Callum Jones
Encyclopedia
Callum Jones is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
played by child actor
Morgan Baker
. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 June 2008. The character was introduced to the show following the decision to stop a storyline that saw Toadfish Rebecchi
adopt a child from Indonesia
. Baker began filming his first scenes in March. Callum has been portrayed as a tearaway, who creates chaos to be noticed. He is also smart, funny and cunning. Callum has received a mixed reaction from critics of the serial. Some praised him for his honesty, whilst others said he is too "brattish".
) try to adopt an Indonesian child illegally. In 2008, viewers saw Toadie trying to adopt an East Timorese orphan, after claiming that he had lived in Indonesia for 12 months. Producers decided to stop the storyline at the last minute and Toadie met Callum instead. Of the storyline Moloney said "I thought was just ridiculous. And it was just to spite Steph! I was like, 'What are we doing?'" Moloney said that having the character of Callum around is "really cool".
Baker was cast in the role of Callum and he began filming his first scenes in March 2008. Baker's filming schedule means that occasionally he cannot attend school and he has to be tutored in a classroom at the Network Ten
studios.
describe Callum as being "a handful", who creates chaos to be noticed. Callum is "energetic and lively, but under the larrikin exterior is a damaged boy looking for someone to love him". Network Ten also say that is "smart, sharp, funny, cunning and clever". Callum is a fan of wrestling and in March 2009, professional wrestler Batista appeared in a cameo role. He filmed a number of scenes with Toadie and Callum. Executive producer Susan Bower
called Callum Toadie's "Mini Me".
In July 2010, Callum decides that he wants to become a stand up comic, but Toadie is not happy with Callum's plans. Callum watches some gross out comedies
and they inspire him to take up Comedy as his future career. Of his character's career decision, Baker said "Callum is starting to grow up and thinks he'd be quite good at being a comic". Callum is determined to "get his own way" and he discovers an open mic event for new comic performers. He sneaks into the venue and gets onto the stage. Baker told Inside Soap
that Callum "soon gets sprung" as Lucas Fitzgerald
(Scott Major
) and Michael Williams
(Sandy Winton
) are also at the event. For the storyline Australian comedian, Lehmo
, filmed a guest role with the show, which saw Callum upstage him.
(Eve Morey
) is Callum's biological mother. Sonya's sister, Jade
(Gemma Pranita
) is shocked when she discovers that Sonya is keeping the truth from both Callum and Toadie. Morey said that since Sonya arrived, there has not been any indication that she is Callum's mother. Both Morey and Moloney thought that the storyline could be possible and Morey chose to research how other people had reacted to similar situations. Morey told the show's official website that Sonya entered Callum's life, not to get him back, but to see if he was okay. When TV Week
asked how it is possible that Callum would not remember his mother, Morey explained "We did have to look at that, but he's never known much about his mother. His great-grandmother raised him and never gave him much information since she was so disappointed in Sonya, who had Callum at 16. I also think Callum's blocked out any image he had of her, who he hasn't seen for many years." Morey said Sonya had become addicted to alcohol and drugs, when she had Callum and she chose to leave him, so she could get herself cleaned up. Morey added that Sonya does not feel like she deserves to be Callum's mother because she hates the person she used to be. She thinks that it is better if Callum knows her like she is now.
Executive producer Susan Bower
defended the storyline when she was asked why the writers had rewritten Sonya and Callum's history. She told Inside Soap
that they worked with the character's established backgrounds and found reasons and motivations for Sonya to act the way she did. However, she added that the only discrepancy that could be pointed out was Callum's age. When Callum's great-grandmother dies, Sonya becomes concerned that her secret will be revealed because Callum wants to attend the funeral. However, Callum chooses not to attend the funeral as he wants to say goodbye to his great-grandmother privately. Callum later explains to Sonya that he wants to find his mother and tell her that he hates her. Morey revealed that the truth about Sonya was going to be exposed in April 2011. Callum steps up his investigation into the identity of his mother and he is injured in an accident and rushed to hospital, where he recalls a memory about his mother and realises that she is Sonya.
