Elly Conway

Elly Conway
Neighbours character
Jodi Anasta as Elly (2016)
Portrayed by	Kendell Nunn (2001–2002) Jodi Anasta (2016–)
Duration	2001–2002, 2016–
First appearance	13 December 2001
Classification	Current; regular
Introduced by	Stanley Walsh (2001) Jason Herbison (2016)
In-universe information Occupation Student English teacher Father Ian Conway Mother Liz Conway Aunts Susan Kennedy First cousins Darcy Tyler Malcolm Kennedy Libby Kennedy Other relatives Ben Kirk

Eleanor Leanna Rose "Elly" Conway is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jodi Anasta. She was originally played by Kendell Nunn from her first appearance on 13 December 2001, until her departure in May 2002. Neighbours marked Nunn's first television role. The character was introduced as Susan Kennedy's (Jackie Woodburne) teenage niece, giving her instant connections within the show. Nunn said Elly had "a lot of attitude", while she was also billed as being rebellious and spirited. Elly did not like living in Ramsay Street, but she eventually befriended her neighbour Michelle Scully (Kate Keltie). A notable storyline for the character focused on her relationship with her estranged father Ian Conway (Peter Maver). When she got in contact with Ian, he led her to believe that Susan's husband Karl (Alan Fletcher) was actually her real father.

The character was reintroduced on 18 July 2016, with Anasta taking over the role. She was initially contracted for three years and chose not to relocate to Melbourne, where the show is filmed, as her family is based in Sydney. Anasta explained that since Elly's last appearance, she had trained as an English teacher. Elly is now portrayed as a feisty, unpredictable "free spirit". Anasta also said used her outgoing persona to hide her insecurities. The character's early storylines saw her clash with her student Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel) and later Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner), when she flirted with Steph's partner. Elly was also bitten by a venomous snake, which caused her to have a miscarriage. Producers later paired Elly with Ned Willis (Ben Hall) and they formed a passionate relationship. Elly's housemate Angus Beaumont-Hannay's (Jai Waetford) developed an obsessive crush on her and it saw him take advantage of her twice, which almost cost her her job and home.

Casting

On 22 November 2001, Kylie Miller of The Age reported that actress Kendell Nunn had joined the cast as Elly, along with Blair McDonough as Stuart Parker. Neighbours marked Nunn's first television role. The show's producer Peter Dodds told Wendy Granditer of Inside Soap that Elly would have instant ties to the show as she would be introduced as the "rebellious niece" of Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne). Nunn made her first appearance as Elly during the episode broadcast on 13 December 2001.

Development

Characterisation and introduction

Elly was introduced as the teenage daughter of Susan Kennedy's sister, Liz Conway (Christine Keogh). The show's producer Peter Dodds stated that Elly's arrival in Erinsborough would occur at the same as her cousin, Libby Kennedy (Kym Valentine), goes into labour in "typically trying circumstances." It later emerged that Elly had been expelled from her school after she was caught smoking cannabis. Of Elly, Nunn said "She's a great character - she has a lot of attitude and sometimes gets on the wrong side of people." Nunn explained that Elly does not initially like Susan's husband Karl (Alan Fletcher) because she has been without a father figure in her life. She also dislikes being in Ramsay Street. The official Neighbours website described the character as being "smart, insightful and just a touch rebellious". The writer added that she was a "spirited teenager". During her time in Erinsborough, Elly befriended her cousin Darcy Tyler (Mark Raffety) and her neighbour Michelle Scully (Kate Keltie).

Following the character's reintroduction in 2016, Anasta described the older Elly as "fun, feisty", unpredictable and wild. She also called Elly "a free spirit" and thought she was "a bit of a tomboy". Anasta went on to say that while her character has many layers of naughtiness, she has "a heart of gold." Anasta thought Elly was a strong character, who often hides her insecure side with her "outgoing, positive personality". The actress told Daniel Falconer of FemaleFirst that Elly often goes out to party instead of focusing on her work. Anasta did not think she shared many of Elly's personality traits, such as her flirty and unpredictable side, but she thought that she did have some of Elly's strength. Anasta also compared Elly to her Home and Away character Martha MacKenzie, calling Elly "much more troublesome, and manipulative and vindictive than Martha; a lot more fiery and nasty." In the years away from Erinsborough, Elly has become an English teacher, like her aunt Susan. Anasta called Elly's teaching style unconventional, but thought she was "naturally gifted" at it. Anasta had trouble understanding how Elly manages to balance her job with her personal life, saying "I think it's because Elly is smart – she's a naturally good teacher – but she's also lazy and focuses on doing what she wants."

