Sarah Beaumont
Encyclopedia
Sarah Beaumont is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
, played by Nicola Charles
. She made her first on-screen appearance on in 25 September 1996. Sarah departed on 13 July 1999. In July 2005, Charles reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations.
. A drama coach suggested that Charles try out for a part on Neighbours. The producers were impressed and they created the role of Sarah especially for her. Charles said it was "very exciting" to be joining the cast of Neighbours and she added "At home in England I was a big fan of the show. I used to rush home from school to watch Jason and Kylie." Charles' character, Sarah, is the half-sister of Stonefish Rebecchi
's (Anthony Engelman) girlfriend, Catherine (Radha Mitchell
). She arrives in Erinsborough "trying to escape a tortured past." The writers incorporated Charles' English and Brazilian background into the character of Sarah. Of Charles' casting, a spokesperson said "Nicola has real star potential. We think she's going to be a big hit." Charles initially trained to be an actress and a dancer, but she spent six years modelling. Of her struggle to fit in and be accepted by the cast of Neighbours, Charles said "I was seen as an ex-model and no one expected I'd be able to act. But I knew I could do it and I think I shocked them all. Soon after I joined, the script editor told me he thought I could handle any storyline he threw at me, which was a huge compliment."
In 1999, Charles become engaged to London-based actor Jason Barry
, while she still had a year long contract with Neighbours. Charles had to choose whether to stay with the show or quit to be with her fiancee. She decided to stay and see her contract out as she did not want to let anyone down. Charles filmed her final scenes as Sarah in April 1999. In January 2005, it was revealed that producers were trying to lure back Charles for an appearance in the show's 20th anniversary episode. A month later it was confirmed that Charles had agreed to reprise her role as Sarah.
(Alan Fletcher). Sarah and Karl revealed their feelings for each other at the end of the 1997 season and Craig Platt of The Age
called it one of the serial's "most memorable" cliffhangers. Sarah and Karl's sexual tension became central to the show throughout 1998 and the storyline gave Neighbours a large ratings boost.
Karl was married to Sarah's friend Susan Kennedy
(Jackie Woodburne
) and when Susan found out about the affair, she was devastated. Karl and Susan's daughter Libby
(Kym Valentine
) was also upset as she was close friends with Sarah and knew that Sarah was in love with a married man. Sarah's life starts to fall apart when she is unable to let go of Karl and Susan is not happy when she learns that her husband is maintaining a friendship with Sarah. Charles wrote the storyline between Sarah and Karl, but not the script. She told Inside Soap that she had no idea it would be so successful or have such an impact. In 2005, it was revealed that Karl and Sarah did have sex. Fletcher told The Sun: "At the time the producers hadn't actually decided if they did or not to allow people to make up their own mind and use their imagination." Fletcher said that meant Karl had lied to Susan when he was trying to reassure her about the kiss.
), was introduced to Neighbours in May 1999. Peter knows Sarah's mother and when he mentions that he is spending some time in Erinsborough, Bess suggests that he visits Sarah. Peter takes Sarah out to dinner and they get on well. They then begin a relationship. Peter shocks Sarah when he asks her to marry him after only five weeks, but she accepts. Inside Soap
said Sarah had not had much luck with men in the past, but hoped that Peter would break the pattern and mend her broken heart. Sarah asks Lou Carpenter
(Tom Oliver
) to give her away and Amy Greenwood
(Jacinta Stapleton
) to be her bridesmaid. Charles helped design her character's dress at the same time she designed her own. She said "I was working on both gowns at the same time and trying to keep them different." Sarah is left stranded and late for the ceremony, but Karl comes to her rescue and gives her a lift to the church. Of the wedding, Sydney Morning Herald
writer Doug Anderson said "Can Sarah Beaumont make it to the altar on time to tie the knot (around her neck preferably), with Dr Peter Hannay? All the leftover mishaps from the stage play, Secret Bridesmaid's Business, are slathered over the screen as Karl sulks darkly somewhere and Lou carries on like a counter lunch. Not for the fainthearted." Peter and Sarah marry and the wedding scenes featured a specially-written song called "Flowers" by Janine Mulder. The single was made available to purchase from the Neighbours website after the wedding episode aired. Shortly after she marries Peter, Sarah and Karl kiss in the vestry, which Peter almost sees. Inside Soap explained: "Sarah and Karl give into the feelings they've been stifling for months, and share an illicit passionate kiss." Sarah then leaves the country with Peter, so she can accompany him as he treats patients around the world.
