Libby Kennedy

Infobox soap character
colour = Television colour|Neighbours
name = Libby Kennedy
series - Neighbours
portrayer = Kym Valentine
Michala Banas
(Temp. November-December 2008)
first = October 3, 1994
Episode 2251


last =
cause =
nickname = Lib
alias =
species =
gender = Female
age = 29
born = 1979
death =
occupation = Principal
title =
residence = 32 Ramsay Street
parents = Susan Kinski (mother)
Karl Kennedy (father)
siblings = Malcolm Kennedy (brother)
Billy Kennedy (brother)
Holly Hoyland (half-sister)
spouse = Drew Kirk (2001–2002, deceased)
romances = Luke Handley
Darren Stark
Taj Coppin
Daniel Fitzgerald
Ty Harper
Lucas Fitzgerald
children = Ben Kirk (son)
grandparents = Tom Kennedy (adoptive grandfather)
Molly Kennedy (grandmother)
Grace Smith (grandmother)
aunts/uncles = Liz Conway (aunt)
Ian Conway (uncle)
Carmel Tyler (aunt)
Robert Tyler (uncle)
nieces/nephews = Jackson Kennedy (nephew)
cousins = Darcy Tyler (cousin)
Elly Conway (cousin)
relatives = Katya Kinski (stepsister)
Rachel Kinski (stepsister)
Zeke Kinski (stepbrother)
Alex Kinski (stepfather, deceased)
episode =
creator =

Elizabeth 'Libby' Grace Kennedy is a fictional character in the Australian soap Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She first appeared from 1994 until 2003, and returned for several months in 2004. Libby made a cameo in Annalise Hartman's 20th Anniversary documentary in 2005. She returned on November 12, 2007, with her son.

History

Entrance

Libby is the second child of Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) and Susan Kinski (Jackie Woodburne), and their only daughter. As a teenager, Libby was always bright and clever, and involved herself in her grandfather's communist beliefs, much to the dislike of Karl. Libby always resented her father for moving the family to Erinsborough without even telling them.

Libby quickly made friends with Brett Stark (Brett Blewitt), after he promptly helped Libby move furniture into their new house, which resulted in him putting the arm of a chair through the wall. Although Brett had feelings for Libby, he never acted upon them.

Journalism

Her first part time job was at Philip Martin's (Ian Rawlings) news agency, which she pursued even after being threatened by a robber. Despite Karl warning her not to continue, she carried on working there until she was offered a part-time cadetship at the Erinsborough News.

Luke Handley

Libby instantly had a crush on the new boy next door, Luke Handley (Bernard Curry), with whom she shared her first kiss. Karl accused Libby of getting sexually involved with Luke, having found photos of what he thought was Luke's backside. Libby explained that they were just photos of Luke flexing his arms, and Karl apologised for suspecting her. However Luke and Libby were developing more and more feelings for each other, and after they kissed, Libby confessed to her parents about her feelings for Luke. Karl immediately grounded her and hatched a plan, along with Susan, to allow Luke to shower Libby with attention in the hope that she'd get bored with him. However, Libby realised and told Luke they could only ever be friends and refused to speak to him. However, the two agreed to stay friends after Luke wrote her a letter explained how upset he was about the way things had turned out between them, and how deeply he cared for her.

Drew Kirk

Not long after Darren Stark left town, Libby began a friendship with Drew Kirk. At this time, Libby had become involved with her university tutor, and Drew comforted her when the relationship ended badly. Eventually Libby and Drew got together and were soon engaged. Unfortunately Libby was in a bicycle accident and her injuries made it extremely risky for her to be pregnant. Libby pushed Drew away, believing that he wouldn't be able to accept that they wouldn't be able to have kids. However, the couple soon got back together and married in 2001. Shortly afterwards, Libby was surprised to find herself pregnant. Libby decided to keep the baby even though the pregnancy would be extremely risky. Libby was with her husband Drew in Oakey at a Rodeo when she got locked inside a barn. It was here that she went into labour. She had a portable phone with her, but the reception at her location was terrible, and it took a while for people to find her. When she was finally air-lifted to hospital, she gave birth to Ben Kirk before going into cardiac arrest. Though her rhythm was asystole according to the ECG reading, the obstetrician defibrillated Libby, perhaps for the drama effect. After a few shocks, Libby was back in sinus rhythm and left hospital in a few days. A year later, Drew died when he fell off a horse.

