world. Kudos to Neighbours for shining a light on so many important issues and championing the stories of outliers and minorities in our communities."[7] Justin reprised the role the following year, as Emmett returns to stay with David and Aaron, along with his brother Brent Colefax (Texas Watterston).[8]

After his foster placement breaks down, due to a fight and school suspension, Emmett's social worker Leila Potts (Jing-Xuan Chan) introduces him to Aaron Brennan and David Tanaka, who agree to take him in for the night. This is later extended to a week. David's father Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) gifts Emmett a cricket bat, and he is introduced to Harlow Robinson (Jemma Donovan) and Hendrix Greyson (Benny Turland). Emmett later overhears David and Aaron telling Aaron's sister Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly) and her husband Pierce Greyson (Tim Robards) about how they requested the agency place a younger child with them. Emmett deliberately smashes a window with a cricket ball and runs away. Chloe finds him at the rotunda and contacts Aaron and David, while Hendrix tells Emmett to give them a chance. Leila asks Emmett if he is okay to stay and to promise not to run away again, which he does, but he does not want to stay longer than a week. Aaron and David buy Emmett some new trainers and throw his old worn out pair away, but he retrieves them from the bin and Ned Willis (Ben Hall) fixes them up for him. Aaron and David apologise to Emmett for overstepping and not asking his opinion first. Emmett later asks if he can stay longer. The foster agency arrange a driver to pick Emmett up from his school, as it is an hour away, but when the driver fails to show, Emmett calls Aaron before his phone battery dies. Thinking that no one is coming, he attempts to catch a bus, but soon finds Aaron has sent Paul to pick him up. Emmett decides to move to Erinsborough High to makes things easier. He meets new counsellor Shaun Watkins (Brad Moller) on his first day, and Shaun helps him with his nine times table when Emmett leaves his maths class, after struggling with a question. He is later told that he may have to repeat Year 8 and Shaun becomes his tutor.

Emmett struggles to make friends, but he impresses classmate Louis Curtain (Declan Dennis) when he takes the blame for trashing a school classroom. He tries to befriend Louis again by letting him use Hendrix's drone. Louis uses it to spy on Roxy Willis (Zima Anderson) sunbathing in her garden, but when he loses control and ends up injuring Sheila Canning (Colette Mann), Louis runs away, leaving Emmett to take the blame. Roxy confronts him for spying on her in front of David and Aaron. Emmett tells Aaron and David the truth, and they forbid him from spending time with Louis again. Despite doing extra homework, Emmett struggles with a maths test and clashes with teacher Marty Muggleton (Nikolai Egel). Emmett's half-brother Brent Colefax (Texas Watterston) comes to Erinsborough to see him, but proves to be trouble when he tells Emmett not to worry about school. He also tells Emmett that he can move in with him once he turns 18, but Aaron and David point out that it would be hard for Brent to care for Emmett. Emmett wants Aaron and David to foster Brent as well and they agree to consider it. Brent encourages Emmett to climb on the roof of the house with him, but when Emmett tries to get down, he slips and falls. Emmett suffers a fracture in his neck and some swelling on his spinal chord leaves him unable to feel his legs, but David assures him and Aaron that he will be fine. Emmett returns home from the hospital shortly before Brent is asked to leave for being inappropriate with Harlow. Brent contacts their mother Jenna Donaldson (Anna Lise Phillips) and she turns up to see Emmett. She tells him she is sober and has broken up with her partner. However, Jenna later shows up drunk having received money from Paul to leave. Jenna secures a job at Lassiters Hotel and arranges to have lunch with Emmett, who finds bottles of alcohol in her bag. She tells him that she is not drinking again, she was just moving them from one room to another and left them in her bag. Jenna is later fired from the hotel. She tries to tell Emmett that David and Aaron are turning him against her and that they will be together soon, but Emmett asks her to stop lying. Jenna leaving, telling Emmett that she will see him soon. A couple of days later, Leila informs David and Aaron that Emmett's aunt Linda has returned from New Zealand and is available to foster Emmett and Brent. Jenna also turns up having heard the news, and tries to influence Emmett into leaving. He eventually decides to leave for his aunt's house that day. David and Aaron tell Emmett that they understand and that they will miss him. Emmett days his goodbyes in the street and asks David and Aaron to come visit some time, before leaving with Leila.