(Eliza Szonert
) works. She then contacts Luke Handley
(Bernard Curry
) about renting a room at Number 30 Ramsay Street. Sarah's eagerness to live on Ramsay Street arouses curiosity from several residents and her motives are soon revealed when she mentions her half-sister Catherine lives on the same street. When Catherine returns from visiting their mother, Bess (Diana McLean), in Tasmania, she is surprised to see Sarah and wonders why she changed her name from O'Brien to Beaumont. Sarah admits she used her father's name when she became a model.
It soon transpires that Sarah was engaged to an English lord, Steven Harrow (Stewart Morritt), but she jilted him and subsequently fled to Australia. Sarah is then followed by the press and tries to flee, but Catherine talks her into staying. Steven flies to Australia and he and Sarah talk about their relationship and agree to part as friend. Toadfish Rebecchi
(Ryan Moloney
), Sarah's neighbour who is infatuated with her, tries to pick a fight with Steven, but falls over injuring himself in the process. After Sarah gives Toadie a kiss on the cheek for his attempt at chivalry, he then begins bragging to his friends that he and Sarah are an item. Sarah then admonishes him and tells him she wants nothing to do with him, thus hurting Toadie in the process. She then realises she was a little harsh and agrees to be friends with Toadie.
Sarah later takes a job at the local pub, Lou's Place, but is unable to adjust to being leered at by male customers and accuses one man of sexual harassment, which causes headaches for the landlord Lou Carpenter
(Tom Oliver
). She then seeks employment at Karl Kennedy
's (Alan Fletcher) surgery and finds herself battling Marlene Kratz
(Moya O'Sullivan) for the title of "Receptionist of the Year". The two women battle back and forth, trying to sabotage each other's title hopes much to Karl's dismay. Sarah withdraws when she realises the competition is actually to find a model rather than a competent receptionist. However, Sarah's fortunes change when she saves the life of the patient when left alone at the surgery one day and later decides to take on a basic first aid training course.
When Sarah and her housemate Ben Atkins (Brett Cousins) begin advertising for applicants to fill the spare room, policeman Matt Compton (Jonathon Kovac) is interviewed and impresses Sarah, but becomes a thorn in Ben's side after he pulls him over for speeding and begins a relationship with Sarah after moving in, making Ben feel like a gooseberry in his own home. Matt later receives a transfer to a station in Port Campbell and leaves after he and Sarah agree to a long-distance relationship. After several weeks, they call off the relationship.
Sarah, feeling depressed at work one day is comforted by Karl and the pair share a kiss. Karl tells Sarah he is a married man and nothing can come of it and Sarah quickly agrees to forget it, but she cannot and things are tense in the surgery. Several sets of circumstances cause Karl and Sarah to be thrown together, arousing suspicion. The truth is soon revealed by Toadie, who Sarah confided in to Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer
) who promptly tells his mother, Susan
(Jackie Woodburne
). Susan throws Karl out and the street is divided.
Sarah soon completes her nursing diploma and begins working at Erinsborough Hospital and meets Alex Fenton (Guy Hooper) and they begin dating and often doubling with Toadie and his girlfriend Karen Oldman (Pia Miranda). This later falls apart when Sarah and Toadie are shocked to find Alex and Karen have been seeing each other. Sarah later encounters a stalker in the form of Richard Downing (John Arnold), a psychiatric patient from hospital who had become obsessed with her. Sarah decides not to press charges after Richard arrested.
After resuscitating Deidre Kaufmann (Lidia Faranda), a patient who had gone into cardiac arrest while nobody was around, Sarah is reprimanded by hospital officials for her actions as she is not qualified enough to perform such procedures and suspended. Karl tells her to fight her corner. During this, Tad Reeves
(Jonathon Dutton
) and Paul McClain
(Jansen Spencer
) use doctored photos of Sarah on their own website. Sarah then takes revenge by photographing Tad coming out of the shower and puts up copies all over Erinsborough High.
Bess arrives and she and Sarah clash. but after a while they make their peace before Bess leaves. After learning Bess has set her up with Peter Hannay (Nick Caraffa), Sarah is reluctant until she meets Peter and the two fall in love. Within a matter of months, the couple are engaged and prepare to marry. On the day of the wedding, the bridal car breaks down and Karl offers Sarah a lift. After a second breakdown, they finally make it to the church thanks to a passing police car. While Sarah is getting ready in the vestry, Karl tells her how beautiful she looks and they share one final kiss and are nearly caught by Peter. Sarah and Peter marry and bid Ramsay Street farewell as they set off to start a new life in Amsterdam
.
