| Ned Willis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Ben Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2016–2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 6 April 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 28 July 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jason Herbison | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ned Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Hall. The character was created in the early 1990s, but he was not seen on-screen. Over twenty years later, the show's UK broadcaster Channel 5 confirmed that Hall had been cast in the role and would make a short guest appearance. He made his debut in the episode broadcast on 6 April 2016. Series producer Jason Herbison had plans to promote Hall to the regular cast, but he was unsure about making a long-term commitment to the show. Following his initial guest stint, Hall returned twice in August and November 2016. Ned is often portrayed as a complex, manipulative character, but he is a good person at heart. He tries to do things for the right reasons, but often goes about it in the wrong way. Hall thought Ned was close to becoming a bad boy at times, a trait he enjoyed playing. The character was introduced during the Hotel Death Trap storyline, in which the boiler room at Lassiters Hotel explodes, killing his half-brother and grandfather.
His early storylines focused on the strained relationship he had with his father Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and his attraction to Brad's partner Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall), which culminated in a kiss between them. His storylines during his second and third stints included an on-off relationship with Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta), the introduction of his married former lover Regan Davis (Sabeena Manalis), and his arrest for arson. Hall later reprised the role and returned on 20 June 2018, as part of the regular cast. Kendall also reprised her role as Lauren to help facilitate Ned's permanent move to Erinsborough, as it emerges that he still has feelings for her and needs to give her and Brad some space. Ned later forms a romantic relationship with Elly's younger sister Bea Nilsson (Bonnie Anderson). Later, Ned embarks on a polyamorous relationship with Amy Greenwood (Jacinta Stapleton) and Levi Canning (Richie Morris), a storyline which was critiqued by fans and reporters. Hall departed the serial on 8 June 2022, but later returned as part of the series finale.