Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985 and airs on digital channel 10 Peach. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Jason Herbison. Curtis Perkins was introduced towards the end of January, and Jesse Porter made his debut in March. Sheila Canning began appearing in April. Abigail Tanaka and Evelyn Farlow arrived in August, followed by Britney Barnes in September and Felicity Higgins during October, whilst December also saw the arrival of Wendy Rodwell.
Curtis Perkins
Curtis Perkins, played by Nathan Borg, made his first appearance on 28 January 2021. The character and Borg's casting details were announced on 3 December 2020, which is the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Borg is the first actor with a cochlear implant to appear on Australian television. Of his casting, he stated "Growing up I never saw anyone like me on television, so I knew it was time to have a hard of hearing actor on our Australian screens. I think it's important in this industry that people with all disabilities of all ages get to tell their stories." Borg began filming his first scenes for the recurring role of Curtis in November. Curtis is a newly qualified teacher who joins the teaching staff at Erinsborough High, "under the watchful eye" of Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) and Jane Harris (Annie Jones). He is billed as "an easy-going guy" and "far tougher than he lets on". Series producer Jason Herbison said Curtis is independent and not defined by his disability. He also has a link to one of the established characters. Borg was initially contracted for eight weeks, but the producers asked him to continue in the role and he "was happy to bring more of Curtis, for sure." Curtis was later given a love interest in the form of Jesse Porter (Cameron Robbie), who comes to spy on a few residents and enters into a fake relationship with Harlow Robinson (Jemma Donovan). Borg told Joe Julians of Radio Times that Curtis is hurt by Jesse's behaviour and "feels quite betrayed and very angry". Borg also told Julians that the plot allows the audience to see a new side to Curtis, as he gets angry and even physical at one point. Borg admitted that he really enjoyed playing out those scenes and exploring another side to the character.
Principal of Erinsborough High, Susan Kennedy introduces Curtis to fellow teacher Jane Harris and explains that this is his first teaching appointment. She also tells Jane that Curtis is deaf and will be teaching some Auslan classes for the Year 9 Connections program. Jane asks Curtis how he copes if he cannot hear what the students are saying, and he shows her his cochlear implant and mentions that he can lip read. Susan asks Curtis and Jane to keep an eye on student Hendrix Greyson (Benny Turland). Jane and Susan later notice Hendrix sitting alone at lunch and Curtis tells them that he was quiet and withdrawn in class, before offering to have a talk with him. Curtis tells Hendrix that it took guts to come back to school and tries to persuade him to go to the common room, but Hendrix says he does not have any friends and points out that the girls in their class were laughing at him. Curtis tells him that he is over-thinking things and the girls could have been laughing about anything. Curtis then tells Hendrix that if he ever needs to talk, he should come find him. At the end of the day, Curtis sees Hendrix punch his locker, which has been graffitied, and Hendrix yells that he hates school before kicking over a bin. After Brent Colefax's (Texas Watterston) personal records are uploaded to the online student resource centre, Jane and Susan ask Curtis whether he is responsible, but he tells them that he was only uploading study resources. They later apologise for jumping the gun, and Curtis admits that he is worried about Brent and asks to put in some extra hours with him. Curtis offers to oversee Year 13 while Jane attends a conference, as he is keen to gain experience and show Susan that he can take on more responsibility. Jane is not sure because of Hendrix and Brent's behaviour, but she allows Curtis to take the class on a trial run.
Upon Jane's return, she learns Curtis has started a vocational project with Hendrix and Brent. She feels that he has taken over the program, which Curtis apologises for. Although Curtis thinks the project is good for the boys, Jane tells him that it is not possible to include more activities as Year 13 has been planned already. Curtis informs Hendrix and Brent that the project has been cancelled, but Hendrix says he will talk with Susan and that he and Brent will move the power tools to The Hive in preparation. Susan allows the project to go ahead, which upsets Jane as she thinks Curtis has gone over her head. She later finds Curtis and Susan discussing the project at Susan's home, and expresses her unhappiness at the way things were handled. Jane wants the project scrapped and tries to make Susan choose between them, but Susan refuses. The following day, Jane and Curtis try to work things out. Curtis tells Jane that he is not trying to undermine her, but he has more to contribute than she realises. Jane offers to think more about his project. After learning Curtis is Vera Punt's (Sally-Anne Upton) nephew, Jane visits Vera in the hospital in order to speak with Curtis. He reveals that he turns his cochlear implant down, as he cannot put up with his aunt's whinging. Jane tells him that she has decided to let the project go ahead as long as Curtis checks in with her weekly. Jane later suggests that Curtis move the power tools from The Hive. When he eventually makes it there, he finds the tools in a van and confronts Holden Brice (Toby Derrick) as he is about to leave. Holden strikes Curtis in the head with a torch, damaging his cochlear implant and preventing Curtis from hearing Nicolette Stone's (Charlotte Chimes) cries for help. Curtis manages to give Levi Canning (Richie Morris) a statement, and is checked over by paramedics, before he is given a temporary implant. He then goes to Susan's house to tell her what happened and expresses his guilt over Nicolette. Levi later shows Curtis a sketch of Holden and Curtis acknowledges that it is the same person who attacked him.
