Phoebe Bright

Phoebe Gottlieb (also Bright) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Simone Robertson. She made her first screen appearance as Phoebe during the episode broadcast on 23 September 1991. Robertson joined the show on a five-week guest contract before joining the show's regular cast. Phoebe is characterised as a studious individual which earns her the title of the "school swat". To secure the role Robertson portrayed a geeky persona during her audition. The character is also noted for her liking of reptiles, particularly her pet snake. Writers developed the character further via her romantic storylines, most prominently with Todd Landers (Kristian Schmid) and later Stephen Gottlieb (Lochie Daddo). Throughout her two year duration, writers developed Phoebe from a bookish teenager into the show's tragic and tortured female character.

First her father dies and she is made homeless. She finds love with Todd until producers killed off the character and Phoebe is left grieving and pregnant with his child. She is later held hostage by Todd's father, Bob Landers (Bruce Kilpatrick) and gives birth to a daughter named Hope Gottlieb (Laura Pearson). Writers created a new relationship with Stephen and they marry and he becomes a co-parent to Hope all within the first few months of their storyline together. Writers tested their union when Stephen becomes paralysed and relies on Phoebe for support. She then became a victim to stalking from her obsessive housemate, Russell Butler (Stephen Whittaker). Producers decided to write Phoebe out of Neighbours following Daddo's decision to leave, with him complaining that his character was written entirely around Phoebe. She departed the show during the episode broadcast on 15 September 1993.