Levi Canning, played by Richie Morris, made his first appearance on 15 June 2020.[9] Morris's casting was announced on 5 June. He relocated from Sydney to Melbourne to accommodate filming and Neighbours marks his first television role.[9] He called his first day on set "surreal".[10] Levi is a member of the established Canning family and a series regular. He is Sheila Canning's (Colette Mann) grandson and cousin to Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan).[9] Morris was glad to be joining the family, stating that it was "humbling because they are such a fun and iconic family on Ramsay Street, which provides not only loads of drama but also so much humour. I couldn't ask for more. Plus, I get to work and learn from both Chris and Colette, who I idolise."[9] Morris later confirmed that Levi is Frank Canning Jnr's son.[10] Levi is the show's new police constable.[9] Morris admitted that the uniform helped him get into character and mindset of a policeman. He also hoped he would get a chance to use his martial arts skills while playing Levi in the future.[10] Morris described his character as "very passionate, very cheeky and charming, and he takes his job very seriously."[10] He added that Levi has a lot of secrets.[10]

Shortly after transferring to Erinsborough, Levi pulls his cousin Kyle's car over as a joke. Kyle introduces Levi to his passenger Bea Nilsson (Bonnie Anderson) and then scolds Levi for not telling him when he was arriving, but Levi claims it would have ruined the joke. Kyle takes Levi to see their grandmother Sheila, who is not overly happy to see him. Levi leaves to interview Ned Willis (Ben Hall) and Yashvi Rebecchi (Olivia Junkeer) about Andrea Somers (Madeleine West), who has kidnapped Hugo Somers (John Turner), after escaping from prison. Levi also speaks with Andrea's sister Dee Bliss (Madeleine West). Hugo's father Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) demands to know what is being done to find his son and is not happy when Levi tells him to stay at home during the investigation. Levi interviews Andrea and Dee's mother Heather Schilling (Kerry Armstrong) and works with her as she contacts Andrea and arranges to meet at the local high school. Levi waits outside the school with Toadie and Dee, as Heather goes in to convince Andrea to hand over Hugo. Toadie grows impatient and runs into the school to get his son, and Andrea is arrested. Levi moves into Number 26 Ramsay Street with Kyle and Sheila, who attempts to set him up with one of the women she found for Kyle. Levi goes to The Waterhole, where he meets and kisses Roxy Willis (Zima Anderson). Levi helps Yashvi to move on from Hugo's kidnapping at Ned's request, and he volunteers to help clean up the island where Kyle's father Gary Canning (Damien Richardson) died. While working with Bea, Levi suffers an epileptic fit. He asks Bea not to tell anyone, and tells her that he was attacked when he was a child and hit his head, resulting in him developing epilepsy. Although he tells her that this is the first fit he has had in a long time, Bea remains concerned that he is keeping it from his family and colleagues.

Following her graduation from the academy, Yashvi is partnered with Levi. On her first day in the job, Yashvi and Levi are called to the Erinsborough Backpackers after a tip off about drugs on the site. They find Yashvi's friend Harlow Robinson (Jemma Donovan) with a bag of pills and Yashvi is forced to arrest her. Levi tells Yashvi not to let work become personal, and not to get worked up over every case when she later questions why Harlow's charges were dropped. At a family barbecue, Levi learns that the men who attacked him when he was a child were actually looking for Kyle. This causes a rift between Levi, Sheila and Kyle. Levi moves out to a hotel, as he feels unable to forgive his grandmother for protecting Kyle. Bea asks her aunt Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) if Levi can stay with them, but Susan refuses. After Levi discovers that Sheila is willing to get his name tattooed on her arm, he realises she is trying to make amends and he moves back in. Sheila is initially awkward around him, as she does not want to mess up again, but Levi tells her he understands her actions and that they need to go at his pace. Yashvi tries to set Levi up with Bea, but Levi admits that he does not have any interest in dating Bea, as he feels she is not ready following her relationship with Finn Kelly (Rob Mills). Levi realises Sheila accidentally put his epilepsy prescription through the wash after he left it in his uniform, so he asks Bea for her help in getting a new one as he has run out of medication. Levi ditches Yashvi on duty to retrieve his medication from Bea, but Yashvi follows him and finds them together, leading Bea to tell her that she and Levi are secretly dating.