Jane visits a school in Mildura, leaving Curtis in charge of Year 13. When Jane returns, she tells Susan and Curtis of her plans to tweak the school's programme. She takes over from Curtis and tries to help with Hendrix's project, but he does not appreciate her interference and Curtis steps in to distract Jane. He later gets Hendrix to open up to him about his problems, which impresses Jane, until she learns that Curtis knows the principal of the Mildura school and she realises was not sought out for her expertise. Curtis admits that he just wanted some space to prove himself. Days later, Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) thanks Curtis for a character reference he has written for Brent. Curtis asks Toadie if he has researched any other options for Brent and explains a way to keep Brent out of the prison system. They visit Brent together at the remand centre, where Brent apologises to Curtis for everything that happened to him. Curtis then tells Brent that in order to avoid a custodial sentence he could join the Australian Defence Force, which Brent agrees to. A couple of weeks later, Curtis meets up with Jesse Porter and after flirting with each other, they leave Harold's Café in order to spend the night together. Jesse later ignores Curtis's text messages and eventually tells him that he is busy that week, but he will try to meet up with him again soon. The following week, Curtis and Jesse meet in Harold's and Jesse asks if he has ruined his chance. Curtis asks him out for a drink and Jesse suggests meeting up later. Jesse later breaks up with Curtis, claiming that he is too busy. Curtis opens up to Hendrix about the break up and wonders if it is because he is deaf. Hendrix tells him that Jesse was dating someone else and Curtis confronts Jesse outside the hotel. Jesse tries to explain, but when he touches Curtis on the shoulder, Curtis tells Jesse to get off him and shoves him onto the luggage trolley, before leaving. Months later, Curtis voices his concerns to Jane and Susan about Zara Selwyn's (Freya Van Dyke) bad influence on other students. He also puts out a bin fire when Jane freezes at the sight. He tells her and Susan that according to the fire captain there were cigarette butts in the bin, which Jane believes Zara could have smoked. Susan refuses to jump to conclusions, while Curtis says they need to find out who was in the area at the time. He later assists with Aubrey Laing's (Etoile Little) transition to homeschooling, and accompanies her grandmother Shannon Laing (Francesca Waters) to a hearing test. Curtis goes to a Ramsay Street party with Vera a few months later.
Jesse Porter
Jesse Porter, played by Cameron Robbie, made his first appearance on 19 March 2021. The character and Robbie's casting was announced on 16 January 2021. Robbie's older sister Margot Robbie previously appeared in the show from 2008 to 2011 as Donna Freedman. Cameron secured the role of Jesse after an audition and began filming his guest appearance in late 2020. Jesse is a lifeguard who secures a summer job at Lassiter's Hotel, as he tries to work out what he really wants to do with his life. Maddison Hockey and Jess Pullar of TV Week reported that Jesse "comes from a wealthy background, but has decided to break away from the pressures he's had placed on him growing up." Robbie described him as "a pretty fun-loving type of guy" and said there would be "some twists and turns within his story line!" Four months after his introduction, it emerged that Jesse is connected to the Quill family, who run a rival hotel chain, and has been helping them to plot against Lassiters. Robbie thought his "slow-burn" introduction was "a pretty fun character development" and believed that the pay-off when his identity was exposed was also a fun moment for viewers. He explained to Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that spying for the Quills was not Jesse's plan, and he hoped the audience would enjoy finding out the reason why Jesse felt that he could not say no. Robbie continued "Jesse is feeling a lot of pressure on himself. He puts the weight of the world on his shoulders while he's doing his best to please others. But at the same time, he's a little lost. A lot of it is serving an end goal, but also taking opportunities as they come along." He also said Jesse was trying to avoid his own "demons", but felt that he was a good person who has been lying to himself for a long time.