Libby Kennedy-Fitzgerald

Elizabeth 'Libby' Grace Kennedy-Fitzgerald (née Kennedy) is a fictional character in the Australian soap Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She first appeared from 1994 until 2003, and returned for six months in 2004. Libby made a cameo in Annalise Hartman's 20th Anniversary documentary in 2005. She returned on November 12, 2007, with her son, Ben. Valentine took sick leave for one month at the end of 2008, and was replaced by Michala Banas.

Entrance
Libby is the second child of Karl and Susan Kennedy, and their only daughter. As a teenager, Libby was always bright and clever, and involved herself in her grandfather's communist beliefs, much to the dislike of Karl. Libby always resented her father for moving the family to Erinsborough without even telling them.

Libby quickly made friends with Brett Stark (Brett Blewitt), after he promptly helped Libby move furniture into their new house, which resulted in him putting the arm of a chair through the wall. Although Brett had feelings for Libby, he never acted upon them.

Journalism
Her first part time job was at Philip Martin's (Ian Rawlings) news agency, which she pursued even after being threatened by a robber. Despite Karl warning her not to continue, she carried on working there until she was offered a part-time cadetship at the Erinsborough News.

Luke Handley
Libby instantly had a crush on the new boy next door, Luke Handley (Bernard Curry), with whom she shared her first kiss. Karl accused Libby of getting sexually involved with Luke, having found photos of what he thought was Luke's backside. Libby explained that they were just photos of Luke flexing his arms, and Karl apologised for suspecting her. However Luke and Libby were developing more and more feelings for each other, and after they kissed, Libby confessed to her parents about her feelings for Luke. Karl immediately grounded her and hatched a plan, along with Susan, to allow Luke to shower Libby with attention in the hope that she'd get bored with him. However, Libby realised and told Luke they could only ever be friends and refused to speak to him. However, the two agreed to stay friends after Luke wrote her a letter explained how upset he was about the way things had turned out between them, and how deeply he cared for her.

Drew Kirk
Not long after Darren Stark left town, Libby began a friendship with Drew Kirk. At this time, Libby had become involved with her university tutor, and Drew comforted her when the relationship ended badly. Eventually Libby and Drew got together and were soon engaged. Unfortunately Libby was in a motorbike accident and her injuries made it extremely risky for her to be pregnant. Libby pushed Drew away, believing that he wouldn't be able to accept that they wouldn't be able to have kids. However, the couple soon got back together and married in 2001. Shortly afterwards, Libby was surprised to find herself pregnant. Libby decided to keep the baby even though the pregnancy would be extremely risky. Libby was with her husband Drew in Oakey at a Rodeo when she got locked inside a barn. It was here that she went into labour. She had a portable phone with her, but the reception at her location was terrible, and it took a while for people to find her. When she was finally air-lifted to hospital, she gave birth to Ben Kirk before going into cardiac arrest. Though her rhythm was asystole according to the ECG reading, the obstetrician defibrillated Libby, perhaps for the drama effect. After a few shocks, Libby was back in sinus rhythm and left hospital in a few days. A year later, Drew died when he fell off a horse.