(Carla Bonner
), who offers to introduce to Callum to her friend Toadie, so he can have a male influence in his life. Toadie and Callum bond and when Hilda has to be admitted to hospital, Toadie invites Callum to stay with him. Callum takes Susan Kennedy
's (Jackie Woodburne
) phone and later tricks Toadie into letting him stay home from school. He also tries to take Sienna Cammeniti
's (Erin McNaught
) iPod. Toadie finds other stolen items in Callum's bag, and Callum explains that he needs to sell the items to make money, so he can look after himself. Toadie explains that he will take care of Callum.
Callum goes along to a bushland clean up and a bushfire breaks out. Callum is accused of starting the fire when Steph finds a lighter in his pocket. Jay Duncan (Charlie Clausen
) suggests that Callum should take part in a Fire and Intervention Awareness program and Toadie takes him along. Nicola West
(Imogen Bailey
) moves in and Callum enjoys having her around. Callum takes some pictures of Nicola to school and his teacher Kelly Katsis (Katrina Milosevic
) comes to talk to Toadie and about his behaviour. Callum helps his friend, Mickey (Fletcher O'Leary
) when he runs away from home. Callum finds Mickey in the city and he contacts Toadie to come and get them. Nicola is arrested and Callum starts to act out at school. He smashes up Nicola's car and Toadie decides that he would be better off with his aunt, Robyn (Patricia Pitney). After realising how homesick Callum is, Robyn contacts Toadie and Callum returns to Ramsay Street. Callum is diagnosed with amblyopia
and Toadie and Kelly try to get him to wear an eye patch and glasses. Callum argues with Toadie and leaves the house, just as Toadie gets a visit from DHS
worker, Roz Challis (Janet Watson Kruse). She later agrees that Callum can stay with Toadie.
Mickey and Callum find some money and Guy Sykes (Fletcher Humphrys
) returns to Erinsborough for it. Guy holds Toadie and Callum hostage overnight, he is later arrested. Callum and Toadie are both heartbroken when Bob, their dog, has to be put down. Toadie gets Callum a puppy and Callum names him Rocky. They then set about training him to be a guide dog. Callum becomes good friends with new neighbour, Sophie Ramsay
(Kaiya Jones
). Guide dog trainer, Sonya Mitchell, comes to check up on Rocky's progress and Callum encourages Toadie to date her. Callum and Sophie start high school and Callum is bullied by Dean Harman (Cameron Heine). Sophie's brother, Harry
(Will Moore), helps Callum out and Callum befriends Dean and his friends. They then start bullying Sophie and Callum decides to leave them. Callum is not happy when Toadie and Steph become a couple again. Steph tells him that she does not want to come between him and Toadie and Callum accepts the situation. Callum decides that he wants to become a comedian, but Toadie tells him to focus on his school work. Callum later sneaks into a comedy workshop hosted by Lehmo
.
Rocky passes his guide dog assessment and leaves, which makes Callum sad. Toadie tells Callum that he and Steph are no longer together and that their situation was a lie. Callum reacts angrily and Sonya tries to help. Callum airs his troubles over the school radio and Toadie asks Lou Carpenter
(Tom Oliver
) to help out. Lou hires him to work at his used car yard. Callum makes up with Toadie Callum enters a scavenger hunt for the hospital with Micheal Williams and wins. He gives the prize to Toadie and Sonya. When Callum notices that Sophie has a crush on Zeke Kinski
(Matthew Werkmeister
), he teases her about it. He then tries to stop her joining the School Social committee and they fall out for a while. They fight again when Sophie discovers that Callum told Natasha Williams
(Valentina Novakovic) about her crush on Zeke. Callum makes it up to her. Callum is told that Hilda has died and he chooses not to go to her funeral. He then tells Sonya and Toadie that he wants to find his mother. He writes a letter to Robyn, but the reply does not answer his questions. Callum then begins having dreams about his mother, but he cannot see her face. Callum decides to go to Hilda's house and then to a warehouse to look for clues to his mother's identity. As he climbs a ladder, he grabs on to the handle of a bike and it falls on him. He is taken to hospital and when he wakes up, he identifies Sonya as his mother.
