When Libby called off the wedding, will Drew run away with her best friend? After breaking up with Libby, will Drew seek happiness in the arms of her best friend, Steph?

Runaway Bride

Don't Do it, Drew!

There's nothing like a juicy love triangle to keep viewers glued to their television sets, and no soap seems to do them juicier than Neighbours. This time around, the future of Ramsay Street's golden couple Drew Kirk and Libby Kennedy is at stake- and the third party is none other than Libby's best friend and neighbour, Stephanie Scully! 

If this sounds like a shocking turn of events, spare a thought for the actors behind the sizzling storyline. When TV WEEK caught up with Dan Paris, Kym Valentine and Carla Bonner, all three were still coming to terms with the unexpected developments. "One minute Drew and Libby are planning their wedding, and the next minute it's over and he looks like going off with someone else!" says Kym. "Here I was thinking that nothing else could go wrong for them!"

Indeed, it has... and it can only get worse. As regular Neighbours viewers will know, Libby called off the wedding after learning that she was unable to bear children, the result of injuries sustained in a recent motorcycle accident. In episodes screening this week on Network Ten, she tells Drew that they have no future together. "Libby is doing the noble thing and setting Drew free," Kym explains. "She still loves him, but she wants him to get on with his life, without her."

What Libby doesn't consider is that Drew may get it on with Steph! According to Carla, the attraction, at least on Steph's behalf has been building for some time. "Steph has been lusting after Drew from the moment that she arrived in Ramsay Street!" Carla reveals. "Of course, he was with Libby, so she always kept her feelings to herself. But since the accident, her feelings for him have been getting deeper and beyond her control. Steph is hopelessly, hopelessly in love with him, and it hurts her," Carla adds. "Libby is her best friend and she's in love with her boyfriend. That's the harsh reality of it."

Meanwhile, the man stuck in the middle is struggling to deal with his own heartbreak. "Drew has plunged into a period of deep depression," says Dan, suitably unshaven to mark his character's decline. "He finds Libby's behaviour totally irrational and can't make sense of anything. Amid of this, the one person he has to turn to, the one shoulder he can cry on, is Steph." 

And so the stage is set for a complex web of emotions. From Libby's painful resolve to Drew's heartache and Steph's forbidden passion- where it will all end is anybody's guess. "There is potential for Drew and Steph to get together," Dan believes. "They have a lot in common, and similar personalities. With Drew and Libby, it's always been a case of opposites attracting- but with Drew and Steph, it could be a case of like- minded people attracting."

"Steph thinks she's in with a chance," Carla says. "Yes, she feels guilty about Libby, but she can't help it. She truly believes that she can make Drew happy, and it's just a question of whether or not she can convince him of that."

All three actors are aware that the audience will take a bit of convincing, too. "When I first heard about the storyline, I was quite against it," Carla admits. "I was concerned that the audience would hate Steph for pursuing Drew. But then I thought that it would be very boring to watch a character who never does anything wrong. It's great that Steph has flaws and is human. If there's a backlash, then I guess I'll just have to cop it!"

"It took so long for Libby and Drew to get together," Kym says. "They have been through so many dramas before- most of them instigated by Libby- and I was worried about how the audience would feel about yet another setback." After sharing those initial reservations, Dan is excited by the possibilities. "I look at is as being another challenge," he says. "I enjoy working with both Kym and Carla, so as an actor it's going to be a very good experience for me."

He and Kym will provide no hints as to what the future holds for their popular characters, but Kym does have one secret wish- the she gets to wear a wedding dress at some stage down the track. "I was looking forward to the wedding between Libby and Drew," she laughs. "I kept wondering why the wardrobe department hadn't approached me to go shopping with them for a dress, so I had a feeling something was up... and, sure enough, I was right!"

By Jason Herbison

From TV WEEK July 29- August 4th, 2000

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