Louis Curtain, played by Declan Dennis, made his first appearance on 26 June 2020.[11] The character and Dennis's casting details were announced on 6 May 2020.[12] Dennis is the son of actor Stefan Dennis, who plays Paul Robinson in the show. He said his son secured the part on his own, although he acted as "the dad taxi".[13] Their characters will not share any scenes during Declan's two week guest role.[12] Helen Daly of Radio Times called Louis "Erinsborough's latest villain".[13] Asked whether his father helped him get into character, Dennis said "Dad didn't so much help me just play 'the bad guy' it was more about helping me develop the character as a whole. But it is fun being a bit of a chip off the old block."[13]

Emmett Donaldson (Ezra Justin) attempts to befriend Louis by asking him to hang out over the school holidays, but Louis tells him to stick to his old friends, as no one at Erinsborough High rates him. A few days later, Louis meets Emmett outside Grease Monkeys and teases him about his lack of friends and spending time at the school during the holiday. When Louis learns that Emmett has access to the empty school, he asks him to hang out and trashes a classroom. Louis later learns that Emmett took the blame for him. Louis comes to Ramsay Street to spend the afternoon with Emmett, who borrows Hendrix Greyson's (Benny Turland) drone for them to use. Louis flies it above the street and spots Roxy Willis (Zima Anderson) sunbathing in her garden. He flies the drone closer to spy on Roxy, who throws something at it and causes some damage. Louis loses control of the drone and it strikes Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) in the face. Louis then runs off, leaving Emmett to take the blame. Emmett tells Aaron and David what happened, and they ban Emmett from hanging out with Louis.

Nicolette Stone, played by Charlotte Chimes, made her first appearance on 15 July 2020.[14] The character and Chimes' casting were announced on 27 June 2020.[15] Nicolette is the estranged daughter of Jane Harris (Annie Jones). Her debut coincides with the permanent reintroduction of Jane, who was once a regular character and had been appearing on a recurring basis for two years.[15] Nicolette has already been residing in Erinsborough and is reunited with Jane upon her return. Writers created a backstory for her, which details a fractured relationship with Jane ever since Nicolette decided to come out as lesbian.[15] Discussing the announcement, Jones stated "audiences will learn more about her family, as fans are introduced to her daughter Nicolette for the first time."[15]

Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) contacts Nicolette after learning that Jane has split up from her partner Des Clarke (Paul Keane). She is passing through Erinsborough so visits Terese, but informs her that she is estranged from Jane. When Jane learns that Nicolette is in Erinsborough, she comes to the area to make amends with her daughter. Nicolette and Jane remain frosty, with Nicolette resentful of the way her mother handled her sexuality as a teenager and Jane frustrated as Nicolette was a key factor in her separation from Des. Nicolette is instantly charmed by Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly), but is disappointed to learn she is married to Pierce Greyson (Tim Robards). Chloe hires Nicolette as a live-in carer for her mother Fay Brennan (Zoe Bertram), who has Huntington's disease. Nicolette's feelings for Chloe only grow when she learns that Chloe is pregnant, but she repeatedly clashes with Pierce and his teenage son Hendrix Greyson (Benny Turland). Nicolette softens towards Jane when she learns she was catfished by an online admirer and helps her mother get closure by inviting Des to Erinsborough. She admits to Jane that she loves Chloe, and Jane urges her to quit and take up a job at Erinsborough Hospital. Nicolette confesses to Chloe that she loves her, but Chloe convinces her to stay on until they find a new nurse for Fay. Chloe later miscarries after going on a walk with Nicolette, leading Pierce to blame her for leaving Chloe while she was feeling unwell. Hendrix informs Pierce of his suspicions about Nicolette and when he confronts her, Nicolette admits to Pierce that she has feelings for Chloe. He asks her to leave and she moves in with Chloe's brother Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) and his husband David Tanaka (Takaya Honda). Pierce pressures Aaron and David to let their new housemate go, but the trio get drunk and they invite Nicolette to stay permanently. Nicolette's former colleague Audrey Hamilton (Zahra Newman) tracks her to Erinsborough and reveals she wants to give back the money they won off a lottery ticket belonging to one of their dying patients. Nicolette admits that she has spent her half of the money, but initially agrees to raise the amount needed; however, she becomes frustrated by Audrey's presence and tells her she has no intention of giving over the money.

