| Wendy Rodwell | |||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Candice Leask | ||||||||
| Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||
| First appearance | 2 December 2021 | ||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Jason Herbison | ||||||||
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Wendy Rodwell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Candice Leask. Leask secured the role of Wendy after sending in an audition tape in October 2021, however she was unsure if the character was right for her until she read over the script again. It was Leask's fifth audition for the show. The character was initially meant to only appear in a single episode, but Leask discovered that writers had plans to reintroduce the character the following year to coincide with producers' plans to bring in another busybody character. Leask made her debut on 2 December 2021 and returned in February the following year as a recurring character, as requested by the serial's executive producer, Jason Herbison.
Herbison later teased to Inside Soap that a new family move into Ramsay Street and fans online guessed correctly that it would be the Rodwells. Wendy, her husband, Andrew (Lloyd Will), and their daughter, Sadie (Emerald Chan), move into the street, but are unwelcome. Leask's character was developed some more by producers and writers upon her move into the street to help her fill the shoes created by the departure of nosy neighbour, Sheila Canning (Colette Mann). Wendy was initially unpopular amongst viewers and the character received a negative backlash online, however it was promised that people would "grow to love" her. Wendy eventually became popular, especially following the serial's decision to upgrade all three Rodwells to regular status, which marked them as the final family unit and last regular additions of the show, whose cancellation had been announced in early 2022.
Leask explained that she was "100% grateful" for being able to make it into the final cast and that fan acceptance of Wendy helped her get to understand the character better. She also explained that lost storylines for Wendy included the introduction of a son, the possibility of her becoming the manager of The Waterhole and the exploration of her personality. Critics were also happy with the character's introduction and saw it as progressive inclusivity. Leask herself also advocated for more east Asian representation on screens, something she hoped her character helped out with. Many news publications also reported their wishes that there were more storylines for Wendy and her family. Leask's final appearance was in the finale, broadcast on 28 July 2022, but it was later announced that she would reprise her role in the 2023 Neighbours reboot.