Paternity

Towards the end of her stay with the Kennedys, Elly decided to meet with her estranged father. Karl tried to help and managed to get in touch with Ian Conway (Peter Maver), as he felt that Elly might settle down if she met with her father. However, Elly soon found out and contacted Ian herself to set up a meeting. When Ian arrived he insisted on having some time alone with Elly. Nunn told an Inside Soap columnist, "Once Karl and Susan have left the room, Ian tells Elly that he's not her dad but he knows who is. Then he comes out with it – her real dad is Karl!" Ian claims that Karl and her mother had an affair and Elly was born as a result. Elly was horrified by Ian's revelation, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Nunn thought that since Elly and Karl did not get along, part of her did not want it to be true. But because she wanted a family, she hoped that she did belong to Karl. When Elly looked into Karl's background and found out he had previously had an affair, she started to believe that he was her father. However, it was later revealed that Ian really was Elly's biological father.

Reintroduction

If you watch Neighbours a lot and you are quick to judge, then what you will see is a not very likeable girl. She is flirting with the wrong people and finding herself in these situations that are very misleading, But if you tough it out, get to know her, give her a chance – you will see that there is a very special girl behind that."

—Anasta's on whether viewers would like the new Elly (2016)

On 28 April 2016, Jonathon Moran of The Daily Telegraph reported that the character would be returning to the show with actress Jodi Anasta in the role. Anasta told Moran that she was "thrilled" to be working and said that her "biggest hurdle" was learning all of her scripts. She chose not to relocate to Melbourne, where the show is filmed, as her family is based in Sydney. She initially signed a three-year contract and made her first appearance as Elly on 18 July 2016. Anasta explained that in the character's fictional backstory, she has been living in Bondi and visiting her mother in Sweden. Elly has trained as a schoolteacher and has come to Erinsborough to teach alongside Susan. She thought Elly was different, as she had "gone through those young adult years where you test the boundaries."

Elly returns to Erinsborough amid the high school formal and clash with Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel) over Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns). When Piper sees Elly talking to Tyler, Piper throws a drink over her, before learning Elly is her new English teacher. Of the incident, Anasta explained, "It's just some harmless flirting in Elly's eyes. From then on, their relationship is on a downward spiral. So I can tell you Elly won't be making friends with Piper!" Elly also got on the wrong side of Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner) by flirting with her partner Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor). Anasta said Elly enjoys flirting with Mark, but had no intention of trying to take things further. She enjoys the company of all the Brennan brothers and develops a good friendship with them. Anasta also said that Elly would be accepted eventually, as people get to know her, and she would go on to make friends.

Elly moves in with Karl and Susan on Ramsay Street straight away. Anasta was pleased with the way Elly and Susan's relationship is portrayed, saying "Susan doesn't necessarily agree with the way Elly goes about things, but she doesn't judge her either." When asked by Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy what Elly and Susan's relationship was like, Anasta replied that they have a very mother/daughter relationship. Elly brings out Susan's "spicy side" and they have fun together, but Elly can also talk to Susan about her life. She also pointed out that there was an interesting contrast between Elly and Susan's teaching styles. Mark James Lowe of All About Soap observed that Elly appeared to be running away from something, and Anasta said Elly's past would be revealed in due course. She also told the show's official website that Elly had a broken heart and had some "personal issues to battle". The actress thought it would be "a big summer for Elly as she finds her place". She added that Elly would leave some fractured relationships in her wake, but she would also form some solid ones.

Snake bite and miscarriage

Anasta teased Elly's first storyline, saying it would happen quickly and be "quite a big tragedy". She also said that it would be linked to Elly's past and give the audience more insight into the character. A week after her return to the show, Elly was bitten by a venomous tiger snake on Ramsay Street. Elly had spent the day having several "run-ins" with Steph and they later began arguing in the street, where Elly notices Nell Rebecchi (Scarlett Anderson) about to come into contact with the snake. She managed to pick Nell up and get her out of the way, but the snake managed to bite her instead. Anasta was worried that no one would want to help Elly, as she had upset a few of the other characters since her arrival, but she thought that the event showed them that she is not all bad. She stated, "I think what this whole scenario has shown is that Elly does have a good heart. What she did for Nell was quite heroic I think, and shows another side of Elly; that she puts others before herself." Anasta told the show's official website that she enjoyed working with the real snake during the storyline.

