Pepper Steiger
Encyclopedia
Heidi "Pepper" Steiger is a fictional character
from the Australian Network Ten
soap opera Neighbours
, played by Nicky Whelan. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four characters branded as "20 somethings". She made her debut in the episode airing on 12 October 2006. Pepper left the soap on 1 November 2007 after Whelan quit her contract. During her stint in the serial Pepper was involved in notable storylines including a same-sex kiss, a hostage situation and cervical dysplasia.
, Ben Lawson
and Christian Clark
were cast as Rosetta Cammeniti
, Frazer Yeats
and Will Griggs respectively, around the same time as Nicky Whelan was cast as Pepper. Their inclusion within the serial was part of the producers attempts to introduce more contemporary characters, despite not knowing each other they all share the same house upon their on-screen debuts, a first for the series. Pepper was scripted as having immediate family connections within the serial in the form of father and already established character Allan Steiger (Joe Clements
) and mother Christine Rodd (Trudy Hellier
). Whelan was about to start her career in Los Angeles when she received confirmation of the role, she decided to stay and play Pepper.
, who I love". further adding: "She's blonde, everyone thinks she a bimbo, but she's not. She's full of life and full of energy. She's one of those people who says way too much too soon. Then realises and thinks, 'S..., I shouldn't have said that'."
A storyline featuring Pepper is a kiss shared with Rosie in the heat of the moment, the characters were portrayed agreeing to forget it ever happened. Australian tabloids such as The Daily Telegraph
, branded the kiss "a failed attempt to gain ratings" for the serial, also stating it aired practically unnoticed along with a number of would be controversial plots.
(Matthew Werkmeister
), with her attractive looks
. Because of this, Zeke believed she was in love with him after she approached him one night while he was standing outside his house. She told him that she loved him and that she wanted to be with him, but it was later revealed that Pepper was sleepwalking
at the time when Zeke announced at her engagement party that she was in love with him and that the engagement
was a sham. It was revealed that Pepper had actually fallen for Frazer, who had eyes only for Rosie (who was actually at the time attracted to Will, Carmella's boyfriend). Eventually, Frazer and Pepper admitted they were not engaged after a hilarious episode when Will and Frazer went camping
with Allan Steiger.
During her time on Ramsay Street, Pepper worked hard to get her mother and father, who were divorced, back together. She believed that they both still loved each other. At a dinner that she arranged, her father Allan proposed to her mother Chris, she declined and told Allan and Pepper that she had been in a relationship with a woman for a year. Pepper initially disapproved of her mother's sexuality and let it become a death sentence
-like dilemma for her, but eventually came to accept it.
When Lolly Allen (Adelaide Kane
) was being very disruptive in her class, Pepper asked to see her after class. Lolly wanted Pepper to see a giant bruise on her shoulder, and when Pepper saw it, Lolly ran for it. Pepper grabbed Lolly and demanded to know who hit her. Then Susan Kinski (Jackie Woodburne
) saw her holding Lolly by her shirt, Lolly cried that Miss Steiger was hurting her. After hearing both sides of the story, Susan had no choice but to suspend Pepper until the Board of Education knew the truth – that Lolly's stepmother, Sandy (Catherine Hill) was her abuser and that Lolly was too afraid to admit it. Thanks to the help of Ringo Brown
(Sam Clark
), she later told everyone the truth. Pepper was allowed to take back her job, but she decided she wanted to take a break from teaching.
A short time later, Pepper had an affair with conniving business man Paul Robinson
(Stefan Dennis
), and came clean to Rosie, who was also interested in him. Rosie accepted her apology, but accused Paul of mistreating Pepper. Pepper and Rosie then shared a passionate kiss one day when Pepper was having a breakdown. Unbeknownst to them, Ringo was watching and before long all of Erinsborough knew, and assumed that Pepper and Rosie were a couple. Meanwhile, Pepper and Rosie agreed to leave their friendship as it is and forget the kiss, unaware that the whole town suspected that they were gay. They eventually moved past that stage. Pepper was stalked, and was being sent presents and received anonymous phone calls, with the only sound being children playing in a playground
. Pepper almost immediately suspected that the perpetrator was Kevin Casey (Zen Ledden), who had impregnated Pepper at age seventeen. Pepper had later miscarried.