Taj Coppin

When she was working as a media studies teacher at Erinsborough High, Libby met Year 12 student Taj Coppin (Jaime Robbie Reyne). She offered him a lot of help with his project, and eventually offered to tutor him, but she was unaware that he was falling in love with her. Libby realised that Taj was attracted to her when he invited her to the cinema and sent her a bouquet of flowers. She decided not to speak to him about the situation because she thought it was a schoolboy crush that would go away, but mainly because she herself was falling for a doctor that worked at her father Karl's surgery, Cameron Hodder. The relationship did not last long, ending when Libby discovered that Cameron had no interest in children, including Libby's son Ben and his own. After they broke up, Taj made a move on Libby, kissing her while they were in school. Libby told Taj not to do anything like this again, but she later wondered if she had feelings for him. After Taj's 18th birthday, he was even more persistent in trying to pursue Libby, but nothing serious happened until after the sudden death of Dee Bliss (Madeleine West). Upset on the day at what had happened, Libby spent most of the afternoon in a pub, where Taj later met her. After telling Taj about how she felt, he walked her to her house, but she felt unable to go inside. Taj then invited Libby to his house, and assured her that he meant it in a platonic sense. Libby accepted the offer, and they later had sex. The following morning, Libby regretted what had happened, and told Susan, who was horrified; and Karl, who was more understanding. Given that Taj was over 18 no criminal offence had been committed. Because of what had happened, Taj thought Libby was serious about wanting a relationship, and went as far as going to her house to speak to her about it. The conversation that was had at Libby's house was overheard by Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh) and his friend Daniel, who informed the rest of Erinsborough High. Unable to face going back to school after this, Libby retreated to a cabin in the mountains for a few days. Libby tried to call Susan and Karl, but only Karl would respond, going up to the cabin to give his support. Taj also went, but did not speak to Libby, seeing from a distance that she was with Phillip, and realising that a relationship between himself and her was not possible. He left Libby a note explaining how he felt, and returned to Erinsborough.

Karl's affair

A short while later, Libby left Erinsborough for Adelaide with Ben, to pursue her teaching career. However, after Karl left Susan for Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), Libby decided to decline a two-year teaching contract and returned to Erinsborough to help her mother get back on her feet. She was disgusted by Karl's behaviour, going days without telling him she was back living on Ramsay Street. Her anger with him was further fuelled when she discovered that Izzy was pregnant with his child.

Darren Stark

While still living with Susan at No.28, Libby was shocked to see old flame Darren Stark (Todd MacDonald) working as their electrician. They previously dated several years back, and began seeing each other again after a couple of weeks. Darren forced Libby to talk to her father again, however Karl was less than happy to see him seeing his daughter again, after causing her previous heartache.

When the building site that Darren worked at was robbed, Darren was a suspect due to his criminal past. It ended up being the owner of the site, Jack Scully (Jay Bunyan) who broke in to get insurance money, however he let Darren take the fall for him and Darren was soon after arrested, raising Libby's suspicions. When it was proven that Darren was innocent, he was furious towards Libby for not believing in him, and soon after left town. Although she attempted twice to get him to return to Erinsborough before driving out of town, Darren said that she just wouldn't be able to trust him and left.

Broken-hearted, Libby concentrated on her work life, and was thrilled when she was offered her teaching job at Erinsborough High back. Accepting it, she decided to stop all the rumours that floated around the school about her and Taj by simply telling the kids the truth, and they decided to move on. After a few weeks, Darren sent Libby flowers with a card, saying he missed her. After calling him, Darren urged her and Ben to move over to Shepparton with him, to start a new life together. After a few days, Libby decided to make the move. Susan thanked her for all of her support in the past year, before Libby and Ben left Ramsay Street to live with Darren.

Return

Both Libby and Ben returned to Ramsay Street on November 12, 2007, originally planning to stay for a short period of time. She decided to remain in Ramsay Street after discovering that Susan (now re-married to Karl) was seriously ill. Since her return to Ramsay Street, it was clear that something was wrong with Libby's relationship with Darren, as she avoided talking about him at all. She also has personally attacked Karl about his past infidelity. In the end, Darren turned up in Ramsay Street with a bouquet of flowers for Libby, and it was revealed that he cheated on her. Darren tried several times to reconcile with her, but she made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Roof collapse

When the roof falls in on the illegal dance party and Zeke is trapped, Libby admits that she knew he had been sneaking out at night. Karl, Susan, Libby and Rachel (who had left the party early) all rush to the site of the disaster. Racked with guilt, Libby runs into the unstable building, closely followed by her father. They manage to locate Zeke, however they are all caught up in a secondary collapse. In the 2008 season opener, Karl and Zeke are rescued, while Libby remains trapped in the debris. She is eventually found and is hospitalised, however her condition is not serious. After Libby learned Darren kissed neighbour Janae Timmins, she ended their relationship and Darren moved back to Shepparton alone. Libby has dislike For Elle Robinson

Daniel Fitzgerald

In March 2008 Libby developed feelings for her colleague Daniel Fitzgerald. The two decided to act on their feelings, but before they could, Dan's estranged wife Samantha arrived. From then Libby refused to be "the other woman".