After getting advice from Paul Robinson
(Stefan Dennis
), Callum talks to Sonya about why she left him and how she chose his name. Callum returns to school and gets into a fight with Dean, who taunts him about Sonya. Toadie gives Callum a box of things from his grandmother and he, Jade and Sonya go through them. Callum later asks to meet up with Sonya, but he does not tell Toadie. Sonya gives him her police file and Jade tells him that Sonya is not the same person anymore. Callum makes Sonya promise that she will not relapse and become the person she once was, but Sonya later tells him that she can not promise that. Toadie decides he and Callum should go to Colac. As they are packing, Sonya and Toadie argue about Troy Miller (Dieter Brummer
) and when Callum demands to know what is going on, Sonya reveals that Troy is his father. Callum then decides that he wants to meet Troy and they meet at Harold's Store. Callum gets on well with Troy. Callum defies Toadie by going to Puckapunyal
with Troy. Toadie is angry with Troy, until Callum tells him that he hid in the back of Troy's car. Toadie and Sonya get back together and Troy punches Toadie, shocking Callum. He tells Sonya that he hates Troy. Callum asks for Harold Bishop
's (Ian Smith
) help in getting Sonya to move back in. When Callum becomes sick, Sonya cares for him and he calls her mum for the first time. Callum becomes obsessed with an online role-playing game called Dragon Prophecy. Toadie fails to see the appeal of the game, when Callum tries to teach it to him. Callum is shocked and saddened to learn of Mark Brennan
's (Scott McGregor
) death. When Callum exceeds the internet download limit, Sonya and Toadie get him a job as a paperboy to help pay for an upgraded service. Callum dislikes his new job and Toadie and Sonya discover he has been throwing the papers away. They ban him from using their internet.
. Of Callum's most memorable moment, Holy Soap
said "After almost being killed by a falling tree in the bush, Callum came under suspicion for starting a devastating fire. Luckily, the real culprit was finally caught".
Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
praised the character of Callum, calling him a "decent addition to Ramsay Street". She added "For the first time, they've found a kid who's actually not too bad. He isn't as goody-goody or out and out brattish as most Erinsborough young, perhaps because he's not actually related to any of the neighbours". In July 2010, Deller again praised the character saying "Callum has since established himself as one of the best characters on Ramsay Street, who always sees things with a more realistic/honest/sarcastic perspective than his neighbours. The best storyline of the Aussie soap this year was when he teamed up with the best character on the Street, Paul Robinson, and Paul started teaching him about machiavelli. This, not silly storylines about dancing and shrugaleros, is what we want".
Callum has often been criticised by Jaci Stephen of the Daily Mail
. She perceived him to be a "brat" and an "awful child." When he became vengeful during the PirateNet radio storyline, she said he acted more "brattish" than usual and said she did not think that was possible. Stephen has also been critical of Callum's onscreen eating habits. She has often remarked that Callum and Toadie always seem to be eating Pizza and have an unhealthy lifestyle. She has jibed that she could never imagine them joining Weight Watchers
. Stephen has made storyline suggestions for Callum in which she would like to see him being kidnapped or slip into a coma. Stephen did not understand why Sonya was unhappy at the prospect of breaking up with Toadie and she quipped "I would have thought that anything that meant you didn't have to spend another minute with that awful kid Callum would lead to Champagne-popping time."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
played by child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
Morgan Baker
Morgan Baker
Morgan Baker is an Australian child actor. He has been playing Callum Jones on the soap opera Neighbours since June 2008.-Career:...
. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 June 2008. The character was introduced to the show following the decision to stop a storyline that saw Toadfish Rebecchi
Toadfish Rebecchi
Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Ryan Moloney. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 February 1995....
adopt a child from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Baker began filming his first scenes in March. Callum has been portrayed as a tearaway, who creates chaos to be noticed. He is also smart, funny and cunning. Callum has received a mixed reaction from critics of the serial. Some praised him for his honesty, whilst others said he is too "brattish".
