Character Creation and Casting
In 1994, Neighbours' storyliners decided to introduce the "solid" Kennedy family. They felt that they needed to take the show back to its roots when it seemed that all the houses on Ramsay Street were populated with misfits and distant relatives. Kym Valentine left Sydney to join the cast of Neighbours in 1994 when she was 17 years old. She was given the role of the Kennedys' only daughter, Libby. Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne were cast as her on-screen parents and Benjamin McNair and Jesse Spencer were cast as her two brothers.
Valentine decided to depart Neighbours in 2004, so she could pursue other acting roles and spend time with her daughter. However, she did make a brief return in 2005 for the show's 20th anniversary episode. In 2007, Neighbours suffered a decline in ratings and plans were made to take storylines "back to basics", so they would be less controversial and focus more on relationships and family dynamics. It was then announced that Valentine would be reprising her role of Libby. Of her comeback Valentine said "I really felt like I was coming home and it was very easy to slip back into the role of Libby, she’s like an old friend. Plus she was older and the writers were able to do a lot more with her so it was a great time to return." Valentine initially intended to return to Neighbours for a brief time.
In 2010, Valentine took three months off from Neighbours due to ill health. In July of that year, she spent a week in hospital with a lung problem and in December she checked herself into a clinic as she was suffering from exhaustion. Valentine said "I'm very grateful to the producers for allowing me time off to get healthy again and this year is already looking fantastic." Valentine returned to the set in January 2011.
A few months after her return to filming, Valentine took indefinite leave from Neighbours. Fiona Byrne of the Herald Sun reported the actress was undergoing treatment in hospital for a depressive illness. Susan Bower said Valentine had the support of the production team and her character would be written out of the show in a "nice and neat way." The newspaper added "It has been done so when she is ready to return she (Libby) can walk straight back into the show." Byrne's colleague, Luke Dennehy reported Valentine's contract was up for renewal at the end of 2011. In September 2011, Byrne said Valentine was unlikely to return to Neighbours, though this was not confirmed by the show.
Read more about this topic: Libby Kennedy
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