Kym Valentine returns to Neighbours despite legal battle with producers

Neighbours star Kym Valentine is to return to Ramsay Street for a three-week guest stint.

The actress will reprise her role as Libby Kennedy in the Australian soap as part of celebrations to mark 20 years of the Kennedy family in the show.

Kym said: "I'm really looking forward to catching up with old friends at Neighbours, as well as getting to know many of the new cast. Playing Libby was a very important part of my life and I can't wait to reintroduce audiences to her."

The 36-year-old actress is returning to work on Neighbours despite launching a legal battle with producers over alleged sex and disability discrimination in July last year.

Kym, who took two years sick leave following a string of health problems, first appeared as Libby in 1994 and returned briefly in 2011. She sought compensation for lost wages and 'pain, hurt, suffering and humiliation', an acknowledgement that she suffered unlawful discrimination and an apology.

Fremantle Media Australia and Kym eventually agreed a confidential settlement out of court.

Jackie Woodburne, who play's Libby's on-screen mother Susan Kennedy, said: "It's wonderful to have Kym back for this milestone year for Alan and I, and we're just lucky the Kennedys have that wing of bedrooms that we don't see to accommodate everyone."

Libby's son Ben will also return to Neighbours, played by new actor Felix Mallard, while Kennedys returning for the celebrations will include Holly Hoyland (Lucinda Armstrong-Hall), Malcolm Kennedy (Benjie McNair), and adopted son Zeke Kinski (Matt Werkmeister).

The Kennedys' 20th anniversary celebrations will screen on Channel 5 later this year.

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.