Taj Coppin
When she was working as a media studies teacher at Erinsborough High, Libby met Year 12 student Taj Coppin (Jaime Robbie Reyne). She offered him a lot of help with his project, and eventually offered to tutor him, but she was unaware that he was falling in love with her. Libby realised that Taj was attracted to her when he invited her to the cinema and sent her a bouquet of flowers. She decided not to speak to him about the situation because she thought it was a schoolboy crush that would go away, but mainly because she herself was falling for a doctor that worked at her father Karl's surgery, Cameron Hodder. The relationship did not last long, ending when Libby discovered that Cameron had no interest in children, including Libby's son Ben and his own. After they broke up, Taj made a move on Libby, kissing her while they were in school. Libby told Taj not to do anything like this again, but she later wondered if she had feelings for him. After Taj's 18th birthday, he was even more persistent in trying to pursue Libby, but nothing serious happened until after the sudden death of Dee Bliss (Madeleine West). Upset on the day at what had happened, Libby spent most of the afternoon in a pub, where Taj later met her. After telling Taj about how she felt, he walked her to her house, but she felt unable to go inside. Taj then invited Libby to his house, and assured her that he meant it in a platonic sense. Libby accepted the offer they later had sex. The following morning, Libby regretted what had happened, and told Susan, who was horrified; and Karl, who was more understanding. Given that Taj was over 18 no criminal offence had been committed. Because of what had happened, Taj thought Libby was serious about wanting a relationship, and went as far as going to her house to speak to her about it. The conversation that was had at Libby's house was overheard by Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh) and his friend Daniel, who informed the rest of Erinsborough High. Unable to face going back to school after this, Libby retreated to a cabin in the mountains for a few days. Libby tried to call Susan and Karl, but only Karl would respond, going up to the cabin to give his support. Taj also went, but did not speak to Libby, seeing from a distance that she was with Ben, and realising that a relationship between himself and her was not possible. He left Libby a note explaining how he felt, and returned to Erinsborough.

Karl's affair
A short while later, Libby left Erinsborough for Adelaide with Ben, to pursue her teaching career. However, after Karl left Susan for Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), Libby decided to decline a two-year teaching contract and returned to Erinsborough to help her mother get back on her feet. She was disgusted by Karl's behaviour, going days without telling him she was back living on Ramsay Street. Her anger with him was further fuelled when she discovered that Izzy was pregnant with his child.

Darren Stark
While still living with Susan at No.28, Libby was shocked to see old flame Darren Stark (Todd MacDonald) working as their electrician. They previously dated several years back, and began seeing each other again after a couple of weeks. Darren forced Libby to talk to her father again, however Karl was less than happy to see him seeing his daughter again, after causing her previous heartache.

When the building site that Darren worked at was robbed, Darren was a suspect due to his criminal past. It ended up being the owner of the site, Jack Scully (Jay Bunyan) who broke in to get insurance money, however he let Darren take the fall for him and Darren was soon after arrested, raising Libby's suspicions. When it was proven that Darren was innocent, he was furious towards Libby for not believing in him, and soon after left town. Although she attempted twice to get him to return to Erinsborough before driving out of town, Darren said that she just wouldn't be able to trust him and left.

Broken-hearted, Libby concentrated on her work life, and was thrilled when she was offered her teaching job at Erinsborough High back. Accepting it, she decided to stop all the rumours that floated around the school about her and Taj by simply telling the kids the truth, and they decided to move on. After a few weeks, Darren sent Libby flowers with a card, saying he missed her. After calling him, Darren urged her and Ben to move over to Shepparton with him, to start a new life together. After a few days, Libby decided to make the move. Susan thanked her for all of her support in the past year, before Libby and Ben left Ramsay Street to live with Darren.

Return
Both Libby and Ben returned to Ramsay Street on November 12, 2007, originally planning to stay for a short period of time. She decided to remain in Ramsay Street after discovering that Susan (now re-married to Karl) was seriously ill. Since her return to Ramsay Street, it was clear that something was wrong with Libby's relationship with Darren, as she avoided talking about him at all. She also personally attacked Karl about his past infidelity. Eventually Darren turned up in Ramsay Street with a bouquet of flowers for Libby and it was revealed that he cheated on her. Darren tried several times to reconcile with her, but she made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Roof collapse
When the roof fell in on the illegal dance party Zeke is trapped, Libby admits that she knew he had been sneaking out at night. Karl, Susan, Libby and Rachel (who had left the party early) rushed to the site of the disaster. Racked with guilt, Libby runs into the unstable building, closely followed by her father. They managed to locate Zeke, however they are all caught up in a secondary collapse. Karl and Zeke were rescued, but Libby remained trapped in the debris. She was eventually found and was hospitalised, however her condition was not serious. After Libby learned Darren kissed neighbour Janae Timmins, she ended their relationship and Darren moved back to Shepparton alone.