Karl discovers that Nicolette was working in London when her great-grandmother Nell Mangel (Vivean Gray) died. He tells Jane, who confronts Nicolette and gets her to confess that she argued with Nell about her sexuality hours before her death. Jane is devastated but Nicolette helps her get closure about Nell's death. Nicolette discovers that Pierce is having an affair with their neighbour Dipi Rebecchi (Sharon Johal). She engineers a situation where Chloe walks in on Pierce in bed with Dipi, after which Chloe ends her marriage. Nicolette supports Chloe and warns Pierce to stay away from her. Aaron and David progress their plans to have a baby via surrogacy, but Nicolette shocks them by offering to be the egg donor and surrogate for their child. They agree to consider her offer, although Jane and David's father Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) strongly oppose the idea.

Rose Walker, played by Lucy Durack, made her first appearance on 27 August 2020.[16][17] The character and Durack's casting details were announced on 18 June 2020. Durack began filming that same week.[17] Durack felt fortunate to be working during the COVID-19 pandemic and said Neighbours was "so fast and such a well-oiled machine".[17] Rose is hired as Toadfish Rebecchi's (Ryan Moloney) assistant at his law firm.[17] In an interview posted to the show's official YouTube channel, Durack explained that Rose is a mother of two teenagers and is in the middle of a divorce from her husband James Solomon (Bert La Bonté).[18] She comes to Toadie's temporary office looking for a job, and Moloney said there is "a little bit of a spark between the two of them".[18] Durack also said that the characters have a fun time hanging out together, which leads to hijinks and office pranks.[18]

Rose interviews for an assistant job with Toadfish Rebecchi at his temporary law office in Lassiters Hotel. Toadie learns that they are fans of the Essendon Bombers, and when Rose helps him answer a couple of phone calls, he offers her a trial. Rose struggles to deal with the computerised legal files, but later helps Toadie keep an important client. Rose lets herself into the office in order to access Toadie's laptop, but struggles to guess the password and accidentally locks it. She is then interrupted by the arrival of Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone), on whom she blames the password lock. She also takes credit for a drafted document that Mackenzie completed, leading her to expose Rose's lack of IT skills. Rose admits that she took time off to raise her sons and technology passed her by, which left her embarrassed. Toadie asks Mackenzie to help train her. Rose pranks Toadie with a fake spider and he soon gets her back, starting a prank war between the two. Rose gets phone call from someone checking to see if she has gotten into Toadie's computer yet and she asks them not to call again. Rose helps Mackenzie with a speech for a school election. Hendrix Greyson (Benny Turland) catches Rose taking photos of a file belonging to her husband's company and blackmails her into giving him a copy of Mackenzie's speech. Hendrix later asks Rose to come clean about using her job to find out information on her husband, but he eventually tells Toadie himself. Rose tries to defend her actions, but Toadie points out that she could have cost him his licence and fires her. Rose begs Toadie not to tell James what happened and she explains that she gave up everything to raise her children and help him start a business, so she deserves her fair share, but James is hiding money in a shell corporation to avoid giving it to her.

Rose's credit card is declined at The Waterhole and she soon learns her accounts have been frozen. She breaks down in tears in front of Toadie and Mackenzie, prompting Toadie to call the manager of Lassiters, Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) and get Rose a job at the day spa. Rose asks Toadie and Mackenzie to help test her beauty treatment skills as part of her induction, but the treatments go wrong and Rose is asked to take a refresher course. Rose receives her divorce settlement, which leaves her with very little money and no child support. Both Toadie and Mackenzie urge her not to sign it, and Toadie later tells her where to look and what to say in order to get a better deal. To thank him, Rose cooks him dinner and Toadie admits that he likes her. They agree to go on a proper date. The following day, Pierce Greyson (Tim Robards) asks Rose about cutting her treatment sessions short and tells her to call the spa manager to sort things out. Rose's husband James finds her and Toadie having lunch and confronts them about how they know each other. Rose says they met at a yoga class, and that Toadie was giving her general advice. James does not believe their story and tells Toadie that he is suing him for malpractice and will give Rose nothing in the settlement. Rose asks James if he hates her that much that he wants to ruin her life and Toadie's. Pierce interrupts to ask Rose if she has spoken to her manager yet, but when she says no, he fires her. Rose apologises and asks if he is okay, which makes Pierce realise he has been too harsh and changes his mind, impressing James. Rose realises that she still loves James, and she explains to Toadie that she never saw him as he was working all the time. When James failed to meet her one night, she decided to leave with the children. Toadie gets James and Rose to talk and they apologise for hurting one another. Rose tells James that she just wants her family back and James agrees. Before she leaves town, Rose thanks Toadie for his kindness and asks him to say goodbye to Mackenzie for her.