Pepper decided she needed to track Kevin down, and went to see his mother, Mary Casey (Rowena Wallace
). A seemingly-innocent Mary claimed not to have any idea what Kevin was up to. However, it soon became clear that Kevin was not Pepper's stalker; it was Mary. The deranged woman had even set up a nursery
for the deceased child in her house. On a later visit, Mary spiked a piece of cake and gave it to Pepper. After her visit, she went to Janae Hoyland's (Eliza Taylor-Cotter
) annulment party, where she fainted. Rosie called an ambulance, and it was assumed that someone had spiked her drink; however, Pepper was convinced that it was something she had eaten earlier that was spiked. Pepper visited Mary a third time, still oblivious to the fact that Mary was her stalker, only to be knocked unconscious by Mary and tied up in the nursery.
Mary kept Pepper locked up for a long time, determined that Pepper would pay for taking her grandchild away, believing Pepper had had an abortion. Mary used Pepper's phone to text Rosie saying that Pepper was going away for a bit to clear her head, to cover up her absence. Mary locked her son Kevin in with Pepper too, determined that they would get back together, so that they could 'be a family again'. Pepper and Kevin played along, pretending to get back together so that Mary would let her guard down, and let them out. However, she still wouldn't let them go, so, becoming desperate, they lit a fire in the room, so that Mary would have to open the door. Mary was devastated that the nursery was being destroyed, and opened the door, wanting to save everything. Kevin ran out, where he fainted, and the door shut behind him, locking again, with the key still in Mary's hands. Pepper tried to get Mary to open the door so they could get out, but Mary was too distraught. Eventually, however, they did get out, and the police arrested Mary.
On her return to Ramsay Street, Pepper told no one what had happened to her, although Frazer became suspicious that something was up when she was continually jumpy and terrified of being alone. Eventually, she had to tell them about it when she discovered that Sky
was sharing a cell with Mary. Sky had been allowed to have daughter Kerry with her in jail, but knowing Mary's obsession with babies, Pepper felt sure Mary would try something, and told Harold.
Since then, Pepper has met Adam Rhodes (Benjamin Hart
), an English builder who was renovating the Scarlet Bar (now Charlie's). At first, she stated her dislike of him, but a mutual attraction was between the pair. Adam caught her attention, and they went out on a date.. She really enjoyed herself, and they started to date properly. But her dad, Alan, thought Adam seemed suspicious and was worried about Pepper. When Pepper discovered there were things Adam wouldn't tell her, she jumped to the conclusion that Adam was a criminal. She told him that he had told her off for lying and concealing thing and such things, but he was doing the same, and she deserved better. Adam couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth, and she left. He decided to leave Erinsborough, and wrote Pepper a note telling her. She stormed around to his house, before he had had time to leave, and eventually he told her that he used to be a policeman, but his partner had died had he blamed himself. He left Erinsborough still, despite Pepper begging him to stay, telling him that she would help him through it.
Soon afterwards, her father told her that he was moving to Cairns with his fiance Janelle Timmins
and her children Anne Baxter, Bree Timmins and Janae Timmins
. Pepper decided to stay behind. At the farewell party for the family, Steiger married Janelle in a surprise ceremony, and Pepper was happy for him, unlike when he first started dating Janelle. Pepper had a better surprise at the party though, when Adam turned up, telling her that if she wanted he would stay, and they could work through it together. Pepper was involved in the bus crash that took place on the way home from Frazer and Rosie's wedding, although managed to escape from the blaze that followed with minor injuries. Pepper was diagnosed with type 2 cervical dysplasia. The abnormal cells were removed but she was told regular checks would be made to make sure it didn't become more serious. Pepper left Ramsay Street on 1 November 2007 to go to a new job near her father. Adam decided to accompany her at the last minute. Pepper had an emotional goodbye to best friend Rosie.