Character creation and casting
The character of Callum was introduced to Neighbours after producers decided to stop a storyline which saw Toadie (Ryan MoloneyRyan Moloney
Ryan Moloney is an Australian actor best known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Before Neighbours:...
) try to adopt an Indonesian child illegally. In 2008, viewers saw Toadie trying to adopt an East Timorese orphan, after claiming that he had lived in Indonesia for 12 months. Producers decided to stop the storyline at the last minute and Toadie met Callum instead. Of the storyline Moloney said "I thought was just ridiculous. And it was just to spite Steph! I was like, 'What are we doing?'" Moloney said that having the character of Callum around is "really cool".
Baker was cast in the role of Callum and he began filming his first scenes in March 2008. Baker's filming schedule means that occasionally he cannot attend school and he has to be tutored in a classroom at the Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
studios.
Characterisation
Callum was initially "a bit of a tearaway" who stole from his neighbours and tried to stay home from school. Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
describe Callum as being "a handful", who creates chaos to be noticed. Callum is "energetic and lively, but under the larrikin exterior is a damaged boy looking for someone to love him". Network Ten also say that is "smart, sharp, funny, cunning and clever". Callum is a fan of wrestling and in March 2009, professional wrestler Batista appeared in a cameo role. He filmed a number of scenes with Toadie and Callum. Executive producer Susan Bower
Susan Bower
Susan Bower is an Australian television producer and television writer best known for her work on the soap opera Neighbours.-Career:Bower is a former nurse who worked at The Alfred Hospital for 20 years before getting her scriptwriting breakthrough on A Country Practice, where she provided the...
called Callum Toadie's "Mini Me".
High school and comedy
In October 2009, Baker began shooting scenes of Callum's first week at high school. Callum finds it difficult to settle in at his new school and he finds himself "torn between his friends from Ramsay St and his new friends". Baker said "He has quite a hard time". Viewers have not seen Callum go to school before as there is not a primary school set at the Nunawading studios, where Neighbours is filmed. However, now the character has joined Erinsborough High, he will be on the show more often and interacting with other children his own age.In July 2010, Callum decides that he wants to become a stand up comic, but Toadie is not happy with Callum's plans. Callum watches some gross out comedies
Gross out
Gross out describes a movement in art , which aims to shock the audience with controversial material such as toilet humour or nudity.-Features:...
and they inspire him to take up Comedy as his future career. Of his character's career decision, Baker said "Callum is starting to grow up and thinks he'd be quite good at being a comic". Callum is determined to "get his own way" and he discovers an open mic event for new comic performers. He sneaks into the venue and gets onto the stage. Baker told Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
that Callum "soon gets sprung" as Lucas Fitzgerald
Lucas Fitzgerald
Lucas Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by Scott Major. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 July 2008. The role of Lucas is Major's second character on the show, he previously played Darren Stark in 1993. Lucas is the brother of Daniel...
(Scott Major
Scott Major
Scott Major is an Australian actor. Major's acting début was playing Murray on Home and Away in the 1990s. He joined the Neighbours cast for a brief period in 1993 as the original Darren Stark. and then was a part of the Heartbreak High cast as "Rivers" from 1994–1995...
) and Michael Williams
Michael Williams (Neighbours)
Michael Williams is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sandy Winton. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 May 2010. Winton joined the cast in March 2010 and he admitted that playing Michael may prove to be a challenge. Michael is the father of Natasha...
(Sandy Winton
Sandy Winton
Sandy Winton, born Alexander Gordon, is an Australian actor currently playing the role of Erinsborough High Principal, Michael Williams, in the soap-opera, Neighbours.-Career:...
) are also at the event. For the storyline Australian comedian, Lehmo
Lehmo
Anthony Lehmann, better known by his nickname Lehmo, is an Australian comedian, radio personality, television personality and movie actor. He is probably best known as co-hosting Before the Game for Channel Ten, and co-hosting Triple M's drive time show with Wil Anderson...