As Elly is rushed to the local hospital, Karl was waiting to treat her and he knew that the snake's venom could be fatal. However, blood tests also showed that Elly was pregnant. Elly had been unaware of her condition and she had very little time to process the news, before Karl told her that the antidote she needed could harm the baby. Elly was "torn", as she did not want to risk the baby's health, but Karl told her she had no choice but to take the antidote, and she allowed him to administer it. Shortly after, Elly goes into anaphylactic shock and Karl has to administer some adrenaline too, which increases the pressure on her body, causing Elly to miscarry the baby. Susan offered her support to Elly and when she learned the truth behind Elly's problems, she began to feel sorry for her.

Relationship with Ned Willis

When asked what storylines were ahead for Elly, Anasta mentioned that there would be "a bit of romance on the cards" with a character that was already familiar to viewers. In August, Elly was introduced to Ned Willis (Ben Hall) and they soon went on a date. Following that, Elly decided to play "hard to get" with Ned, but her aloofness led him to ask Madison Robinson (Sarah Ellen) out on a date instead of her. This led Elly to "throw her all into the challenge" of gaining Ned's attention once more. While looking at Ned's wallet, Elly found a lock of blonde hair and immediately thought it belonged to Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall), Ned's former crush and his father's partner. Hall explained that the romance with Elly started out with lust and was "very unstable", before it began to develop into something more long-term. He believed the relationship had potential to be long lasting, but admitted that Ned initially used it as an opportunity to prove to everyone that he had moved on from his crush on Lauren.

Hall described Ned and Elly's romance as a "passionate, fiery, 'up and down' sort of relationship", meaning there was the potential for drama. Hall thought the couple were a good match, saying that it was a pairing that did not look like it would work, but that it just did. He also stated that as the character were such passionate people, when they argued, it was their way of showing that they cared about one another. Ned later breaks up with Elly and warns her to stay away from him, as he will only put her in danger. Feeling rejected, Elly goes to The Waterhole for a drink and meets a stranger, who buys her a drink. When Ned sees them together, he realises the stranger is Jacka Hills (Brad McMurray), the husband of his former lover. Ned realises that Jacka is using Elly as part of his revenge plan and tries to fight him.

Angus Beaumont-Hannay

Singer Jai Waetford (pictured) plays Angus Beaumont-Hannay, who develops an obsessive crush on Elly.

When teen character Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford) was reintroduced in September, his new story arc saw him develop a crush on Elly from the moment they were introduced. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy also reported that other characters would become involved in the storyline, as it unfolds. After he returned to the Kennedy's home, Angus "takes a clear interest" Elly, but her cousin Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) warns him off. However, Angus ignores Ben and manages to cause tension between Elly and Ned. Elly was aware that Angus had a crush on her, but she had no idea of how serious his feelings for her were. Anasta commented, "Elly is aware there is some sort of attraction, but definitely not how deep." At the school Halloween dance, Angus sings to Elly, leading her to realise that his crush is "bordering on obsession."

After growing uncomfortable with the attention, Elly returns home early, where she falls asleep on the couch. While she is dreaming about kissing Mark Brennan, who she has a crush on, Angus comes home and kisses her. Elly kisses him back, as she thinks it is Mark. Anasta said Elly "freaks out" when she realises it is Angus kissing her instead. The actress added that Elly did not think Angus would ever act on his feelings and she feels "violated" by his actions. Susan becomes suspicious that something has happened between Elly and Angus, but Elly decides not to tell her about the kiss. Elly later admits to her friend Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano) that Angus kissed her, leading Leo to confront Angus and warn him away from Elly. Angus was "mortified" by Leo's warning and he decided to leave Erinsborough High.