. Natalie Craig writing for the The Sydney Morning Herald
said Neighbours naming schemes were "as ludicrous as ever", highlighting the name "Pepper Steiger".
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 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...
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 Nicky Whelan. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four characters branded as "20 somethings". She made her debut in the episode airing on 12 October 2006. Pepper left the soap on 1 November 2007 after Whelan quit her contract. During her stint in the serial Pepper was involved in notable storylines including a same-sex kiss, a hostage situation and cervical dysplasia.
Character creation
Pepper was created in 2006 along with another three characters created at the same time as part of a new group of "20 somethings". Natalie SaleebaNatalie Saleeba
Natalie Saleeba is an Australian actress best known for her roles as Jessica Singleton in the medical drama series All Saints and Rosetta Cammeniti on Neighbours....
, Ben Lawson
Ben Lawson
Ben Lawson is an Australian actor best known for his role as Frazer Yeats in the Australian television series Neighbours....
and Christian Clark
Christian Clark
Christian Clark is an Australian actor. He appeared in the role of Will Griggs in the Network Ten soap opera Neighbours from 2006 to 2007...
were cast as Rosetta Cammeniti
Rosetta Cammeniti
Rosetta "Rosie" Cammeniti is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Natalie Saleeba. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four "20 somethings." Saleeba began filming in July and she made her first on-screen appearance on 12 October...
, Frazer Yeats
Frazer Yeats
Frazer Yeats is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Lawson. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four characters branded as "20 somethings". He debuted in the episode airing on 12 October 2006. He departed the...
and Will Griggs respectively, around the same time as Nicky Whelan was cast as Pepper. Their inclusion within the serial was part of the producers attempts to introduce more contemporary characters, despite not knowing each other they all share the same house upon their on-screen debuts, a first for the series. Pepper was scripted as having immediate family connections within the serial in the form of father and already established character Allan Steiger (Joe Clements
Joe Clements
Joseph "Joe" Clements aka Jose Element is an Australian actor who played Senior Sergeant Allan Steiger in the television soap opera, Neighbours, during 2004–2007.-Biography:...
) and mother Christine Rodd (Trudy Hellier
Trudy Hellier
Trudy Hellier is an Australian actress with many television credits to her name. She was a presenter on the children's show Play School and was a main star in the Australian television programs Round the Twist and Frontline...
). Whelan was about to start her career in Los Angeles when she received confirmation of the role, she decided to stay and play Pepper.
Character development
Before appearing on-screen Pepper was described as a "neurotic hypochondriac" Pepper has been portrayed as sometimes being a little kooky and clumsy. One of her characteristics shown regularly on-screen is her constant sneezing when she is nervous. The sneezing trait was already implemented to the character before Whelan was cast in the role. During an interview Whelan described Pepper's persona in depth, stating: "She's very similar to your early Goldie HawnGoldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
, who I love". further adding: "She's blonde, everyone thinks she a bimbo, but she's not. She's full of life and full of energy. She's one of those people who says way too much too soon. Then realises and thinks, 'S..., I shouldn't have said that'."
A storyline featuring Pepper is a kiss shared with Rosie in the heat of the moment, the characters were portrayed agreeing to forget it ever happened. Australian tabloids such as The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
, branded the kiss "a failed attempt to gain ratings" for the serial, also stating it aired practically unnoticed along with a number of would be controversial plots.
Storylines
Pepper managed to capture the attention of her male students, including Zeke KinskiZeke 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...
), with her attractive looks
Physical attractiveness
Physical attractiveness refers to a person's physical traits which are perceived to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young as attractive for various...
. Because of this, Zeke believed she was in love with him after she approached him one night while he was standing outside his house. She told him that she loved him and that she wanted to be with him, but it was later revealed that Pepper was sleepwalking
Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is a sleep disorder belonging to the parasomnia family. Sleepwalkers arise from the slow wave sleep stage in a state of low consciousness and perform activities that are usually performed during a state of full consciousness...
at the time when Zeke announced at her engagement party that she was in love with him and that the engagement
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
was a sham. It was revealed that Pepper had actually fallen for Frazer, who had eyes only for Rosie (who was actually at the time attracted to Will, Carmella's boyfriend). Eventually, Frazer and Pepper admitted they were not engaged after a hilarious episode when Will and Frazer went camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
with Allan Steiger.