, filmed a guest role with the show, which saw Callum upstage him.
Sonya Mitchell
In January 2011, it was revealed that Sonya MitchellSonya Mitchell
Sonya Mitchell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Eve Morey. She made her first on-screen appearance on 14 August 2009. Sonya was initially a recurring character, but Morey was promoted to regular cast member in July 2010...
(Eve Morey
Eve Morey
Eve Morey is an Australian actress best known for playing Sonya Mitchell in the soap opera Neighbours.-Career:Morey majored in drama and media studies, while undertaking a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Deakin University...
) is Callum's biological mother. Sonya's sister, Jade
Jade Mitchell
Jade Mitchell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gemma Pranita. Pranita's casting was announced in September 2010 and it was revealed that Jade would be introduced as the younger sister of Sonya Mitchell...
(Gemma Pranita
Gemma Pranita
Gemma Pranita is a Thai-born Australian actress. Pranita was encouraged to join the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts by her drama teacher, and from 1999 to 2003, she competed at state level in the Shakespeare Globe Association's annual Shakespeare festival. Pranita formed a theatre...
) is shocked when she discovers that Sonya is keeping the truth from both Callum and Toadie. Morey said that since Sonya arrived, there has not been any indication that she is Callum's mother. Both Morey and Moloney thought that the storyline could be possible and Morey chose to research how other people had reacted to similar situations. Morey told the show's official website that Sonya entered Callum's life, not to get him back, but to see if he was okay. When TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
asked how it is possible that Callum would not remember his mother, Morey explained "We did have to look at that, but he's never known much about his mother. His great-grandmother raised him and never gave him much information since she was so disappointed in Sonya, who had Callum at 16. I also think Callum's blocked out any image he had of her, who he hasn't seen for many years." Morey said Sonya had become addicted to alcohol and drugs, when she had Callum and she chose to leave him, so she could get herself cleaned up. Morey added that Sonya does not feel like she deserves to be Callum's mother because she hates the person she used to be. She thinks that it is better if Callum knows her like she is now.
Executive producer Susan Bower
Susan Bower
Susan Bower is an Australian television producer and television writer best known for her work on the soap opera Neighbours.-Career:Bower is a former nurse who worked at The Alfred Hospital for 20 years before getting her scriptwriting breakthrough on A Country Practice, where she provided the...
defended the storyline when she was asked why the writers had rewritten Sonya and Callum's history. She told Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
that they worked with the character's established backgrounds and found reasons and motivations for Sonya to act the way she did. However, she added that the only discrepancy that could be pointed out was Callum's age. When Callum's great-grandmother dies, Sonya becomes concerned that her secret will be revealed because Callum wants to attend the funeral. However, Callum chooses not to attend the funeral as he wants to say goodbye to his great-grandmother privately. Callum later explains to Sonya that he wants to find his mother and tell her that he hates her. Morey revealed that the truth about Sonya was going to be exposed in April 2011. Callum steps up his investigation into the identity of his mother and he is injured in an accident and rushed to hospital, where he recalls a memory about his mother and realises that she is Sonya.
Storylines
Callum's mother leaves him with his elderly great-grandparents when he is six. He has never met his father and his great-grandparents find it difficult to cope with his hyperactivity. After his great-grandfather died, Callum's great-grandmother, Hilda (Maureen Edwards), takes on cleaning work at Charlie's. She meets Stephanie ScullyStephanie Scully
Stephanie Jo "Steph" Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Carla Bonner. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 October 1999. Stephanie is the eldest daughter of Joe and Lyn Scully and the mother to a son, Charlie...
(Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner is an Australian actress best known for playing the role of Steph Scully in the soap opera Neighbours, a role she played from 1999 to 2010...
), who offers to introduce to Callum to her friend Toadie, so he can have a male influence in his life. Toadie and Callum bond and when Hilda has to be admitted to hospital, Toadie invites Callum to stay with him. Callum takes Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy , is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Susan made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 along...