A couple of weeks later, Elly warned Angus to be careful after she saw he had befriended "a bad crowd" at his new school. Later that night, Elly receives a phone call from a drunken Angus. She and Tyler Brennan rescue him from a bar in the city, leading Angus to believe that she has feelings for him. Anasta stated that while Elly has been aware of Angus's crush on her, she has not led him on. She continued, "despite her sometimes questionable behaviour, Elly does have a moral compass – especially when it comes to things like this." Elly opted to keep the incident from Karl and Susan, as she did not want Angus to get into trouble. Anasta called the decision "Elly's biggest downfall", and she believed that if Elly told Susan what had happened, Susan would be able to help. Anasta pointed out that Elly stood to lose her job and her home if Angus continued to put her in compromising situations.

When Angus learned Elly's former boyfriend Derek Meeps (Scott Tweedie) was in town and wanted to see her, he became jealous and tried to stop them from meeting. Angus asks Piper to text Elly and pretend to be a parent in need of a tutor for their child, but his plan fails. Elly spends the afternoon with Derek, and she is "delighted" when it seems they are reuniting. However, after they have sex, Elly is left "deeply upset" by his sudden departure. Elly accepts Angus's support and when he later finds himself in her bedroom, Angus kisses Elly again. Susan caught Angus and she struggled to believe that he was just consoling Elly. Susan was forced to report Elly to the education board and asked her to leave the house. The storyline concluded with Angus's departure from the show. Elly admitted to Susan that Angus had taken advantage of her twice, leading to Angus being questioned by the police. Elly opted not to press charges against Angus, after he assured her that he knew his actions were wrong and he would not repeat them. Angus then left Erinsborough.

Storylines

2001–2002

Elly's mother, Liz (Christine Keogh), comes to Erinsborough to ask her sister, Susan, to take care of Elly, as she is going to Sweden for six months. Elly arrives in Ramsay Street, accompanied by the police. She forms a bond with her cousin Darcy Tyler (Mark Raffety), but she struggles to get along with Susan's husband Karl. Susan faces a dilemma when she realises Elly thinks she is only staying for a couple of weeks, instead of six months. Darcy decides to tell her the truth, but Elly does not believe him and she is devastated when her friend Michelle Scully (Kate Keltie) confirms the news. Elly believes that she is getting a ticket to Stockholm, when her mother tells her to expect something in the post. However, she is disappointed when she receives a credit card. Elly then books herself on a flight to see her mother, but Susan manages to stop her from leaving. Elly forms a close relationship with Michelle, although they get off to a bad start when Michelle accuses Elly of cheating with her boyfriend, Zack Shaw (Owen Lee). Zack starts spreading rumours about Michelle and she teams up with Elly to get back at him. They write rumours about him on the blackboard, but they are soon caught. Elly stand up for Michelle, straining her relationship with Karl and Susan.

Elly informs Karl and Susan that she intends to move out when she turns sixteen. She changes her mind after listening to Lyn Scully (Janet Andrewartha) talk about family. Elly saves Darcy from the sudden effects of a heart problem, by giving him CPR. Elly is hailed a hero and she is given some work experience at the surgery. Elly briefly dates Tad Reeves (Jonathon Dutton). Karl and Susan decide to find out who Elly's father is, so they can give her some stability. Elly tracks down Ian Conway, who she believes is her father. Ian shocks Elly when he tells her that he had been informed Karl was her father. Elly asks Libby Kennedy (Kym Valentine) if her father had ever had an affair and Libby admits that he did. Elly confronts Karl, but he tells her that he never had an affair with Liz. Elly is disappointed. Liz returns and reveals she is pregnant. She also admits that Ian is Elly's father, and that she had lied to him. Elly is devastated by her mother's neglect, especially when Liz forgets her birthday. When Liz asks Elly to come to Sweden with her, Elly is unsure, but decides to give her mother a second chance. She and Liz then leave for Sweden.

