Daniel Fitzgerald (Neighbours)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Fitzgerald is a fictional character
from the Australian Network Ten
soap opera Neighbours
, played by Brett Tucker
. He made his first on-screen appearance on 1 September 1999. Dan becomes a teacher at Erinsborough High and shares a house with fellow teacher, Tess. He remained as a recurring character until 2000. Tucker returned on 30 October 2007 and became part of the regular cast. Dan re-joined the high school and he began a relationship with Libby Kennedy
. In June 2009, it was announced that Tucker had quit the show and Dan departed on 1 December 2009. On 13 September 2010, Dan made a one-off appearance. Tucker had filmed his scenes prior to his departure in 2009.
In June 2009, it was announced that Tucker was to quit Neighbours when his contract expired in September that year. Tucker said "My contract was always two years and that was planned from day one, I have loved the opportunity, it has been fantastic to be on the show". Following the announcement, it was speculated that the character of Dan would be recast. However, producers confirmed to entertainment website Digital Spy
that there were no plans to recast Dan. In early September 2010, it was revealed that the character would make a one off appearance in a scene to be broadcast on 13 September. Tucker had filmed the scene prior to his departure in 2009. Carla Bonner
(Stephanie Scully
) told TV Week
that Tucker "loved the fact that Dan Fitzgerald still has such a presence in the show. Even though the character has physically left, his legacy lives on".
Network Ten
say Dan is "dependable", which makes him the perfect school counsellor and friend. They describe him as being "laid-back but determined when he puts his mind to something". He is also easy-going and passionate, with a "sly sense of humour". However, he is slow to open up to and trust people with his true feelings.
Dan starts a relationship with Libby Kennedy
(Kym Valentine
), Whilst interviewed by TV Week
, Valentine stated: "In the next few months, there is a hint of romance for Libby & Dan." Tucker added: "There was definitely an immediate attraction for Daniel when it came to Libby. And he becomes more interested over the next few months. Something is brewing! They knew each other briefly back then, but they weren't in any kind of relationship. At the time, Dan was in a bit of a love triangle with Tess & Steph. This time, he's single & it's the first time he's been attracted to someone in a long while" Dan harbours certain secrets he is keen to keep from Libby, of this Tucker states: "Dan is hiding a few things & if he does want things to work out with Libby, he'll have to clean out his closet, so to speak. Whether Dan likes it or not, he'll be forced to face his past & deal with it." Valentine also opines: "There is an emotional upset. Libby will begin to feel like she's constantly being let down by men. She can't seem to take a trick. Guys just keep disappointing her." Tucker added that it was never planned for Libby & Dan to have a trouble free relationship, although he previously thought otherwise.
) by Anne Wilkinson
(Brooke Satchwell
). Tess worries that her abusive ex-husband Brendan Bell (Blair Venn
) will find out about Dan, who begs her to let him move in. Tess and Dan's students begin gossiping and spreading rumours about them and Dan later moves out. Brendan arrives in town to see Tess, but when he finds out that she had gone clubbing with Dan, he races out of Ramsay Street. He crashes into Stephanie Scully
(Carla Bonner
) and Libby Kennedy
(Kym Valentine
) and he dies. Dan comes to see Tess and apologises. Tess lets him move back in
Dan becomes friends with Drew Kirk
(Dan Paris
) and Paul McClain
(Jansen Spencer
) and falls for Steph. They go on a date, but it ends badly. Tess later admits that she has fallen for Dan she cannot tell him and decides to move out. Daniel finds out the truth and tells her that he had liked her when they first met. Dan later leaves town.
(Nicky Whelan), he helps Ringo Brown
(Sam Clark
) with his eating disorder. Dan begins a relationship with Libby Kennedy and he tells her about his wife, Samantha
(Simone Buchanan
). Sam became pregnant, but she miscarried the baby and that triggered her bipolar disorder
. Dan became more her carer than her husband and their marriage fell apart. Dan begins to look for Sam, so he can divorce her. Sam arrives in town and she asks him to give their marriage another go. Sam suffers a relapse of her bipolar disorder after failing to take her medication. This leads to her acting inappropriately and she lies to Dan. She claims she is pregnant and the lie quickly spins out of control. Dan agrees to move to New Zealand
with her to start a new life, but Sam leaves him alone at the airport, knowing he still had feelings for Libby. Sam leaves Dan the divorce papers, but Libby refuses to get involved with him again.
