| Kirsty Knight | |||||||
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| Shortland Street character | |||||||
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| Portrayed by | Angela Dotchin | ||||||
| Duration | 1992–1998 | ||||||
| First appearance | 25 May 1992 Episode 1 | ||||||
| Last appearance | 23 February 1998 | ||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||
| Created by | Jason Daniel | ||||||
| Introduced by | Caterina De Nave | ||||||
| Book appearances | Kirsty and Lionel - Shortland Street Books (1996) | ||||||
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Kirsty Knight (previously Skeggins) is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Angela Dotchin as part of the 1992 original cast up until 1998.
Originally appearing as the clinic's blonde bombshell teenage receptionist, the character was a love interest for heart throb Stuart Neilson (Martin Henderson) but by the time the character departed after 6 years, was a major character in the soap opera. Known for her "Secret Squirrel" storylines, Kirsty was the forefront of the show in numerous storylines such as an attempted rape at the hands of villain Darryl Neilson (Mark Ferguson), exposing two murderers, a hugely popular romance with fan favourite Lionel (John Leigh) and for her comedic pairing with eccentric receptionist Marj Neilson (Elizabeth McRae). The character left the show in 1998 when she fell in love with nemesis Darryl's younger brother, Damien (Mark Ferguson).
The character was hugely popular and is remembered for her storylines, mainly her romance with Lionel and her initial appearance as the "Blonde Bombshell" archetype that would become a recurring characterisation throughout the show's history. Dotchin was nominated for two New Zealand Film and TV Awards for "Best Actress" throughout her run on the soap.