Daniel Fitzgerald
In March 2008 Libby developed feelings for her colleague Daniel Fitzgerald. The two decided to act on their feelings, but before they could, Dan's estranged wife Samantha arrived. From then on Libby refused to be the other woman.

Even though Dan asked for a divorce from Sam, Libby still turned him down, feeling he was still in love with Sam. Dan and Steph became trapped down a mine. Steve Parker and Ned Parker tried to rescue them from a separate mine shaft, but that collapsed on them and trapped them as well. Dan had helped in the rescue, but in the hospital he collapsed from internal bleeding. He soon recovered and the first visitor he asked for was Libby. After talking to him, and asking him to "Put himself first", she kissed him before leaving in tears.

Ty Harper
Despite still having feelings for Dan, Libby tried to move on. She and Ben moved in with Steph. Newcomer Ty joined them, after getting a job at Charlie's Bar. He developed feelings for Libby and he later asked her out, realising that he was too young and had feelings for her step sister, Rachel, Libby decided to not act on their attraction and decided that they should just be friends.

Reunion with Dan
Libby and Dan both went for the job of Head of Senior School, but her job interview was derailed because she was helping out Zeke with an Economics assignment and forgot her notes. Dan got the job, but was told by Zeke what had happened with Libby's forgotten notes. Dan then told the school that he wasn't interested in the job. Libby then became annoyed at Dan because she wanted to get the job on her own merits, not passed down second hand from Dan.

Libby went to Dan's house and asked him why he gave the job to her.

He replied: "It's just a clumsy unco(uncoordinated) way of saying 'I love you'"

Libby: "Clumsy and unco's damn right... what did you just say?!?!"

Dan: "I've said it twice I don't need to say it again"

Libby: (laughing but obviously flattered) "Well if you think that makes everything better..."

Dan: (cuts Libby off) "OK, shut up now Libb"

The episode ends with Dan and Libby kissing. Libby ends up finding out that Dan is not happy Lucas got her first, but Libby and Dan make up. Shortly after this, Dan asked Libby to go on a holiday with him.

In October after Dan accepted Libby's proposal to move in with her, he declined because it did not fit in with his "master plan". Dan made it up to Libby by proposing to her and she accepted. Dan later called off the wedding when he saw Libby and Lucas in an awkward position at Charlie's. However, they later make up and the wedding was back on. On the night of their Engagement party, Steph tried on Libby's ring but she could not get it off. Kelly later tells Steph that it is a bad luck that someone else should try on an engagement ring that doesn't belong to them. After that everything that Kelly said starts to come true! Libby's dress maker went into labour early so she couldn't make the dress, the wedding invitations read: "Daniel and Bibby". Steph began to worry and rang her mother for advice.

Dan's Baby Girl
Soon after, Dan's ex wife Sam comes back on their last night of freedom and has a surprise for Dan; she is pregnant with his baby girl. This rocks things up between Dan and Libby, but Libby tries to stay positive and acts like she doesn't care. After this Dan says that he loves Libby and nothing is ever going to change that. After, Libby sees Dan feeling the baby kick, and she realises that it is all too complicated and calls off their wedding for the time being but says they will get married one day. It is revealed Sam and Dan are having a baby girl whom they plan to name Emma.

Libby has a dream that Sam came into their home and got into bed with her and Dan, and Dan did not protest. Libby accused Dan of pushing her out of the bed. Dan and Libby decided to go on a honeymoon trip, missing Sam's ultrasound, but Sam promises to record it for Dan. After shopping with Dan for things for the new baby and starting to build a cot, Sam stole Dan's phone and rejected Libby's call, in an effort to cause them to cancel their trip and ensure that Dan would be present for the ultrasound. Then she uses the cot-building to try and delay their departure. Libby starts to panic when she realises how late Dan is, resulting in the holiday being cancelled, to Sam's joy. Libby angrily accuses Sam of using her pregnancy to get her claws into Dan. Lucas told Dan that he told Sam that the wedding was taking place. He accuses him and Sam of trying to break Libby and him up. When Sam went for her Ultrasound with Dan, Libby turned up and Sam got stressed and told Dan that she didn't want Libby to have anything to do with their baby.