Dan's brother, Lucas
(Scott Major
) arrives in town and starts dating Libby. Dan and Lucas fight, but they eventually make up. Libby finds out that Lucas is Dan's brother and cuts both men out of her life. Dan and Libby both apply to for the Acting Head Of Senior School. Libby forgets her notes during her interview because she was helping Zeke Kinski
(Matthew Werkmeister
) with his essay. Dan gets the job, but turns it down after learning that Libby forgot her notes. When Libby finds out, she goes to see him and Dan tells her that he loves her. Libby and Ben
(Blake O'Leary) move in with Dan and he later proposes to her.
A pregnant Sam returns to town on the night of Libby and Dan's engagement party. She reveals that she is carrying Dan's child. Dan is excited when he finds Sam is expecting a girl and they decide to name her Emma. Steph overhears an argument between Cassandra Freedman
(Tottie Goldsmith
) and Sam, and she discovers that Sam's baby is not Dan's. Dan confronts Sam and she willingly offers to take a paternity test hoping that he would not let her go through with it. However, Sam admits that the baby is not his and she leaves Erinsborough.
On the day of the wedding, Libby begins to feel unwell. She collapses at the end of the ceremony and is rushed to hospital. Libby and Dan discover that Libby is pregnant. Libby believes that she is carrying a girl and she and Dan ask Susan Kennedy
(Jackie Woodburne
) if they could name her Grace, after Susan's mother. However, the same day Libby collapses and she loses the baby. Dan then has to give the doctors permission to perform a hysterectomy.
Libby and Dan agree to try surrogacy
. Steph offers to carry their baby, but is told by Karl Kennedy
(Alan Fletcher) that it could bring her breast cancer back. Susan then offers and Dan and Libby accept. After being told they could go ahead with the surrogacy by the hospital, the family face abuse from the public when Paul Robinson
(Stefan Dennis
) prints the story in the paper. This causes the hospital board to cease their support for the surrogacy. The family challenge the ruling and the board change their minds. After learning that Susan has fallen pregnant, Dan finds it difficult to relate to her. This causes arguments and tension between Libby, Dan, Karl and Susan. When the situation gets worse, Karl books a holiday home for them all. Dan and Susan have an argument about where the baby should be brought up and Dan announces that he should not have agreed to the surrogacy. Dan decides to go for a walk and Susan joins him. She tries to talk to him, but he walks off. Susan tries to run after him, but trips and falls. She calls out to him, but he cannot hear her as he is wearing headphones. Susan miscarries the baby.
Libby and Dan's relationship begins to fall apart. Libby blames Dan for the miscarriage and Susan's MS relapse. Dan agrees to try counselling, but he walks out on the session, claiming that he does not need to be there. Libby and Dan have dinner together and they decide to end their marriage. Dan goes to Charlie's and he and Steph begin to reminisce about the past. They share a kiss and later sleep together. Feeling guilty, Dan decides to leave Erinsborough. Just before leaving, Libby catches him leaving a bicycle for Ben without saying goodbye and she tells him to go. Dan then gets in his car and leaves the town for good.
Steph falls pregnant with Dan's child. A few months later, Dan calls Lucas to tell him that he has been in an accident. Lucas then reveals that the accident has left Dan unable to father children. Steph calls Dan to tell him about the baby and he tells her that he wants to be a part of the baby's life. Steph gives birth to a boy and she decides to give Dan sole custody of the child. Dan asks what his son's name is, but Steph tells him that it is for him to choose. As Steph leaves, Dan tells her that he is calling the baby Adam.
.