In 2001, Sarah attends Catherine's wedding to Malcolm Kennedy
(Benjamin McNair
) in London along with the Kennedy family and Joel Samuels
(Daniel MacPherson
). It is revealed that Sarah and Peter have a daughter, Antigone. Two years later, Sarah splits from Peter and she phones Karl for a reference as she is looking for a new job. Karl willingly obliges but Susan rewords the reference before Karl sends it off. Sarah then arranges for several bags of manure to be dumped on the front lawn of Number 28 in retaliation.
When Annalise Hartman
makes a documentary about Ramsay Street starring former residents, Sarah is one of them and she talks about her experiences on the street and tells Toadie that she was not fooled when he sent her Bib, a dog almost an exact double of her pet, Bob. Sarah then says that she learned a few hard lessons in Erinsborough and that some people could be narrow-minded, before blowing Karl a kiss.
said Sarah's most notable moment was her affair with Karl. Viewers voted Sarah's wedding to Peter the second "Best storyline of 1999" in the Neighbours.com Awards.
Speaking positively of Sarah, media company Virgin Media
stated: "She was the sole reason teenage boys tuned into Neighbours each night between 1996 and 1999. And after Sarah Beaumont had that affair with dishy doc, Karl Kennedy, she quickly became the hot topic around the water coolers nationwide..." In 2007, Australian newspaper Herald Sun
placed Karl and Sarah's affair at number eight on their list of Neighbours Top Ten moments. They said "In one of the most shocking storylines, no one could believe that the perfect Dr Karl, played by Alan Fletcher, could cheat on his wife of many years, Susan, played by Jackie Woodburne. But, that's exactly what happened when he couldn't resist his receptionist Sarah Beaumont played by the vampy Nicola Charles". Simon Kent of the The Sun-Herald
said Sarah had a "waspish tongue and sharpish put down", while Tony Squires of The Sydney Morning Herald
branded her "luscious."
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 Nicola Charles
Nicola Charles
Nicola Charles is an actress, primarily known for her role in Australian soap opera, Neighbours.-Career:...
. She made her first on-screen appearance on in 25 September 1996. Sarah departed on 13 July 1999. In July 2005, Charles reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations.
Character creation and casting
Charles landed the role of Sarah after moving to Australia to be with her boyfriend, Scott MichaelsonScott Michaelson
Scott Michaelson is an Australian actor and manager who is most famous for playing Brad Willis in Neighbours...
. A drama coach suggested that Charles try out for a part on Neighbours. The producers were impressed and they created the role of Sarah especially for her. Charles said it was "very exciting" to be joining the cast of Neighbours and she added "At home in England I was a big fan of the show. I used to rush home from school to watch Jason and Kylie." Charles' character, Sarah, is the half-sister of Stonefish Rebecchi
Stonefish Rebecchi
Kevin "Stonefish" Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap Neighbours, played by Anthony Engelman. He made his first appearance on 31 March 1994. Stonefish was the first of the Rebecchi family to appear and he was later followed by his mother, father and brothers. The...
's (Anthony Engelman) girlfriend, Catherine (Radha Mitchell
Radha Mitchell
Radha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell is an Australian actress. Her film roles include Finding Neverland, Phone Booth, Man on Fire, Silent Hill, and the The Crazies-Early life:...
). She arrives in Erinsborough "trying to escape a tortured past." The writers incorporated Charles' English and Brazilian background into the character of Sarah. Of Charles' casting, a spokesperson said "Nicola has real star potential. We think she's going to be a big hit." Charles initially trained to be an actress and a dancer, but she spent six years modelling. Of her struggle to fit in and be accepted by the cast of Neighbours, Charles said "I was seen as an ex-model and no one expected I'd be able to act. But I knew I could do it and I think I shocked them all. Soon after I joined, the script editor told me he thought I could handle any storyline he threw at me, which was a huge compliment."
In 1999, Charles become engaged to London-based actor Jason Barry
Jason Barry
Jason Barry is an Irish actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Tommy Ryan in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic. However, he has also been in such movies as The Still Life for which he has won numerous awards....
, while she still had a year long contract with Neighbours. Charles had to choose whether to stay with the show or quit to be with her fiancee. She decided to stay and see her contract out as she did not want to let anyone down. Charles filmed her final scenes as Sarah in April 1999. In January 2005, it was revealed that producers were trying to lure back Charles for an appearance in the show's 20th anniversary episode. A month later it was confirmed that Charles had agreed to reprise her role as Sarah.