's (Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress.-Personal life:Woodburne was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her father was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. She has two older siblings: John and Stephen. At age three she emigrated with her family to...
) phone and later tricks Toadie into letting him stay home from school. He also tries to take Sienna Cammeniti
Sienna Cammeniti
Sienna Cammeniti is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by model Erin McNaught. McNaught was cast in the role to help boost falling ratings in Australia. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 2 May 2008. Sienna was introduced as the cousin of the...
's (Erin McNaught
Erin McNaught
Erin McNaught is an Australian television personality and former beauty pageant titleholder who won 2006 Miss Australia and represented Australia in the Miss Universe 2006 competition...
) iPod. Toadie finds other stolen items in Callum's bag, and Callum explains that he needs to sell the items to make money, so he can look after himself. Toadie explains that he will take care of Callum.
Callum goes along to a bushland clean up and a bushfire breaks out. Callum is accused of starting the fire when Steph finds a lighter in his pocket. Jay Duncan (Charlie Clausen
Charlie Clausen
Charlie Clausen is an Australian actor most known for his role as Jake Harrison on McLeod's Daughters in 2003 and as Acting Sergeant Alex Kirby on the police drama series Blue Heelers, which he starred in for the majority of Season 12 and Season 13...
) suggests that Callum should take part in a Fire and Intervention Awareness program and Toadie takes him along. Nicola West
Nicola West
Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Imogen Bailey. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She departed the show on 8 October 2008...
(Imogen Bailey
Imogen Bailey
Imogen Bailey is an Australian model, actress and singer. She is currently based in Sydney and is best known for her role on the long-running Australian soap Neighbours as Nicola West.-Modeling:...
) moves in and Callum enjoys having her around. Callum takes some pictures of Nicola to school and his teacher Kelly Katsis (Katrina Milosevic
Katrina Milosevic
Katrina Milosevic is an Australian actress who has appeared in many television programmes and theatre productions.Katrina Milosevic graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1997 with a degree in Performing Arts and went on to work on series including The Games and Blue...
) comes to talk to Toadie and about his behaviour. Callum helps his friend, Mickey (Fletcher O'Leary
Fletcher O'Leary
Fletcher O'Leary is an Australian child actor. He is best known for playing the role of Mickey Gannon in the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 19 June 2007 to 14 July 2009.-Biography:...
) when he runs away from home. Callum finds Mickey in the city and he contacts Toadie to come and get them. Nicola is arrested and Callum starts to act out at school. He smashes up Nicola's car and Toadie decides that he would be better off with his aunt, Robyn (Patricia Pitney). After realising how homesick Callum is, Robyn contacts Toadie and Callum returns to Ramsay Street. Callum is diagnosed with amblyopia
Amblyopia
Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by a vision deficiency in an eye that is otherwise physically normal, or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities of the eye...
and Toadie and Kelly try to get him to wear an eye patch and glasses. Callum argues with Toadie and leaves the house, just as Toadie gets a visit from DHS
Department of Human Services (Australia)
The Department of Human Services is an Australian Government agency which is responsible for delivering a range of welfare, social services, health services and other services for the Australian Government....
worker, Roz Challis (Janet Watson Kruse). She later agrees that Callum can stay with Toadie.
Mickey and Callum find some money and Guy Sykes (Fletcher Humphrys
Fletcher Humphrys
Fletcher Humphrys is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Brett 'Brick' Buchanon in McLeod's Daughters and as Alex Kearns in All Saints.-Career:...
) returns to Erinsborough for it. Guy holds Toadie and Callum hostage overnight, he is later arrested. Callum and Toadie are both heartbroken when Bob, their dog, has to be put down. Toadie gets Callum a puppy and Callum names him Rocky. They then set about training him to be a guide dog. Callum becomes good friends with new neighbour, Sophie Ramsay
Sophie Ramsay
Sophie Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kaiya Jones. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 May 2009. The character was created as part of a new generation of the Ramsay family. Sophie is the youngest of the Ramsay siblings, which also...