Nathan "Packo" Packard, played by Jackson Gallagher, made his first appearance on 4 November 2020.[19] The character and Gallagher's casting were confirmed by TV Soap in late October. A writer for the publication said Nathan would have a connection to Levi Canning (Richie Morris), and his "sexy swagger" would also attract the attention of Bea Nilsson (Bonnie Anderson).[19] Gallagher later explained that Nathan "was a wayward youth" and friends with Levi's cousin Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan) when they were both teenagers. He visits Erinsborough in an effort to help Levi with a trauma from his past.[20] However, he also becomes involved with Bea, who is Levi's love interest. Gallagher commented "Sparks fly. And there ensues the love triangle, because Bea and Levi are on again, off again."[20] Gallagher and Anderson's romantic scenes involved no physical touching due to COVID-19 filming restrictions. Gallagher admitted that it was "tricky" to create intimacy between their characters, but they relied on "long intense gazing".[20] Anderson also had to go into a two-week self isolation after competing on The Masked Singer, which had a COVID outbreak among the crew, so some of her scenes with Gallagher were filmed through FaceTime.[20]

Nathan is contacted by Kyle Canning, who wants to help his cousin Levi Canning gain closure over a bashing he suffered when he was younger. Nathan comes to Erinsborough with an apology letter taking responsibility for the attack and drops it off at the police station for Levi. He later meets Bea Nilsson after walking into her and they go on a date. Kyle later sees Bea and Nathan together, and urges Nathan to break up with Bea because she and Levi have a connection. Nathan then sends her a break up text. Kyle and Levi's grandmother Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) arranges to meet Nathan to make sure his apology is genuine, but they are seen by Bea and Levi. Bea then learns that Nathan attacked Levi and asks him why he did not say anything, but he explains that he did not know when they met. Nathan meets Levi the following day and checks if they are okay. Levi asks him if he went after Bea to get at him, but Nathan assures Levi that it was just a coincidence. Nathan later talks with Bea via video call about what happened between them and Levi. Bea tells him that he hurt her and she cannot get past it, before ending the call. Days later, Levi meets with Nathan, who says he read his letter and thanks him for giving him a chance. Levi tells Nathan to try again with Bea, as she likes him. They take a photo together to show Bea that things between them are good. Sheila gets in Nathan's face and asks him to stay away from Levi and Bea. As he walks past her he trips over a loose cable and the attached light hits him in the head, knocking him unconscious. Nathan suffers a concussion and has to stay in the hospital, where he is visited by Bea and Sheila, who apologises. Nathan and Bea make up and he asks her out on a date, but he soon realises that she has feelings for Levi. Nathan decides to go home alone and leaves Bea a goodbye note, encouraging her to be with Levi.

Jay Rebecchi, played by Dhruv Malge, made his first appearance on 13 November 2020.[21] Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy confirmed the character's introduction on 18 October 2020, following the appearance of his name in a leaked script.[22] Further details about the character and Malge's casting were released on 2 November. Recalling the casting process, Malge said "An audition came in from my agent saying it's for Neighbours, so I jumped at the opportunity and sent in a self-tape. The day I got called and my agent told me I got offered the role, I actually started jumping."[21] Jay is the middle child of Dipi Rebecchi (Sharon Johal) and Shane Rebecchi (Nicholas Coghlan). He has often been referred to by his on-screen family since their arrival in 2017. He is said to have been studying at a Sydney boarding school.[22]

Malge admitted that it was "a huge thing" playing a character whose appearance had been anticipated by the viewers for a long time. He said he had a "responsibility to do right by Jay and make the most of this opportunity."[21] Malge described Jay as "a smart, confident teenager. He's Shane and Dipi's golden child, so he's obviously seen as this perfect image of a son, with a caring soul always wanting to fix everything."[21] Malge also said Jay is "academically gifted" and won a scholarship to his school, which his parents supported as it was the best option for him.[21] Jay's arrival coincides with the discovery that Dipi has been having an affair, leaving her marriage in trouble. Malge thought that Jay's response was typical of a child whose family was having "a rough time", but his presence and confidence has a positive impact on his family.[21] The character departed during the episode broadcast on 20 January 2021, as Malge's guest stint ended. Jay returns to Sydney, accompanied by Dipi. A conversation Jay has with Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone) beforehand sets up a possible return for him in the future, as he mentions that he will be back one day.[23]

• Characters and cast at the Official Neighbours website
• Characters and cast at the Internet Movie Database