Karl Kennedy
One of Sarah's most notable storylines saw her fall in love with and kiss Karl KennedyKarl Kennedy
Karl Raymond Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Fletcher. The character and his family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Karl made his first on-screen appearance on 20 September 1994 along with his...
(Alan Fletcher). Sarah and Karl revealed their feelings for each other at the end of the 1997 season and Craig Platt of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
called it one of the serial's "most memorable" cliffhangers. Sarah and Karl's sexual tension became central to the show throughout 1998 and the storyline gave Neighbours a large ratings boost.
Karl was married to Sarah's friend 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...
(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...
) and when Susan found out about the affair, she was devastated. Karl and Susan's daughter Libby
Libby Kennedy
Elizabeth Grace "Libby" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 and departed in 2004, before returning on 12 November 2007. Libby is the only daughter of Karl and Susan Kennedy...
(Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine is a Maltese Australian actress best known for her portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
) was also upset as she was close friends with Sarah and knew that Sarah was in love with a married man. Sarah's life starts to fall apart when she is unable to let go of Karl and Susan is not happy when she learns that her husband is maintaining a friendship with Sarah. Charles wrote the storyline between Sarah and Karl, but not the script. She told Inside Soap that she had no idea it would be so successful or have such an impact. In 2005, it was revealed that Karl and Sarah did have sex. Fletcher told The Sun: "At the time the producers hadn't actually decided if they did or not to allow people to make up their own mind and use their imagination." Fletcher said that meant Karl had lied to Susan when he was trying to reassure her about the kiss.
Relationship with Peter Hannay
A love interest for Sarah, in the form of Dr. Peter Hannay (Nick CarrafaNick Carrafa
Nick Carrafa is an Australian actor best known for his television roles as Tony Romeo on the Australian soap opera Neighbours and Alfredo on the comedy series Acropolis Now.-Career:...
), was introduced to Neighbours in May 1999. Peter knows Sarah's mother and when he mentions that he is spending some time in Erinsborough, Bess suggests that he visits Sarah. Peter takes Sarah out to dinner and they get on well. They then begin a relationship. Peter shocks Sarah when he asks her to marry him after only five weeks, but she accepts. 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....
said Sarah had not had much luck with men in the past, but hoped that Peter would break the pattern and mend her broken heart. Sarah 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 give her away and Amy Greenwood
Amy Greenwood
Amy Greenwood is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jacinta Stapleton. She made her first on-screen appearance on 10 July 1997. Amy was flirtatious and ditzy, especially interested in fashion and gossip. Throughout most of her time in the show Amy was...
(Jacinta Stapleton
Jacinta Stapleton
Jacinta Stapelton is an Australian actress. Her most notable acting role was Amy Greenwood in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours from 1997 to 2000.-Early life:...
) to be her bridesmaid. Charles helped design her character's dress at the same time she designed her own. She said "I was working on both gowns at the same time and trying to keep them different." Sarah is left stranded and late for the ceremony, but Karl comes to her rescue and gives her a lift to the church. Of the wedding, 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...
writer Doug Anderson said "Can Sarah Beaumont make it to the altar on time to tie the knot (around her neck preferably), with Dr Peter Hannay? All the leftover mishaps from the stage play, Secret Bridesmaid's Business, are slathered over the screen as Karl sulks darkly somewhere and Lou carries on like a counter lunch. Not for the fainthearted." Peter and Sarah marry and the wedding scenes featured a specially-written song called "Flowers" by Janine Mulder. The single was made available to purchase from the Neighbours website after the wedding episode aired. Shortly after she marries Peter, Sarah and Karl kiss in the vestry, which Peter almost sees. Inside Soap explained: "Sarah and Karl give into the feelings they've been stifling for months, and share an illicit passionate kiss." Sarah then leaves the country with Peter, so she can accompany him as he treats patients around the world.
Storylines
Sarah arrives in Erinsborough and takes a job at the clothing store where Danni StarkDanni Stark
Danielle "Danni" Stark is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Eliza Szonert. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 30 November 1993 and remained in the show until 13 November 1996, with a brief cameo in 2005 in Annalise Hartman's...
(Eliza Szonert
Eliza Szonert
Eliza Szonert is an Australian actress.Szonert is best known for playing Danni Stark in Australia's long-running soap opera, Neighbours, from 1993 to 1996. Szonert reprised the role in 2005 for the show's 20th anniversary....