During her time on Ramsay Street, Pepper worked hard to get her mother and father, who were divorced, back together. She believed that they both still loved each other. At a dinner that she arranged, her father Allan proposed to her mother Chris, she declined and told Allan and Pepper that she had been in a relationship with a woman for a year. Pepper initially disapproved of her mother's sexuality and let it become a death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
-like dilemma for her, but eventually came to accept it.
When Lolly Allen (Adelaide Kane
Adelaide Kane
Adelaide Kane is an Australian actress.-Biography:She is good friends with Caitlin Stasey, Eliza Taylor-Cotter, and Sianoa Smit-McPhee, who were also on Neighbours.-Career:...
) was being very disruptive in her class, Pepper asked to see her after class. Lolly wanted Pepper to see a giant bruise on her shoulder, and when Pepper saw it, Lolly ran for it. Pepper grabbed Lolly and demanded to know who hit her. Then Susan Kinski (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...
) saw her holding Lolly by her shirt, Lolly cried that Miss Steiger was hurting her. After hearing both sides of the story, Susan had no choice but to suspend Pepper until the Board of Education knew the truth – that Lolly's stepmother, Sandy (Catherine Hill) was her abuser and that Lolly was too afraid to admit it. Thanks to the help of Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Sam Clark. Clark was given the role after he entered and won a Dolly magazine competition. He made his first on-screen appearance on 24 January 2007...
(Sam Clark
Sam Clark
-Studio albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-Filmography:-Awards and nominations:-External links:* on SoundCloud...
), she later told everyone the truth. Pepper was allowed to take back her job, but she decided she wanted to take a break from teaching.
A short time later, Pepper had an affair with conniving business man 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...
), and came clean to Rosie, who was also interested in him. Rosie accepted her apology, but accused Paul of mistreating Pepper. Pepper and Rosie then shared a passionate kiss one day when Pepper was having a breakdown. Unbeknownst to them, Ringo was watching and before long all of Erinsborough knew, and assumed that Pepper and Rosie were a couple. Meanwhile, Pepper and Rosie agreed to leave their friendship as it is and forget the kiss, unaware that the whole town suspected that they were gay. They eventually moved past that stage. Pepper was stalked, and was being sent presents and received anonymous phone calls, with the only sound being children playing in a playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
. Pepper almost immediately suspected that the perpetrator was Kevin Casey (Zen Ledden), who had impregnated Pepper at age seventeen. Pepper had later miscarried.
Pepper decided she needed to track Kevin down, and went to see his mother, Mary Casey (Rowena Wallace
Rowena Wallace
Rowena Wallace is a Gold -Logie winning Australian actress, best known for her role as Patricia in Sons and Daughters.-Early life and budding career:...
). A seemingly-innocent Mary claimed not to have any idea what Kevin was up to. However, it soon became clear that Kevin was not Pepper's stalker; it was Mary. The deranged woman had even set up a nursery
Nursery (room)
A nursery is usually, in American connotations, a bedroom within a house or other dwelling set aside for an infant or toddler. A typical nursery would contain a crib , a table or platform for the purpose of changing diapers , as well as various items required for the care of the child...
for the deceased child in her house. On a later visit, Mary spiked a piece of cake and gave it to Pepper. After her visit, she went to Janae Hoyland's (Eliza Taylor-Cotter
Eliza Taylor-Cotter
Elizabeth Jane "Eliza" Taylor-Cotter is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Janae Timmins in long-running soap opera Neighbours.-Biography and Career:...
) annulment party, where she fainted. Rosie called an ambulance, and it was assumed that someone had spiked her drink; however, Pepper was convinced that it was something she had eaten earlier that was spiked. Pepper visited Mary a third time, still oblivious to the fact that Mary was her stalker, only to be knocked unconscious by Mary and tied up in the nursery.