Dan has received negative criticism from critics. In her monthly list of best and worst soap characters, Ruth Deller of entertainment website Lowculture
, placed Dan second on the worst characters list for March 2009. Deller said "Oh, Fitzy. It started so well, but the last few months we have watched you being a complete tosspot towards Sam and being part of the most self-righteous couple in soap. I'm sure the scriptwriters want us to be on your side, but being vaguely fit isn't enough any more. A horse-related accident (see Drew, Frazer) is what's needed to restore some humility – or to kill you off, either would do. Jaci Stephen of British newspaper the Daily Mail
, dubbed the character "Desperately Dull Dan". After Dan gave Sam his and Libby's savings, the Daily Record
said "What a silly boy Dan is. He's always been the first person everyone on Ramsay Street could turn to in a crisis, the kind we'd all love to have on our side. But Libby is discovering that being married to somebody who wants to do the best thing for everybody can be a nightmare."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, played by Brett Tucker
Brett Tucker
Brett Alan Tucker is an Australian actor and singer. He was a series regular in The Saddle Club and McLeod's Daughters...
. He made his first on-screen appearance on 1 September 1999. Dan becomes a teacher at Erinsborough High and shares a house with fellow teacher, Tess. He remained as a recurring character until 2000. Tucker returned on 30 October 2007 and became part of the regular cast. Dan re-joined the high school and he began a relationship with Libby Kennedy
Libby Kennedy
Elizabeth Grace "Libby" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 and departed in 2004, before returning on 12 November 2007. Libby is the only daughter of Karl and Susan Kennedy...
. In June 2009, it was announced that Tucker had quit the show and Dan departed on 1 December 2009. On 13 September 2010, Dan made a one-off appearance. Tucker had filmed his scenes prior to his departure in 2009.
Casting
Tucker previously played the role of Dan for a year from September 1999 to September 2000. In 2007, it was announced that Tucker would be reprising his role of Dan, just as Neighbours began returning to its roots of family-focused drama. Tucker returned as a regular cast member and said that it was "great being back".In June 2009, it was announced that Tucker was to quit Neighbours when his contract expired in September that year. Tucker said "My contract was always two years and that was planned from day one, I have loved the opportunity, it has been fantastic to be on the show". Following the announcement, it was speculated that the character of Dan would be recast. However, producers confirmed to entertainment website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
that there were no plans to recast Dan. In early September 2010, it was revealed that the character would make a one off appearance in a scene to be broadcast on 13 September. Tucker had filmed the scene prior to his departure in 2009. Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner is an Australian actress best known for playing the role of Steph Scully in the soap opera Neighbours, a role she played from 1999 to 2010...
(Stephanie Scully
Stephanie Scully
Stephanie Jo "Steph" Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Carla Bonner. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 October 1999. Stephanie is the eldest daughter of Joe and Lyn Scully and the mother to a son, Charlie...
) told TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
that Tucker "loved the fact that Dan Fitzgerald still has such a presence in the show. Even though the character has physically left, his legacy lives on".
Character development
On the character of Dan, Tucker said "Daniel's a regular, all-round good guy". He also said that Dan has become "a bit of a hero and is constantly saving people". Tucker added that when Dan fell for Libby, he went through "his own personal turmoil" as he is attracted to her, but her past relationship has not been resolved. Dan would like to move forward, but it's difficult because it does not happen quickly.Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
say Dan is "dependable", which makes him the perfect school counsellor and friend. They describe him as being "laid-back but determined when he puts his mind to something". He is also easy-going and passionate, with a "sly sense of humour". However, he is slow to open up to and trust people with his true feelings.
Dan starts a relationship with Libby Kennedy
Libby Kennedy
Elizabeth Grace "Libby" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 and departed in 2004, before returning on 12 November 2007. Libby is the only daughter of Karl and Susan Kennedy...
(Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine is a Maltese Australian actress best known for her portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
), Whilst interviewed by TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
, Valentine stated: "In the next few months, there is a hint of romance for Libby & Dan." Tucker added: "There was definitely an immediate attraction for Daniel when it came to Libby. And he becomes more interested over the next few months. Something is brewing! They knew each other briefly back then, but they weren't in any kind of relationship. At the time, Dan was in a bit of a love triangle with Tess & Steph. This time, he's single & it's the first time he's been attracted to someone in a long while" Dan harbours certain secrets he is keen to keep from Libby, of this Tucker states: "Dan is hiding a few things & if he does want things to work out with Libby, he'll have to clean out his closet, so to speak. Whether Dan likes it or not, he'll be forced to face his past & deal with it." Valentine also opines: "There is an emotional upset. Libby will begin to feel like she's constantly being let down by men. She can't seem to take a trick. Guys just keep disappointing her." Tucker added that it was never planned for Libby & Dan to have a trouble free relationship, although he previously thought otherwise.
1999–2000
Daniel joins Erinsborough High School as a trainee teacher. He is invited to move in with colleague Tess Bell (Krista VendyKrista Vendy
Krista Vendy is an Australian actress who played teacher Teresa "Tess" Bell on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 1999–2001. She is the cousin of Kristian Schmid, and was managed by Scott Michaelson, both of whom are past Neighbours stars....
) by Anne Wilkinson
Anne Wilkinson
Anne Wilkinson , is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brooke Satchwell. She made her first on screen appearance on 19 November 1996. Satchwell quit the role in 1999 and the character departed on 5 April 2000.-Casting:After completing an advert for Just...
(Brooke Satchwell
Brooke Satchwell
Brooke Kerith Satchwell is an Australian actress, model, and environmental spokesperson.-Early life:The first of two children of Andrew Satchwell, a real estate agent and Jane Satchwell, a school teacher. Satchwell has lived on the Mornington Peninsula for most of her life...
). Tess worries that her abusive ex-husband Brendan Bell (Blair Venn
Blair Venn
Blair Venn is an Australian actor who is best known for his role on the television series Head Start as Garrett Quinn. He has also appeared in two short stints on the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Brendan Bell and Richard Aaronow. His other television credits include Satisfaction, All Saints,...
) will find out about Dan, who begs her to let him move in. Tess and Dan's students begin gossiping and spreading rumours about them and Dan later moves out. Brendan arrives in town to see Tess, but when he finds out that she had gone clubbing with Dan, he races out of Ramsay Street. He crashes into Stephanie Scully
Stephanie Scully
Stephanie Jo "Steph" Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Carla Bonner. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 October 1999. Stephanie is the eldest daughter of Joe and Lyn Scully and the mother to a son, Charlie...
(Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner is an Australian actress best known for playing the role of Steph Scully in the soap opera Neighbours, a role she played from 1999 to 2010...
) and Libby Kennedy
Libby Kennedy
Elizabeth Grace "Libby" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 and departed in 2004, before returning on 12 November 2007. Libby is the only daughter of Karl and Susan Kennedy...
(Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine is a Maltese Australian actress best known for her portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
) and he dies. Dan comes to see Tess and apologises. Tess lets him move back in
Dan becomes friends with Drew Kirk
Drew Kirk
Andrew "Drew" Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Paris. He made his first on-screen appearance on 27 March 1998. Drew departed on 13 September 2002...
(Dan Paris
Dan Paris
Dan Paris is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing the role of Drew Kirk in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.Paris was born in Perth, Australia and was raised in Esperance in Western Australia....
) and Paul McClain
Paul McClain
Paul McClain is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jansen Spencer. Paul made his first appearance on 4 November 1997. Paul departed on 11 December 2001...
(Jansen Spencer
Jansen Spencer
Jansen Spencer is an Australian actor best known for his part in the worldwide Australian Soap, Neighbours. Jansen Spencer played Paul McClain between the years of 1997 to 2001...
) and falls for Steph. They go on a date, but it ends badly. Tess later admits that she has fallen for Dan she cannot tell him and decides to move out. Daniel finds out the truth and tells her that he had liked her when they first met. Dan later leaves town.
2007–2010
Dan returns to Erinsborough and becomes the school counsellor. On the advice of departing colleague, Pepper SteigerPepper Steiger
Heidi "Pepper" Steiger is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Nicky Whelan. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four characters branded as "20 somethings". She made her debut in the episode airing on 12 October 2006....