) works. She then contacts Luke Handley
Luke Handley
Luke Handley is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Bernard Curry. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 March 1995. Luke's storylines included a brief fling with Libby Kennedy, a relationship with Serendipity Gottlieb, suffering a breakdown, being...
(Bernard Curry
Bernard Curry
Bernard Curry is a Sydney-based Australian actor, best known for his role in soap operas Neighbours and Home and Away.-Career:...
) about renting a room at Number 30 Ramsay Street. Sarah's eagerness to live on Ramsay Street arouses curiosity from several residents and her motives are soon revealed when she mentions her half-sister Catherine lives on the same street. When Catherine returns from visiting their mother, Bess (Diana McLean), in Tasmania, she is surprised to see Sarah and wonders why she changed her name from O'Brien to Beaumont. Sarah admits she used her father's name when she became a model.
It soon transpires that Sarah was engaged to an English lord, Steven Harrow (Stewart Morritt), but she jilted him and subsequently fled to Australia. Sarah is then followed by the press and tries to flee, but Catherine talks her into staying. Steven flies to Australia and he and Sarah talk about their relationship and agree to part as friend. 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....
(Ryan Moloney
Ryan 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:...
), Sarah's neighbour who is infatuated with her, tries to pick a fight with Steven, but falls over injuring himself in the process. After Sarah gives Toadie a kiss on the cheek for his attempt at chivalry, he then begins bragging to his friends that he and Sarah are an item. Sarah then admonishes him and tells him she wants nothing to do with him, thus hurting Toadie in the process. She then realises she was a little harsh and agrees to be friends with Toadie.
Sarah later takes a job at the local pub, Lou's Place, but is unable to adjust to being leered at by male customers and accuses one man of sexual harassment, which causes headaches for the landlord 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:...
). She then seeks employment at Karl Kennedy
Karl Kennedy
Karl Raymond Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Fletcher. The character and his family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Karl made his first on-screen appearance on 20 September 1994 along with his...
's (Alan Fletcher) surgery and finds herself battling Marlene Kratz
Marlene Kratz
Marlene Kratz is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Moya O'Sullivan. She made her first on-screen appearance on 5 July 1994 and remained in the show until 14 October 1997, when the character went on a three month cruise and never returned....
(Moya O'Sullivan) for the title of "Receptionist of the Year". The two women battle back and forth, trying to sabotage each other's title hopes much to Karl's dismay. Sarah withdraws when she realises the competition is actually to find a model rather than a competent receptionist. However, Sarah's fortunes change when she saves the life of the patient when left alone at the surgery one day and later decides to take on a basic first aid training course.
When Sarah and her housemate Ben Atkins (Brett Cousins) begin advertising for applicants to fill the spare room, policeman Matt Compton (Jonathon Kovac) is interviewed and impresses Sarah, but becomes a thorn in Ben's side after he pulls him over for speeding and begins a relationship with Sarah after moving in, making Ben feel like a gooseberry in his own home. Matt later receives a transfer to a station in Port Campbell and leaves after he and Sarah agree to a long-distance relationship. After several weeks, they call off the relationship.
Sarah, feeling depressed at work one day is comforted by Karl and the pair share a kiss. Karl tells Sarah he is a married man and nothing can come of it and Sarah quickly agrees to forget it, but she cannot and things are tense in the surgery. Several sets of circumstances cause Karl and Sarah to be thrown together, arousing suspicion. The truth is soon revealed by Toadie, who Sarah confided in to Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer
Jesse Gordon Spencer is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for his current portrayal of Dr. Robert Chase on the medical drama House and for playing Billy Kennedy in the Australian soap-opera Neighbours....
) who promptly tells his mother, Susan
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...
(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...
). Susan throws Karl out and the street is divided.
Sarah soon completes her nursing diploma and begins working at Erinsborough Hospital and meets Alex Fenton (Guy Hooper) and they begin dating and often doubling with Toadie and his girlfriend Karen Oldman (Pia Miranda). This later falls apart when Sarah and Toadie are shocked to find Alex and Karen have been seeing each other. Sarah later encounters a stalker in the form of Richard Downing (John Arnold), a psychiatric patient from hospital who had become obsessed with her. Sarah decides not to press charges after Richard arrested.