It was later revealed that Dan wasn't the father of Sam's baby and Sam left Erinsborough.

Role Recast
On the 11th of August, Kym Valentine was forced to pull out of Neighbours as she recovered from a collapsed lung and pneumonia. Valentine took a one month break to regain her health. Michala Banas took over filming the role of Libby Kennedy on Neighbours. This reunited Michala with Brett Tucker, who plays Daniel, Libby's fiancée. Michala and Brett have previously worked together for four years on McLeod's Daughters. Valentine has played the role of Libby for over 11 years and says that: "It is like handing over a child to be looked after by somebody else."

Rafting Accident
The 2008 finale left students from Erinsborough High in a rafting accident. With Libby, Bridget Parker and Zeke Kinski all missing. But in the series return Daniel Fitzgerald was searching along the river bank and he found Libby still alive. At this point there was a transition back to Kym Valentine from Michala Banas. Libby was very weak and told Dan to "look after Ben for me. He carried her back to the camp set up by the police and she was taken to the hospital. Bridget was also found a short while later, but Zeke wasn't. Libby felt guilty because she let go of Zeke's hand while they were in the water. When Rachel found out she blamed Libby and cut up her bridesmaids dress. She also banned Libby from attending Zeke's memorial, but she attended anyway. When Rachel couldn't finish her song, Libby continued it for her. Rachel broke down and hugged Libby forgiving her.

IVF
Libby looked into IVF after she decided she wanted another child with Dan. Even though Libby came close to death when she gave birth to Ben, she was determined to give Dan a child.

Falling Out With Steph
In early 2009, Libby and Steph were no longer friends after an argument they had at the hospital. Steph saw Libby threatening Greg and the two had a heated argument in which Steph told Libby to "pack her bags". Libby and Ben then moved in with Dan. Steph and Libby eventually made up and Steph agreed to be her bridesmaid again.

The Wedding
Dan and Libby finally got married in early March 2009. Just before the wedding Libby was suffering in pain but despite her discomfort went through with the wedding. They got married, but just a short while after the ceremony Libby collapsed and was taken to the hospital.

Pregnancy
After she was taken to the hospital, following the wedding, Libby was told that she was pregnant. Despite the complications during her last pregnancy with Ben and Karl's apprehension, Libby and Dan were very happy to be having a child of their own together. Libby believed that she was expecting a little girl and asked Susan if she and Dan could name her Grace after Susan's mother. The same day Libby began to feel unwell and collapsed at school. At first it appeared that everything was fine, but later Libby woke up in pain and unfortunately she lost the baby. Libby then fell unconscious and began hemorrhaging blood and Dan was faced with the decision to let the doctors perform a hysterectomy or lose his wife as well. Knowing Libby wanted to try again for another baby, it was a difficult decision for Dan. However, he told the doctor to help Libby anyway they could and this resulted in the doctors performing a hysterectomy. When Libby came round from the surgery Dan had to tell her what had happened and she was deeply upset by the news.

Surrogacy
After visiting her brother Billy in Queensland, whose partner had just given birth to twins (a boy and a girl), Libby realised just how much she wanted a baby. Realising this, best friend Steph Scully offered to be a surrogate mother for Libby and Dan. But Dan, already having lost two children (a miscarriage with both ex-wife Samantha Fitzgerald and Libby) was apprehensive, also thinking that Steph may have trouble giving the child up. When Libby finally talked him around, an objective Karl made Steph reveal that pregnancy increased her chances of breast cancer returning. Not wanting to risk Steph's life Libby told her that she couldn't accept her offer.