Janelle Beryl Steiger (née
Rebecchi, previously
Timmins) is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
on the popular
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
NeighboursNeighbours is a Logie Award-winning Australian soap opera, which began airing in March 1985. The series follows the lives of families who live in the six houses at the end of Ramsay Street, a short cul-de-sac in the fictional middle-class suburb of Erinsborough. Storylines explore the romances,...
, portrayed by
Nell FeeneyNell Feeney is an Australian actress who played Janelle Timmins on the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Nell played the role of Janelle Timmins from late 2004 to July 2007. Nell was married to former cast member Shane Connor and they have twins, Thomas and Grace...
. She first appeared briefly in 2004, returning as a regular character in early 2005. She left the show in 2007, with her final scenes being broadcast in Australia in July 2007.
Character biography
Janelle is originally from
Colac, VictoriaColac is a town in the western district of Victoria, Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac...
. She is mother to
DylanDylan Kim Timmins is a fictional character on the popular Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by actor Damien Bodie. He first appeared in 2005 and departed on 30 March 2007....
(played by
Damien BodieDamien Bodie is an Australian actor.Bodie was educated at Sandringham Secondary College and is best known for his role as Dylan Timmins on the Australian television series Neighbours . Bodie played the role of Oscar in the television series Short Cuts which won three awards in 2002...
), Janae (
Eliza Taylor-CotterEliza Jane Taylor-Cotter is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Janae Timmins in long-running soap opera Neighbours and the role of Rosie in the Children´s Series The Sleepover Club.-Biography and Career:...
), Stingray (
Ben NicholasBenjamin Nicholas is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Scott "Stingray" Timmins in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Biography:...
), Bree (
Sianoa Smit-McPheeSianoa Smit-McPhee is an Australian actress. She is best known for her two years in Australian soap Neighbours as Breanna "Bree" Timmins...
), Dwayne and Brandon Timmins (both never seen in the show, only referred to). She is ex-wife of
KimKim Timmins is a fictional character on the popular Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by Brett Swain. He entered the soap in 2005 and returned in 2007....
(Brett Swain) and sister of Big Kev. Janelle used to work as
LynLynette "Lyn" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours portrayed by Janet Andrewartha making a first onscreen appearance on 21 October 1999 along with her family and remained a prominent feature within the show until late 2006. She made a brief return in 2008,...
's (
Janet AndrewarthaJanet Andrewartha is an Australian actress. She is famous for playing on-going roles in two popular Australian soap operas: that of Reb Kean in Prisoner and Lyn Scully in Neighbours. Although born in America, she does not have the accent...
) apprentice at
A Good Hair Day. She is a bitter, lazy woman, seen by some viewers as a typical
boganThe term bogan is Australian and New Zealand English slang, usually pejorative or self-deprecating, for a person who is, or is perceived to be, of a lower-class background. According to the stereotype, the speech and mannerisms of "bogans" indicate poor education, cheap clothing and uncultured...
. She is used frequently in comical storylines on the programme, her opening story line being where she tried to make money from exaggerating injuries. She was involved in a "love square", in which she, Lyn and
SusanSusan Wendy Kennedy , born March 13 1956 is a character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jackie Woodburne...
(
Jackie WoodburneJackie Woodburne is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress.-Personal Life:She has two elder brothers, John and Stephen.She emigrated from Northern Ireland aged 3 where her father was in the Royal Ulster constabulary...
) all had a small fling with
Bobby HoylandRobert 'Bobby' Hoyland was a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by actor Andrew McFarlane....
(
Andrew McFarlaneAndrew McFarlane is an Australian actor with several stage and screen credits.-Biography:McFarlane was born in Albany, Western Australia. He initially shot to fame as intellectual oldest son John Sullivan in the World War II soap opera The Sullivans. He left the series after eighteen months and in...
), unaware of each others' involvement.
She began writing a novel about her life in
Ramsay StreetRamsay Street is a fictional street in the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours and is located in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough, Melbourne....
, which
Nina TuckerNina Tucker was a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by actress and popular singer Delta Goodrem. She joined the show as a regular character in 2002, eventually leaving the show late in 2003. Nina has also made brief appearances in the shows' 2004 and 2005...
