Neighbours' Rebekah Elmaloglou: 'You'll see Terese in a new light'

Neighbours actress Rebekah Elmaloglou chats to Digital Spy.

Neighbours regular Terese Willis made a heartbreaking decision on UK screens yesterday (November 25) as she decided to walk out on her husband Brad.

Following weeks of tension between the couple, Terese realised that she needed space and announced that she was moving into Lassiters.

Whether there's any future for Terese and Brad remains to be seen, but in the meantime she will soon face temptation when she comes face-to-face with an old flame.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Rebekah Elmaloglou - who plays Terese - to hear her thoughts on the Willis storyline, her character's future and Neighbours' upcoming 30th anniversary.

Channel 5

Have you enjoyed filming this storyline?
"Yeah, I love all of my storylines! It's good to explore different things as it keeps the fun and the excitement in my job, so I've really loved it. It was hard because I loved the fact that Brad and Terese were so solid at the beginning, but as with most marriages in life, you do have your ups and downs and obviously Brad and Terese are experiencing that now.

"I'm really enjoying seeing Terese on different levels and with some of the scenes coming up, you see a different side of her."

When Terese moves out and checks into the hotel, does she think her marriage is over?
"I don't think Terese thinks her marriage is over at all. It's just a matter of her suddenly realising that she can't blame Lauren or Paige for her problems. The problems are actually within the marriage itself, so she needs a bit of time out to figure out what's going on with her and Brad as a couple.

"Terese is not moving out because of a final decision over her marriage, it's just that the last six to twelve months have been so overwhelming and she needs space. Who knows whether moving into Lassiters is really a good idea, but it's just a way for her to take some time out of the Ramsay Street situation."

In the next few episodes, we'll see Terese catch up with Ezra, a guy that she previously had feelings for. What can you tell us about that?
"Initially my concern was that people would see it as Terese trying to get a bit of payback, but actually it's just Terese in a very vulnerable situation. She's been through so much with Brad and Lauren's kiss and Paige's arrival.

"I certainly didn't see this as Terese trying to get back at Brad, it's just her being so confused at the moment. It's Paul Robinson who finds out about Ezra and arranges for him to come to Erinsborough, so he's putting Terese in a very vulnerable situation where a past desire returns.

"There's so much going on at home, so Terese falls into a trap and gets caught up in a situation. It was challenging to film, but it was something a little bit different, which I liked."

It seems that Paul is really meddling in Terese's marriage! Does this mean he could have feelings for her?
"With the whole Paul and Terese relationship, from the start it's been power against power. I love their relationship and I think it's fantastic. With this storyline, there's that teaser of, 'Is Paul actually in love with Terese?' We're left to wonder what his intentions are when he organises for Ezra to come into the situation and try to rock the boat with the marriage.

"I think viewers will certainly think Paul is up to something! As for why, we still wonder that and we probably always will. Who knows whether anything will happen? I'm still in the dark and so is Stefan Dennis."

What would you like to happen?
"I know that Stefan and I don't want our characters to get involved too soon, because it would kind of ruin it. We like their feisty, power-play relationship. We're hoping that the producers hold off on that, if they do have it in mind. I mean, they probably don't - we don't know!

"With this whole storyline, it's not flirtatious but you definitely see something ticking in Paul's mind. With him getting Ezra into town, we question why he does that. Could it just be a payback because Paul doesn't like Brad? It's an interesting storyline, but I know viewers will think that Paul probably wants to get Terese into bed!"

Terese has made some bad choices this year, like reading Lauren's diary and being frosty towards Paige. Do you enjoy playing those scenes, or would you prefer her to always be the nice guy?
"I know Terese isn't very popular at the moment! With any character, these sorts of things turn around constantly. There may have been some choices I've made as an actor where I probably would have played things a little bit differently, but as far as Terese goes, any woman who's been through what she has would definitely freak out a little bit!

"Terese has moved into a new town where her husband's ex-girlfriend lives across the road, then she's found out they've actually got a child together, and then she's found out that they've kissed so there's obviously a connection going on there. Terese has been through a lot and then with having the daughter turn up too, it has been very difficult for her.

"Terese is tough but she's also got a soft, sweet motherly side to her. That does come out occasionally and I think a lot of viewers will start looking at her in a different light in the future. She has been through quite a bit, but I don't think she's very liked at the moment!"

Can you see Paige and Terese ever getting along properly?
"I really hope so. This is just my speculation, but I can see Terese taking Paige under her wing. I think Terese does get to the point where she accepts the fact that Paige is there and she's not going anywhere. That means she has to take Paige under her wing, and I hope that happens. With storylines that we've been filming lately, I can see it going that way.

"All I know is that Olympia [Valance] and I get along like a house on fire in real life. We're like two little peas in a pod! I adore her and I've taken her under my wing as an older actor looking after a younger actor. I love working with her and I think she's great, so I hope we have a lot more nice storylines in the future."

Some people have suggested that Matt and Terese should get together! How would you feel if that happened?
"I haven't heard that one, so I haven't thought about it! I can't really see it, though, as I see Lauren and Matt being quite solid. They can get through their issues a little bit quicker than Brad and Terese do. I can't see that but who knows, it's television so anything can happen!"

Have you enjoyed having Anne Charleston and Ian Smith (Madge and Harold) on set recently?
"I haven't actually had any scenes with them, but it was just such an honour to meet them and see them at work. There's absolute great respect for them on set. We were all a little bit in awe of them, in a way! They're such legendary and classic characters, so how could you not be?!

"It's been wonderful having them back. I wish I'd had some scenes with them actually, but unfortunately Terese missed out on that storyline!"

Are you excited about the show's 30th anniversary?
"There's such a buzz at work and it's so huge. It's really exciting and I'm so honoured to be a part of it. To become a cast member last year and be on the show at this amazing time is fantastic. We're having such a fabulous time. We're shooting amazing promos, we're doing lots of interviews and there's so much exciting stuff.

"It feels like there's almost a bit of a resurgence. We all feel pretty special right now, so it's great. The media and everybody else seems to know about the anniversary, and you have to admit that it's a pretty incredible feat. It's amazing that shows like Neighbours and also EastEnders have been going for so long. It's incredible."

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