(Kaiya Jones
Kaiya Jones
Kaiya Jones is a Scottish-born Australian actress best known for playing the role of Sophie Ramsay in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. She previously played Jess Cooper in The Saddle Club series 3.-Early and personal life:...
). Guide dog trainer, Sonya Mitchell, comes to check up on Rocky's progress and Callum encourages Toadie to date her. Callum and Sophie start high school and Callum is bullied by Dean Harman (Cameron Heine). Sophie's brother, Harry
Harry Ramsay
Harry Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Will Moore. The character first appeared on-screen on 18 May 2009...
(Will Moore), helps Callum out and Callum befriends Dean and his friends. They then start bullying Sophie and Callum decides to leave them. Callum is not happy when Toadie and Steph become a couple again. Steph tells him that she does not want to come between him and Toadie and Callum accepts the situation. Callum decides that he wants to become a comedian, but Toadie tells him to focus on his school work. Callum later sneaks into a comedy workshop hosted by Lehmo
Lehmo
Anthony Lehmann, better known by his nickname Lehmo, is an Australian comedian, radio personality, television personality and movie actor. He is probably best known as co-hosting Before the Game for Channel Ten, and co-hosting Triple M's drive time show with Wil Anderson...
.
Rocky passes his guide dog assessment and leaves, which makes Callum sad. Toadie tells Callum that he and Steph are no longer together and that their situation was a lie. Callum reacts angrily and Sonya tries to help. Callum airs his troubles over the school radio and Toadie asks Lou Carpenter
Lou Carpenter
Louis "Lou" Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Tom Oliver. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 March 1988. Lou appeared for a brief time, before leaving and later returning in January 1992 as a regular cast member. He is the longest...
(Tom Oliver
Tom Oliver
Tom Oliver is an English television, film and theatre actor best known today for playing the role of Lou Carpenter in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Career:...
) to help out. Lou hires him to work at his used car yard. Callum makes up with Toadie Callum enters a scavenger hunt for the hospital with Micheal Williams and wins. He gives the prize to Toadie and Sonya. When Callum notices that Sophie has a crush on Zeke Kinski
Zeke Kinski
Ezekiel "Zeke" Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Matthew Werkmeister. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 August 2005. Zeke is the son of Alex Kinski and the younger brother of Katya and Rachel...
(Matthew Werkmeister
Matthew Werkmeister
Matthew Werkmeister is an Australian stage and television actor. He is best known for his role as Zeke Kinski in the soap opera Neighbours which he joined in 2005...
), he teases her about it. He then tries to stop her joining the School Social committee and they fall out for a while. They fight again when Sophie discovers that Callum told Natasha Williams
Natasha Williams (Neighbours)
Natasha Williams is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Valentina Novakovic. The role of Natasha is Novakovic's first acting job and she relocated from Sydney to Melbourne for filming...
(Valentina Novakovic) about her crush on Zeke. Callum makes it up to her. Callum is told that Hilda has died and he chooses not to go to her funeral. He then tells Sonya and Toadie that he wants to find his mother. He writes a letter to Robyn, but the reply does not answer his questions. Callum then begins having dreams about his mother, but he cannot see her face. Callum decides to go to Hilda's house and then to a warehouse to look for clues to his mother's identity. As he climbs a ladder, he grabs on to the handle of a bike and it falls on him. He is taken to hospital and when he wakes up, he identifies Sonya as his mother.
After getting advice from Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Paul Stewart Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul debuted in the serial's first episode in 1985 and appeared on a...
(Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis is an Australian actor, best known for playing the role of Paul Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours, from its first episode in March 1985 to the present day...
), Callum talks to Sonya about why she left him and how she chose his name. Callum returns to school and gets into a fight with Dean, who taunts him about Sonya. Toadie gives Callum a box of things from his grandmother and he, Jade and Sonya go through them. Callum later asks to meet up with Sonya, but he does not tell Toadie. Sonya gives him her police file and Jade tells him that Sonya is not the same person anymore. Callum makes Sonya promise that she will not relapse and become the person she once was, but Sonya later tells him that she can not promise that. Toadie decides he and Callum should go to Colac. As they are packing, Sonya and Toadie argue about Troy Miller (Dieter Brummer
Dieter Brummer
Dieter Brummer is an Australian actor of German descent, probably best known for his role on the television soap opera Home and Away.-Career:...