's (
Delta GoodremDelta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the popular Australian soap Neighbours as Nina Tucker, and this assisted her in establishing an international music career. With 8 number 1#...
) former singing manager, Melody Jones, wanted to publish. Bree re-wrote most of the book, and this was meant to be kept a secret until it was revealed inadvertently when they were both in a mock episode of
Rove Live. Lyn kicked her and her family out onto the streets to live in a caravan park, but later let them return due to pity.
Janelle found happiness again with the return of her husband,
Kim TimminsKim Timmins is a fictional character on the popular Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by Brett Swain. He entered the soap in 2005 and returned in 2007....
(Brett Swain), after she struggled to provide for a family of six children on her own when her husband left her. They had a second wedding. Kim became a fugitive from the law after by selling
counterfeitA counterfeit product is an imitation which infringes upon a production monopoly held by either a state or corporation. Goods are produced with the intent to bypass this monopoly and thus take advantage of the established worth of the previous product...
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
s to fund the wedding, and other things.
Janelle discovered that her daughter Bree was
switched at birthBabies switched at birth are babies who, because of either error or malfeasance, are interchanged with each other at birth or very soon thereafter, leading to them being unknowingly raised by parents who are not their biological parents. In real life, the occurrence of such a thing is highly...
. After which Bree attempted to find her biological family. Bree became friends with one of her book fans, a blind girl called Anne who gave Janelle the creeps. It turned out Anne was Janelle's biological daughter. When this was revealed the two bonded, but Anne's parents, who were
in denialDenial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.The subject may use:...
, prevented Anne from any contact with the Timmins family.
Janelle was briefly
Lou CarpenterLouis Thomas Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Tom Oliver. He first appeared in 1988 and returned in January 1992 as a regular. He is the longest running character in the show's history, having been in it for over 17 years...
's (
Tom OliverTom Oliver is an English-born Australian television, film and theatre actor, best known today for playing the role of Lou Carpenter in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Career:...
) girlfriend. Janelle ended it with the realisation she didn't love him, and helped him win
ex-girlfriendIn social relationships, an ex is someone with whom a person was once associated. As a prefix, ex- can refer to a variety of different relationships; for example, one might refer to a music group's ex-guitarist, or someone's ex-friend. When used alone, ex is assumed to refer to a former sexual or...
MishkaMishka Schneiderova is a fictional recurring character in the Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by actress Deborah Kennedy. Her first appearance was in April 2006, and her last appearance was in November 2006....
(
Deborah KennedyDeborah Kennedy is an Australian actress recognised for several television and film roles, and for her appearance in a famous advertisement.Kennedy began her acting career on the stage, with the Marion Street Theatre, appearing in The Trojan Woman and Macbeth...
) back. After Kim sent the family a letter that gave Janelle some closure she started dating
Allan SteigerSenior Sergeant Allan Frederick Steiger was a fictional character in the Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by actor Joe Clements....
(
Joe ClementsJoe Clements is an Australian actor who played Senior Sergeant Allan Steiger in the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2004 to 2007.Clements had a larger role in 1993's Australian sitcom Newlyweds, and had guest roles in Water Rats , Blue Heelers and in The Secret Life of Us...
).
When
KerryKerry Breanna Mangel was a fictional character in the Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by child actress Claudine Henningsen.Kerry, named after her late grandmother, was born to Sky Mangel on 31 October 2006. Shortly after her birth, she was kidnapped from the hospital, which had been set...
(Claudine Henningsen), Janelle's granddaughter, was diagnosed with
leukemiaLeukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood cells, usually white blood cells . Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, Janelle's son Stingray became her
bone marrowBone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the hollow interior of bones. In adults, marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. It constitutes 4% of total body weight, i.e...
donor. The operation was a success; however, Stingray later unexpectedly passed away at Janelle's '39th' birthday party from a fatal
aneurysmAn aneurysm or aneurism , is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall....
. Janelle was devastated at the loss. At the funeral her other son Dylan left to recover from his emotional despair, making it a double blow.
