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Libby Kennedy (also Kennedy-Fitzgerald) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1994. Valentine auditioned for the role when she was 15, and upon being cast as Libby, she relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, where the show is filmed. Libby was introduced along with her parents and brothers during a period of low ratings for the show. Valentine departed on 2 October 2003, before returning for six months the following year and a single episode on 27 July 2005. She returned on a permanent basis on 12 November 2007. Libby's storylines have included being involved in a motorbike accident, the loss of her husband Drew Kirk, giving birth to Ben Kirk, marrying Daniel Fitzgerald and subsequently separating from him. In 2008, Valentine was forced to take sick leave for one month and executive producer, Susan Bower, made the decision to temporarily recast McLeod's Daughters actress Michala Banas in the role for a month. Valentine temporarily left Neighbours in 2010 due to ill health and, after returning to filming briefly, took indefinite leave the following year. Valentine's contract with the series lapsed later in 2011, with Libby having not appeared on-screen since 26 May. Valentine reprised the role for a three-week guest appearance in June 2014, and for the show's then final episode on 28 July 2022. 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. The show was also suffering from low ratings, and the Kennedys were brought in to "bring a fresh burst of energy". Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne were cast as Karl Kennedy and Susan Kennedy, with Benjamin McNair and Jesse Spencer cast as brothers Malcolm Kennedy and Billy Kennedy. The role of the Kennedy's daughter went to actress Kym Valentine. She first auditioned for the role of Libby when she was 15 in her home town of Sydney. She recalled: "I'd been in Home and Away, and in a sitcom called My Two Wives, but Neighbours was a much bigger thing. For starters, it is filmed in Melbourne, so getting the part meant that I had to move there. I didn't know anyone at all, so it was pretty terrifying." Valentine began working on Neighbours when she was 17. She admitted that leaving her family behind in Sydney was the hardest part about joining the show, but she "seized" the role of Libby and was determined to be a success. The Kennedys were described as a believable family, and Valentine thought it down to the actors' close bond off-screen. She said they were "like a surrogate family to me, and still are." Discussing her longevity in 2000, Valentine explained that she stayed with Neighbours as it provided her with work, and she felt she was still learning and being challenged by the role. Character development Characterisation Upon her introduction to Neighbours, Libby was described as an opinionated girl who makes a stand on "any and every issue." She is as a communist and her political views frustrate her father. She initially wants to go into a government job, but she studies journalism at university instead. The teenage Libby was said to be bright, inquisitive and "prim and proper." Her "wise beyond her years" side has followed her into adulthood and Libby is now a "passionate and idealistic" woman. She is hard working, honest, headstong and focused on her career and life goals. Libby has a humorous and quirky side, which Valentine loves acting out. The BBC said "there's no keeping that irrepressible sense of humour down. She loves a good laugh." On Valentine's return to the Neighbours set in January 2011, she decided to cut her long hair off in favour of a short hairstyle. It was also revealed that Libby would return with a new attitude to life. She has spent time at a health retreat, learnt the "art of Zen" and now refuses to judge anyone. Valentine said that Libby wants "to detach from negativity." She added "She looks at her situation – single mum, still living with her parents – and starts to focus on her career at the school." Departure and return On 5 June 2003, Valentine filmed her final scenes before taking six months maternity leave from the show. She became the first ever actress to take maternity leave from Neighbours. Valentine stated "I was so clucky a few years ago, and I was sussing it out, just what would happen out of curiosity and how they would deal with it. I couldn't believe it – it's an amazing stroke of luck that for nearly 20 years that the show's been going, and they haven't had any long-term cast member fall pregnant. Trust me to be the first." Valentine also admitted that the producers had difficulty hiding her pregnancy before she left. On-screen, Libby takes a break from Erinsborough. 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, "Friends for Twenty Years". 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. Temporary recast On 4 July 2008, Valentine collapsed on a flight home from New York and was diagnosed with pneumonia and a collapsed lung. Valentine was told that she needed to rest for a month and that she could not return to work on Neighbours. news.com.au initially reported that Libby would be written out of scenes for a week. However, as the character was involved in too many storylines, executive producer Susan Bower realised that she could not be suddenly written out of the show and she took the decision to temporarily recast the role of Libby. Bower called McLeod's Daughters actress Michala Banas and asked her to take over the role. Banas only had four days to research Libby's history on the show and learn the scripts before she began filming. Banas told the Herald Sun "It was crazy, a whirlwind. I spent the first week of filming really stressing about it – am I doing this right, is this what Libby would do, am I making the right choices? I felt this real sense of responsibility to Kym and to the character and to the show. I just wanted to do the best job I could for everyone." Banas explained that Libby is a strong woman with a lot of energy a.... Discover the Libby Rawl popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Libby Rawl books.