Even though Dan has asked for a divorce from Sam, Libby still turns him down, feeling he is still in love with Sam. Recently, Dan and Steph Scully became trapped down a mine. Steve Parker and Ned Parker tried to rescue them from a separate mine shaft, but that collapsed on them and trapped them as well. Dan had helped in the rescue, but in the hospital he collapsed from internal bleeding. He soon recovered and the first visitor he asked for was Libby. After talking to him, and asking him to "Put himself first", she kisses him before leaving in tears.

Ty Harper

Libby, still having feelings for Dan tried to move on, by moving in with Steph. Newcomer Ty joined them, after getting a job at Charlie's Bar, and asked Libby out, realising that he was too young and had feelings for her step sister, Rachel, she decided to not act on their attraction and just be friends.

Lucas Fitzgerald

Handsome newcomer Lucas, has rocked up in Erinsborough and swept Libby off the floor. What Libby doesn't know is that Lucas is none other than Dan's brother.

Reunion with Dan

Her and Dan were both going for a job as head of Senior school, her job interveiw was derailed because she was helping out Zeke (step brother) with a economica assiment.she got to the interview late and forgot her amazing notes. Dan got the job. Zeke told him how her interview wasn't fair.Dan (who's in love with Libby) told the school that he wasn't interested. She was annoyed at him because she wanted to get the job on her own merits, not passed down second hand from Dan.

Libby went to Dan's house and asked him why he gave the job to her.

He replied: "It's just a clumsy uncool way of saying 'I love you'"

Libby: "Clumsy and uncool's right... what did you just say?!?!"

Dan: "I've said it twice I don't need to say it again"

Libby: (laughing but obviously flattered) "Well if you think that makes everything better..."

Dan: (cuts Libby off) "OK, shut up now Lib"

He kisses her and the episode ends.Libby ends up finding out that Dan is not happy Lucas got her first, but Libby and Dan make up and have sex. Dan shortly after asks Libby to go on a holiday with him.

Dan plans to ask Libby to be his wife in October.

Role Recast

As of Monday 11th of August, Kym Valentine has been forced to pull out of Neighbours as she recovers from a collapsed lung and pneumonia. Valentine will take a one month break to regain her health. Michala Banas will take over filming the role of Libby Kennedy on Neighbours. Valentine has played the role for over 11 years and says that:

"It is like handing over a child to be looked after by somebody else."

Family

Paternal line

*Molly Kennedy (grandmother, deceased), married to Tom Kennedy (adoptive grandfather), had a relationship with Ron Davies-Smythe (biological grandfather, deceased)
**Karl Kennedy (father), married to Susan Smith (mother) and had a relationship with Isabelle Hoyland
***Malcolm Kennedy (brother), married to Catherine O'Brien
***Libby Kennedy, married to Drew Kirk (deceased)
****Ben Kirk (son)
***Bill Kennedy (brother) has a relationship with Anne Wilkinson
****Jackson Kennedy (nephew)
***Holly Hoyland (half-sister)

Maternal line

*Grace Smith (grandmother) (deceased)
**Susan Smith (mother), married to Karl Kennedy (father) and Alex Kinski (stepfather, deceased)
***Katya Kinski (stepsister) dating Paul McClain
***Rachel Kinski (stepsister)
***Zeke Kinski (stepbrother)
***Ben Kinski (stepcousin)
***Leah Kinski (stepcousin)
**Carmel Smith (aunt), married to Robert Tyler (uncle)
***Darcy Tyler (cousin)
**Liz Smith (aunt), married to Ian Conway (uncle)
***Elly Conway (cousin)

External links

* [http://www.perfectblend.net/neighbourhood/bio/kennedy-libby.htm Libby Kennedy's profile on perfectblend.net]
* -- ://www.fanpop.com/spots/neighbours/images/774800