Mary kept Pepper locked up for a long time, determined that Pepper would pay for taking her grandchild away, believing Pepper had had an abortion. Mary used Pepper's phone to text Rosie saying that Pepper was going away for a bit to clear her head, to cover up her absence. Mary locked her son Kevin in with Pepper too, determined that they would get back together, so that they could 'be a family again'. Pepper and Kevin played along, pretending to get back together so that Mary would let her guard down, and let them out. However, she still wouldn't let them go, so, becoming desperate, they lit a fire in the room, so that Mary would have to open the door. Mary was devastated that the nursery was being destroyed, and opened the door, wanting to save everything. Kevin ran out, where he fainted, and the door shut behind him, locking again, with the key still in Mary's hands. Pepper tried to get Mary to open the door so they could get out, but Mary was too distraught. Eventually, however, they did get out, and the police arrested Mary.
On her return to Ramsay Street, Pepper told no one what had happened to her, although Frazer became suspicious that something was up when she was continually jumpy and terrified of being alone. Eventually, she had to tell them about it when she discovered that Sky
Sky Mangel
Sky Mangel is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Stephanie McIntosh. She made her first on-screen appearance on 1 February 1989, played by Miranda Fryer. McIntosh took over the role on 13 August 2003 when the character returned to the show...
was sharing a cell with Mary. Sky had been allowed to have daughter Kerry with her in jail, but knowing Mary's obsession with babies, Pepper felt sure Mary would try something, and told Harold.
Since then, Pepper has met Adam Rhodes (Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart is an English actor best known for his roles as Foz in British soap Hollyoaks, and as Adam Rhodes in Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Early career:...
), an English builder who was renovating the Scarlet Bar (now Charlie's). At first, she stated her dislike of him, but a mutual attraction was between the pair. Adam caught her attention, and they went out on a date.. She really enjoyed herself, and they started to date properly. But her dad, Alan, thought Adam seemed suspicious and was worried about Pepper. When Pepper discovered there were things Adam wouldn't tell her, she jumped to the conclusion that Adam was a criminal. She told him that he had told her off for lying and concealing thing and such things, but he was doing the same, and she deserved better. Adam couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth, and she left. He decided to leave Erinsborough, and wrote Pepper a note telling her. She stormed around to his house, before he had had time to leave, and eventually he told her that he used to be a policeman, but his partner had died had he blamed himself. He left Erinsborough still, despite Pepper begging him to stay, telling him that she would help him through it.
Soon afterwards, her father told her that he was moving to Cairns with his fiance Janelle Timmins
Janelle Timmins
Janelle Beryl Steiger is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Nell Feeney. She made her first on-screen appearance on 11 November 2004...
and her children Anne Baxter, Bree Timmins and Janae Timmins
Janae Timmins
Janae Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Eliza Taylor-Cotter. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 4 April 2005. The character was created by executive producer Ric Pellizzeri as part of the new Timmins family, joining established...
. Pepper decided to stay behind. At the farewell party for the family, Steiger married Janelle in a surprise ceremony, and Pepper was happy for him, unlike when he first started dating Janelle. Pepper had a better surprise at the party though, when Adam turned up, telling her that if she wanted he would stay, and they could work through it together. Pepper was involved in the bus crash that took place on the way home from Frazer and Rosie's wedding, although managed to escape from the blaze that followed with minor injuries. Pepper was diagnosed with type 2 cervical dysplasia. The abnormal cells were removed but she was told regular checks would be made to make sure it didn't become more serious. Pepper left Ramsay Street on 1 November 2007 to go to a new job near her father. Adam decided to accompany her at the last minute. Pepper had an emotional goodbye to best friend Rosie.
Reception
In 2008, Whelan was nominated for "Best Newcomer" and "Sexiest Female" at the Digital Spy Soap AwardsDigital Spy Soap Awards
The Digital Spy Soap Awards was an event that honoured the successes in British soap operas in 2007-8. It was hosted by the entertainment website Digital Spy....
. Natalie Craig writing for the The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
said Neighbours naming schemes were "as ludicrous as ever", highlighting the name "Pepper Steiger".