Stingray's girlfriend at the time of his death was
best friendFriendship is the cooperative and supportive relationship between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis...
Sky MangelSky Olivia Mangel was a character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Miranda Fryer from the character's first appearance in 1989 until her departure in 1991, and by Stephanie McIntosh since 2003...
. She struggled to cope with the loss of another person in her life (her mother, uncle, aunt and cousin having died already) and started seeing a spiritualist,
Terrence ChestertonTerrence Chesterton was a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by actor Scott Johnson. He appeared on the show from April 6 to May 11, 2007....
. Amongst other things, Terrence told her that Stingray wanted his ashes scattered at the
skate parkA skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment for skateboarders and rollerbladers to ride and develop their technique...
, something Janelle was dead against. Sky stole the ashes, but Bree managed to retrieve them in time. When Janelle found out, she was furious, but Sky offered her a deal: Janelle should meet with Terrence, and if she was still against him then, Sky would no longer bother her. Janelle met with Terrence, where she too was taken in by him, despite warnings from her daughters.
Terrence was proved a fake by Janelle's nephew
ToadieJarrod Vincenzo "Toadfish" Rebecchi is a fictional character on the popular Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by Ryan Moloney.- Character's background :...
, and Sky confronted him, hitting him with a heavy object in her anger. Terrence was knocked unconscious, and a scared Sky ran off. Terrence's accomplice, the fake doctor Charlotte Stone then found him and, angry at him for being found out, hit him again, this time killing him. Sky was blamed, although was eventually proved innocent by
Boyd HoylandBoyd Richard Hoyland was a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kyal Marsh. He first appeared on 5 June 2002 and left the show on 3 August 2007.- History :...
. Janelle didn't like Boyd because he had cheated on her daughter, but after this she was forced to at least get along with him.
Janelle's fiance Allan Steiger returned from
the Solomon IslandsThe Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. Together they cover a land mass of 28,400 square kilometres . The capital is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal.The Solomon Islands are believed to have been...
, and a while later, her biological daughter Anne returned from Cairns. When Anne's adoptive father finally accepted that Bree was really his daughter, they came up with the plan for the Timmins' to move to Cairns, so that the two families could get to know each other. Janelle's three remaining sons all live up north, so she would also be closer to them.
The family had a farewell party in the street, where Steiger shocked Janelle by turning it into their wedding. He then gave her a wedding present - he'd arranged for
Daryl BraithwaiteDaryl Braithwaite is an Australian pop singer. Best known as the lead vocalist of Sherbet, Braithwaite has also sustained a successful solo career, placing 15 singles in the Australian top 40, including the #1 hits "You're My World" and "The Horses".-Early years:Daryl, along with his twin brother...
to come, who Janelle loved. Janelle gave a
farewell speechA Farewell speech is a speech given by an individual leaving a position or place. They are often used by public figures such as politicians as a to the preceding career, or as statements delivered by persons relating to reasons for their leaving...
to the neighbours, where she spoke to each person who she'd been close to over her years on the street. To
Harold BishopFor the former American football player, see Harold Bishop, Jr.Harold Wayne Bishop was a fictional character in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours played by Ian Smith. Smith first appeared on screen as the character from January 1987 and departed originally in September 1991...
and
Lou CarpenterLouis Thomas Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Tom Oliver. He first appeared in 1988 and returned in January 1992 as a regular. He is the longest running character in the show's history, having been in it for over 17 years...
she said: 'Boys, it's been a pleasure sharing a fence with you'. To Susan Kinski, who she had initialially clashed with before befriending, she said: "Suzie Q, you are my Yoda." To nephew Toadie, she said that he wasn't so bad after all, and a great lawyer.
She also had general words of farewell: 'This is just a bunch of houses side by side, but it's so much more than that. It's special, and it's you guys that make it special, and gosh, I'm going to miss it'.
Janelle encouraged Janae to stay behind and continue her relationship with
Ned ParkerNed Parker is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel O'Connor. He first appeared in 2005 and left in 2008.- Character's background :Ned is Stuart Parker's younger brother...
, (however after this relationship ended she also left). The family then flew off to Cairns in a helicopter, leaving the waving neighbours behind.