2016–

Fourteen years later, Elly returns to Erinsborough amid the high school formal. She flirts with Mark and Tyler Brennan. When Piper Willis sees Elly with Tyler, she becomes jealous and throws a drink over her. Piper is forced to apologise to Elly, who is revealed to be her new English teacher. Piper continues to be hostile towards Elly and later upsets her, causing Elly to almost hit Stephanie Scully and her son with her car. Mark is lenient towards her and Steph becomes jealous of their friendship. Elly rescues Nell Rebecchi from a snake, but is bitten herself. Karl informs Elly that she is pregnant. However, she suffers an allergic reaction and miscarries the baby. Her former boyfriend offers no sympathy when Susan contacts him. Elly goes on a date with Ned Willis and decides to play hard to get before accepting another date. However, Ned asks Madison Robinson out instead to make Elly jealous. They later agree to take their relationship slow. When Elly finds a lock of blonde hair in Ned's wallet, he explains that his former girlfriend Regan Davis (Sabeena Manalis) gave it to him.

Piper accuses Elly of giving her low marks for her assignments and when Elly later snaps at her, Piper makes a formal complaint. Susan later discovers that Elly has deliberately been marking Piper down. She tells Elly she will be placed on probation and should undertake counselling. Elly apologises to Piper. Elly and Ned's relationship is strained when Regan seeks him out. Ned takes Regan out of town to protect her from her husband Jacka, and an angry Elly goes to The Waterhole, where she has a drink with Jacka, who uses a pseudonym. Ned and Elly make up, but he decides to leave town to get away from Jacka. Elly is later injured when Jacka sabotages a hot-air balloon carrying Lauren's hen's party. Angus Beamont-Hannay develops a crush on Elly, while he is living with the Kennedys. He sings to her at the school's Halloween dance, and later kisses her while she is sleeping. Elly decides to keep the incident from Susan and tells Angus nothing can happen between them. Elly receives a late-night phone call from a drunken Angus and she and Tyler rescue him from a bar in the city, leading Angus to think that Elly has feelings him.

Elly makes a bet with Leo Tanaka that he will not have sex with Amy Williams (Zoe Cramond) by Christmas. Elly's former boyfriend Derek comes to see her and he apologises for the way he acted after she miscarried their baby. Elly and Derek have sex, and Elly thinks they are getting back together, but Derek reveals he is engaged and expecting a baby. Elly gets drunk and Angus helps her to bed, where he kisses her again. Susan finds them together and reports Elly to the educational board. Elly stays with Leo and his brother, until she tells Amy about the bet. Elly also tells Susan that Angus took advantage of her twice and he is interviewed by the police. He apologises to Elly, before he leaves town. Mark assures Elly that it was good decision not to press charges, as there is something on her record that could have been brought up in court. Ned returns for his father's wedding and he and Elly reconcile, until he changes his mind about leaving town to sort out a personal issue. Ned is arrested for arson and Elly eventually gives him a character reference. He tries to reconcile with her, but she tells him she is still leaving. He persuades her to stay and Elly admits that she deliberately ran over a former boyfriend during a heated confrontation.

Reception

Ahead of her introduction, Kylie Miller of The Age branded Elly a "likeable delinquent." Michael Idato of The Sydney Morning Herald criticised Nunn's acting ability and her debut performance on Neighbours, writing that he was "rendered speechless" by her poor performance. Idato went on to say that her arrival was "so thoroughly underwhelming and her delivery so off the mark" that no one noticed McDonough's introduction during the same episode. He also dubbed Elly a "hybrid of the brazen-hussy-troublemaker and dumped-by-a-disinterested-mum character types that seem to reproduce like rabbits on soaps." Observing Elly's behaviour, a Liverpool Echo reporter commented, "Stand well back – Elly is about to fly off the handle." Roz Laws, writing for the Sunday Mercury, dubbed Elly a "troublesome teen". A writer for the BBC said Elly's most notable moment from her first stint was "Asking Karl if he was her real father."

When Elly was bitten by the snake, Phillip Portman of the Daily Star quipped "Only on Neighbours can someone arrive in Ramsay Street and a week later, be fighting for their life." Portman also dubbed the character "promiscuous". A TV Week contributor observed, "It hasn't been the smoothest introduction to Ramsay Street for newcomer Elly." Kate MacCarthy of the Radio Times wondered if Elly and Ned were "set to be the cutest new couple in Ramsay Street?" While Sarah Ellis of Inside Soap observed "it's clear from the get-go that this is going to be an interesting relationship given that both Ned and Elly are a little on the mischievous side!" A reporter for the Liverpool Echo noted that the school Halloween dance was "aptly horrific for Elly" when Angus sang to her.

External links

• Elly Conway at the Official Neighbours website