(Nicky Whelan), he helps Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Sam Clark. Clark was given the role after he entered and won a Dolly magazine competition. He made his first on-screen appearance on 24 January 2007...
(Sam Clark
Sam Clark
-Studio albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-Filmography:-Awards and nominations:-External links:* on SoundCloud...
) with his eating disorder. Dan begins a relationship with Libby Kennedy and he tells her about his wife, Samantha
Samantha Fitzgerald
Samantha "Sam" Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Simone Buchanan. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 March 2008 and departed the show on 25 June 2008. She returned briefly on 24 November 2008. Sam's main storylines have...
(Simone Buchanan
Simone Buchanan
Simone Louise Buchanan is an Australian actress best known for her television roles as Debbie Kelly in the situation comedy Hey Dad..! and Samantha Fitzgerald in the soap opera Neighbours....
). Sam became pregnant, but she miscarried the baby and that triggered her bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. Dan became more her carer than her husband and their marriage fell apart. Dan begins to look for Sam, so he can divorce her. Sam arrives in town and she asks him to give their marriage another go. Sam suffers a relapse of her bipolar disorder after failing to take her medication. This leads to her acting inappropriately and she lies to Dan. She claims she is pregnant and the lie quickly spins out of control. Dan agrees to move to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with her to start a new life, but Sam leaves him alone at the airport, knowing he still had feelings for Libby. Sam leaves Dan the divorce papers, but Libby refuses to get involved with him again.
Dan's brother, Lucas
Lucas Fitzgerald
Lucas Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by Scott Major. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 July 2008. The role of Lucas is Major's second character on the show, he previously played Darren Stark in 1993. Lucas is the brother of Daniel...
(Scott Major
Scott Major
Scott Major is an Australian actor. Major's acting début was playing Murray on Home and Away in the 1990s. He joined the Neighbours cast for a brief period in 1993 as the original Darren Stark. and then was a part of the Heartbreak High cast as "Rivers" from 1994–1995...
) arrives in town and starts dating Libby. Dan and Lucas fight, but they eventually make up. Libby finds out that Lucas is Dan's brother and cuts both men out of her life. Dan and Libby both apply to for the Acting Head Of Senior School. Libby forgets her notes during her interview because she was helping Zeke Kinski
Zeke Kinski
Ezekiel "Zeke" Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Matthew Werkmeister. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 August 2005. Zeke is the son of Alex Kinski and the younger brother of Katya and Rachel...
(Matthew Werkmeister
Matthew Werkmeister
Matthew Werkmeister is an Australian stage and television actor. He is best known for his role as Zeke Kinski in the soap opera Neighbours which he joined in 2005...
) with his essay. Dan gets the job, but turns it down after learning that Libby forgot her notes. When Libby finds out, she goes to see him and Dan tells her that he loves her. Libby and Ben
Ben Fitzgerald
Ben Ian Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Blake O'Leary. The character was previously played by Noah Sutherland and Sean Berends. He made his first on-screen appearance on 14 December 2001. Ben is the son of Libby Kennedy and Drew...
(Blake O'Leary) move in with Dan and he later proposes to her.
A pregnant Sam returns to town on the night of Libby and Dan's engagement party. She reveals that she is carrying Dan's child. Dan is excited when he finds Sam is expecting a girl and they decide to name her Emma. Steph overhears an argument between Cassandra Freedman
Cassandra Freedman
Cassandra "Sass" Freedman is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Tottie Goldsmith. Cassandra is the mother of Donna, Tegan and Simon, she first appeared on-screen on 10 February 2009...
(Tottie Goldsmith
Tottie Goldsmith
Tottie Goldsmith is an Australian actress and singer.-Biography:Goldsmith is the daughter of Melbourne restaurateur and nightclub owner Brian Goldsmith and British-born actress Rona Newton-John. Her great grandfather was German physicist and Nobel Prize winner Max Born...
