Neighbours actress Melissa Bell has chatted to whattowatch.com about a HUGE new story for the Robinson family that sees Lucy Robinson and Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) encounter a face from the – way distant – past!
At a Lassiters hotel group summit in Queensland that the siblings are attending with Paul’s estranged wife Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou), Paul spots long lost half-brother Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett), who they haven’t seen for nearly 30 years!
After Paul insists he’s seen Glen at the airport and is going to stay another night, Lucy is initially sceptical, thinking he’s faking.
“Lucy thinks Paul is putting it on about Glen to stay and patch things up with Terese,” explained Melissa.
“When he says, ‘I think I’ve seen our long lost brother’ she thinks he’s being ridiculous!
“They both bump into Glen and Lucy can’t believe it’s true.”
As things play out, it’s clear that Paul is full of guilt for his attitude towards Glen all those years ago. He resented him for turning up out of the blue as the surprise son that their dad Jim Robinson had no idea he’d fathered.
“For Paul it’s more about soul searching and righting some wrongs,” revealed Melissa.
“Paul feels guilty for Glen’s accident. That’s why he really wants to make things right. He really wants to connect on an emotional level of being brothers.”
Richard Huggett’s short stint on the show in the early ‘90s coincided with Melissa’s first appearance as Lucy.
“It felt like no time had gone by, as if we were working with each other yesterday, but we hadn’t seen each other for 25 years!” she insisted.
Since leaving the role as a regular in 1995, Melissa has popped back to Ramsay Street for short stays over the years.
The last time we saw Lucy in Erinsborough, she was tying the knot with old flame Mark Gottlieb (Bruce Samazan) in a surprise wedding during the hotel’s big wedding expo.
“Lucy is happily married to Mark and they’re raising her daughter Annie in New York. She flies around the world checking on the hotels,” shared Melissa.
“She needs to stay in Erinsborough for longer. I’d love that!”
Melissa has been very busy away from her Neighbours' family, and her most recent project will see her starring in an Aussie horror film premiering in the UK this Autumn.
“It’s called The Possessed and it also stars Lincoln Lewis from Home and Away and John Jarratt from Wolf Creek.
“It’s based on the actual story of events of exorcists who performed exorcisms. I play a woman whose husband is possessed!”
Neighbours continues weekdays at 1:45pm and the NEW time of 6:00pm on Channel 5