After resuscitating Deidre Kaufmann (Lidia Faranda), a patient who had gone into cardiac arrest while nobody was around, Sarah is reprimanded by hospital officials for her actions as she is not qualified enough to perform such procedures and suspended. Karl tells her to fight her corner. During this, Tad Reeves
Tad Reeves
Wayne Terrance "Tadpole" Reeves is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jonathon Dutton...
(Jonathon Dutton
Jonathon Dutton
Jonathon Dutton is an actor who started his career playing the role of Tad Reeves in the Australian soap opera Neighbours....
) and Paul McClain
Paul McClain
Paul McClain is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jansen Spencer. Paul made his first appearance on 4 November 1997. Paul departed on 11 December 2001...
(Jansen Spencer
Jansen Spencer
Jansen Spencer is an Australian actor best known for his part in the worldwide Australian Soap, Neighbours. Jansen Spencer played Paul McClain between the years of 1997 to 2001...
) use doctored photos of Sarah on their own website. Sarah then takes revenge by photographing Tad coming out of the shower and puts up copies all over Erinsborough High.
Bess arrives and she and Sarah clash. but after a while they make their peace before Bess leaves. After learning Bess has set her up with Peter Hannay (Nick Caraffa), Sarah is reluctant until she meets Peter and the two fall in love. Within a matter of months, the couple are engaged and prepare to marry. On the day of the wedding, the bridal car breaks down and Karl offers Sarah a lift. After a second breakdown, they finally make it to the church thanks to a passing police car. While Sarah is getting ready in the vestry, Karl tells her how beautiful she looks and they share one final kiss and are nearly caught by Peter. Sarah and Peter marry and bid Ramsay Street farewell as they set off to start a new life in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
In 2001, Sarah attends Catherine's wedding to Malcolm Kennedy
Malcolm Kennedy
Malcolm George "Mal" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Benjamin McNair. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 arriving to live in Ramsay Street with his family...
(Benjamin McNair
Benjamin McNair
Benjamin John McNair is an Australian actor. McNair is perhaps best known for his role as Malcolm Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours which he played from 1994–97 returning briefly in 2002, 2004 and 2011 with a cameo appearance in 2005.-Early life:McNair moved to Australia with his family when he...
) in London along with the Kennedy family and Joel Samuels
Joel Samuels
Joel Matthew Samuels is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel MacPherson. Joel made his first on-screen appearance on 13 May 1998...
(Daniel MacPherson
Daniel MacPherson
Daniel Donald MacPherson is an Australian actor and television presenter, best known for his roles as; Joel Samuels on Neighbours, PC Cameron Tait on British police drama The Bill, and Detective Senior Constable Simon Joyner in City Homicide...
). It is revealed that Sarah and Peter have a daughter, Antigone. Two years later, Sarah splits from Peter and she phones Karl for a reference as she is looking for a new job. Karl willingly obliges but Susan rewords the reference before Karl sends it off. Sarah then arranges for several bags of manure to be dumped on the front lawn of Number 28 in retaliation.
When Annalise Hartman
Annalise Hartman
Annalise Kratz is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Kimberley Davies. She debuted on-screen in the episode airing on 15 January 1993 and departed in 1996, and a brief return in 2005. Annalise has often been portrayed as having a conniving persona...
makes a documentary about Ramsay Street starring former residents, Sarah is one of them and she talks about her experiences on the street and tells Toadie that she was not fooled when he sent her Bib, a dog almost an exact double of her pet, Bob. Sarah then says that she learned a few hard lessons in Erinsborough and that some people could be narrow-minded, before blowing Karl a kiss.
Reception
The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
said Sarah's most notable moment was her affair with Karl. Viewers voted Sarah's wedding to Peter the second "Best storyline of 1999" in the Neighbours.com Awards.
Speaking positively of Sarah, media company Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
stated: "She was the sole reason teenage boys tuned into Neighbours each night between 1996 and 1999. And after Sarah Beaumont had that affair with dishy doc, Karl Kennedy, she quickly became the hot topic around the water coolers nationwide..." In 2007, Australian newspaper Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
placed Karl and Sarah's affair at number eight on their list of Neighbours Top Ten moments. They said "In one of the most shocking storylines, no one could believe that the perfect Dr Karl, played by Alan Fletcher, could cheat on his wife of many years, Susan, played by Jackie Woodburne. But, that's exactly what happened when he couldn't resist his receptionist Sarah Beaumont played by the vampy Nicola Charles". Simon Kent of the The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...
said Sarah had a "waspish tongue and sharpish put down", while Tony Squires of 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...
branded her "luscious."