) and Sam, and she discovers that Sam's baby is not Dan's. Dan confronts Sam and she willingly offers to take a paternity test hoping that he would not let her go through with it. However, Sam admits that the baby is not his and she leaves Erinsborough.
On the day of the wedding, Libby begins to feel unwell. She collapses at the end of the ceremony and is rushed to hospital. Libby and Dan discover that Libby is pregnant. Libby believes that she is carrying a girl and she and Dan ask Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy , is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Susan made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 along...
(Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress.-Personal life:Woodburne was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her father was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. She has two older siblings: John and Stephen. At age three she emigrated with her family to...
) if they could name her Grace, after Susan's mother. However, the same day Libby collapses and she loses the baby. Dan then has to give the doctors permission to perform a hysterectomy.
Libby and Dan agree to try surrogacy
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...
. Steph offers to carry their baby, but is told by Karl Kennedy
Karl Kennedy
Karl Raymond Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Fletcher. The character and his family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Karl made his first on-screen appearance on 20 September 1994 along with his...
(Alan Fletcher) that it could bring her breast cancer back. Susan then offers and Dan and Libby accept. After being told they could go ahead with the surrogacy by the hospital, the family face abuse from the public when Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Paul Stewart Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul debuted in the serial's first episode in 1985 and appeared on a...
(Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis is an Australian actor, best known for playing the role of Paul Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours, from its first episode in March 1985 to the present day...
) prints the story in the paper. This causes the hospital board to cease their support for the surrogacy. The family challenge the ruling and the board change their minds. After learning that Susan has fallen pregnant, Dan finds it difficult to relate to her. This causes arguments and tension between Libby, Dan, Karl and Susan. When the situation gets worse, Karl books a holiday home for them all. Dan and Susan have an argument about where the baby should be brought up and Dan announces that he should not have agreed to the surrogacy. Dan decides to go for a walk and Susan joins him. She tries to talk to him, but he walks off. Susan tries to run after him, but trips and falls. She calls out to him, but he cannot hear her as he is wearing headphones. Susan miscarries the baby.
Libby and Dan's relationship begins to fall apart. Libby blames Dan for the miscarriage and Susan's MS relapse. Dan agrees to try counselling, but he walks out on the session, claiming that he does not need to be there. Libby and Dan have dinner together and they decide to end their marriage. Dan goes to Charlie's and he and Steph begin to reminisce about the past. They share a kiss and later sleep together. Feeling guilty, Dan decides to leave Erinsborough. Just before leaving, Libby catches him leaving a bicycle for Ben without saying goodbye and she tells him to go. Dan then gets in his car and leaves the town for good.
Steph falls pregnant with Dan's child. A few months later, Dan calls Lucas to tell him that he has been in an accident. Lucas then reveals that the accident has left Dan unable to father children. Steph calls Dan to tell him about the baby and he tells her that he wants to be a part of the baby's life. Steph gives birth to a boy and she decides to give Dan sole custody of the child. Dan asks what his son's name is, but Steph tells him that it is for him to choose. As Steph leaves, Dan tells her that he is calling the baby Adam.
Reception
For his portrayal of Dan, Tucker was nominated for "Sexiest Male" at the 2009 Inside Soap AwardsInside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
.
Dan has received negative criticism from critics. In her monthly list of best and worst soap characters, Ruth Deller of entertainment website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
, placed Dan second on the worst characters list for March 2009. Deller said "Oh, Fitzy. It started so well, but the last few months we have watched you being a complete tosspot towards Sam and being part of the most self-righteous couple in soap. I'm sure the scriptwriters want us to be on your side, but being vaguely fit isn't enough any more. A horse-related accident (see Drew, Frazer) is what's needed to restore some humility – or to kill you off, either would do. Jaci Stephen of British newspaper the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, dubbed the character "Desperately Dull Dan". After Dan gave Sam his and Libby's savings, the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
said "What a silly boy Dan is. He's always been the first person everyone on Ramsay Street could turn to in a crisis, the kind we'd all love to have on our side. But Libby is discovering that being married to somebody who wants to do the best thing for everybody can be a nightmare."
External links
- Character profile at the Official AU website