) and when Callum demands to know what is going on, Sonya reveals that Troy is his father. Callum then decides that he wants to meet Troy and they meet at Harold's Store. Callum gets on well with Troy. Callum defies Toadie by going to Puckapunyal
Puckapunyal
Puckapunyal is an Australian Army training facility and base 10 km west of Seymour, in central Victoria, south-eastern Australia.-Description:Puckapunyal is a small restricted-access town inhabited mainly by about 280...
with Troy. Toadie is angry with Troy, until Callum tells him that he hid in the back of Troy's car. Toadie and Sonya get back together and Troy punches Toadie, shocking Callum. He tells Sonya that he hates Troy. Callum asks for Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 January 1987. Smith was offered a role by Neighbours creator and executive producer Reg Watson...
's (Ian Smith
Ian Smith (actor)
Ian Smith is an Australian soap opera character actor and television screenwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours....
) help in getting Sonya to move back in. When Callum becomes sick, Sonya cares for him and he calls her mum for the first time. Callum becomes obsessed with an online role-playing game called Dragon Prophecy. Toadie fails to see the appeal of the game, when Callum tries to teach it to him. Callum is shocked and saddened to learn of Mark Brennan
Mark Brennan (Neighbours)
Mark Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by model and television presenter Scott McGregor. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 August 2010. McGregor initially had a four week guest contract with the show, but this was increased to six months...
's (Scott McGregor
Scott McGregor (model)
Scott McGregor is an Australian model, television presenter and actor.-Career:Since 2005 he has worked as a model on the Nine Network program Temptation, as well as television presenting work for Foxtel...
) death. When Callum exceeds the internet download limit, Sonya and Toadie get him a job as a paperboy to help pay for an upgraded service. Callum dislikes his new job and Toadie and Sonya discover he has been throwing the papers away. They ban him from using their internet.
Reception
For his portrayal of Callum, Baker was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2009 Inside Soap AwardsInside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
. Of Callum's most memorable moment, Holy Soap
Holy Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...
said "After almost being killed by a falling tree in the bush, Callum came under suspicion for starting a devastating fire. Luckily, the real culprit was finally caught".
Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
praised the character of Callum, calling him a "decent addition to Ramsay Street". She added "For the first time, they've found a kid who's actually not too bad. He isn't as goody-goody or out and out brattish as most Erinsborough young, perhaps because he's not actually related to any of the neighbours". In July 2010, Deller again praised the character saying "Callum has since established himself as one of the best characters on Ramsay Street, who always sees things with a more realistic/honest/sarcastic perspective than his neighbours. The best storyline of the Aussie soap this year was when he teamed up with the best character on the Street, Paul Robinson, and Paul started teaching him about machiavelli. This, not silly storylines about dancing and shrugaleros, is what we want".
Callum has often been criticised by Jaci Stephen of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
. She perceived him to be a "brat" and an "awful child." When he became vengeful during the PirateNet radio storyline, she said he acted more "brattish" than usual and said she did not think that was possible. Stephen has also been critical of Callum's onscreen eating habits. She has often remarked that Callum and Toadie always seem to be eating Pizza and have an unhealthy lifestyle. She has jibed that she could never imagine them joining Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is an international company that offers various dieting products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. Founded in 1963 by Brooklyn homemaker Jean Nidetch, it operates in about 30 countries around the world, generally under names that are local translations of “Weight...
. Stephen has made storyline suggestions for Callum in which she would like to see him being kidnapped or slip into a coma. Stephen did not understand why Sonya was unhappy at the prospect of breaking up with Toadie and she quipped "I would have thought that anything that meant you didn't have to spend another minute with that awful kid Callum would lead to Champagne-popping time."
External links
- Character profile at the Official AU Neighbours website
- Character profile at the Official UK Neighbours website