Neighbours EXCLUSIVE – Rebekah Elmaloglou discusses Paul’s baby bombshell

Neighbours‘ 40th anniversary episodes see Chelsea return with her newborn baby, as a DNA test reveals whether Paul has become a father for the eighth time. Rebekah Elmaloglou and Majella Davis tell us what to expect.

Chelsea (Viva Bianca) set about trying to get her teeth into Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) within hours of arriving in Erinsborough.

Cara’s (Sara West) sister had been struggling to get her cosmetics business off the ground, and hoped that Paul’s riches would set her and her business up for life.

After David’s (Takaya Honda) death, Chelsea was there to comfort Paul, and soon became Lassiters’ acting general manager while Paul stepped back to allow himself to grieve.

Yet things came crashing down for Chelsea as she battled with Krista (Majella Davis) for responsibilities at the hotel.

When a pregnant Krista was meant to be presenting to the Lassiters Worldwide board, Chelsea organised for her to become locked in the hotel’s sauna, allowing Chelsea to step in and make the presentation instead.

Tragically, this saw Krista lose her unborn baby, after succumbing to the intense heat inside the sauna.

As an investigation was launched into why the sauna’s door automatically locked, IT investigator Jeffrey Swan (Tim Potter) discovered that Chelsea was to blame.

Chelsea ended up sleeping with Jeffrey to buy his silence, and their affair was exposed at her and Paul’s engagement party.

Chelsea disappeared from Erinsborough without facing the consequences and wasn’t seen again – until Cara bumped into her at Melbourne Airport just before Christmas.

After returning from the Varga-Murphys’ trip to New York, Cara spent weeks trying to track her sister down, without any luck.

On the eve of Neighbours‘ 40th anniversary week, Remi (Naomi Rukavina) has a brainwave. Soon, she’s managed to find Chelsea, and as the anniversary week kicks off on Monday 17th March, Chelsea is back!

As she arrives on Ramsay Street with newborn baby Thomas in tow, only one question remains – is Paul or Jeffrey the father?

Since Chelsea disappeared, Paul and Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) have reunited, and Terese is about to move into the penthouse with Nell (Ayisha Salem-Towner). However, Chelsea’s shock return has the potential to turn Paul and Terese’s newly rekindled relationship upside down!

We sat down with Rebekah Elmaloglou and Majella Davis in a London hotel, shortly after they and their fellow cast members had performed at the London Palladium as part of Neighbours‘ 40th Anniversary Tour, to discuss the exciting new development.

It’s no secret that Paul has a lot of children – Thomas will be his eighth. But how is Terese feeling when a DNA test confirms that Paul is the father?

“It’s a real shock, especially after everything they’ve been through,” Rebekah tells us. “They’re finally back together, a new start, a new everything, and this is just like a spanner’s been thrown in the works.”

But it’s not the fact that Paul has another child that’s the real issue – it’s the fact that it’s with Chelsea.

“Terese is really, completely freaked out about the whole thing,” Rebekah continues. “But I think if it wasn’t for Chelsea, I think she’d be able to embrace this baby a little more.

Paul pulls on Terese’s heartstrings as he tells Terese that he sees an opportunity to be different this time around.

He only discovered that he was the father to twins David and Leo (Tim Kano) back in 2017, and ended up playing a part in David’s death, so he’s relishing the chance to redeem himself.

It appears that Terese agrees – she just wishes the baby wasn’t Chelsea’s.

“After Paul losing David and everything that he’s been through, I think there’s a part of Terese actually think that thinks that this baby is actually good for him,” Rebekah explains.“But not with Chelsea hanging around. Absolutely not.

“And she’s probably the main issue, because Terese doesn’t trust Chelsea one bit. So yeah, this whole happy families thing ain’t gonna work for Terese at all.”

Sadly for Terese, Chelsea has no intention of going anywhere. She claims to be reformed, and that she’s not after Paul’s money, but her continued presence in Erinsborough soon gets under Terese’s skin.

“She feels like she’s on the outer,” Rebekah tells us. “She walks in a few times and Chelsea’s in the penthouse, even one day when Paul’s not even there, and Terese is like, ah, hello.”

“So Chelsea really pushes it, and crosses the line a number of times.

“I’m actually surprised that the writers allowed Terese to allow a lot of the scenarios to go on because I don’t think she would put up with it.”

Terese isn’t the only one affected by the bombshell – Krista lost her baby as a result of Chelsea’s cruel actions, and now Chelsea has a child of her own.

While Chelsea’s return may mean that she finally faces justice, Krista is still devastated to come face to face with the woman who caused her so much heartbreak.

On top of that, baby Thomas is Krista’s brother-in-law – something which takes Rebekah by surprise when we point it out.

“Hold on, say that again?” Rebekah asks.

“Thomas is Krista’s brother-in-law after they get married,” Majella clarifies. “Yeah, that was one of the last things for me to figure out too. And I think that’s what happens to Krista, is that that doesn’t really quite hit her until later.

“All she can think about is all these other horrible things that are happening in her life right now. It’s just one bombshell after the other. And then to find out that this woman who took away her baby from her is having a baby…”

“…who’s going to be a part of the family,” Rebekah adds.

“Yeah. But the ‘part of the family’ thing, it’s just added other layers of thoughts,” Majella continues. “And I don’t think it really hits her that it’s going to be her brother-in-law until later.”

“And I think that’s why she, like Terese, just tolerates what she can and removes herself from the situation because it matters to Leo and it matters to Paul.”

Neighbours’ 40th Anniversary Week begins Monday 17th March.

Neighbours airs Monday–Thursday on Network 10 and 10 Peach in Australia, and on Prime Video in the UK.

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Here are the Neighbours spoilers for the next two weeks:

Tuesday 11th March (Episode 9205 / 302)

Max recruits Holly to help execute his next move.

Paul returns with a proposition for Terese.

Nell and Paul continue to clash heads.

Wednesday 12th March (Episode 9206 / 303)

Fallon ramps up her devious plans.

Terese is given an ultimatum.

Max is in growing danger.

Thursday 13th March (Episode 9207 / 304)

Fallon’s meddling takes effect.

Krista’s dealt a shocking blow.

Remi embarks on a mysterious plan.

Monday 17th March (Episode 9208 / 305)

Everyone gathers for a wedding… But will it go to plan?

JJ encounters a familiar face.

A jaw dropping return sends shockwaves through Erinsborough

Tuesday 18th March (Episode 9209 / 306)

Paul and Terese’s world is destabilised.

Harold is rocked by a newcomer’s presence.

The neighbours are trapped in fiery peril.

Wednesday 19th March (Episode 9210 / 307)

One resident faces an agonising choice.

Paul and Terese grapple with a life-changing possibility.

A sinister event turns neighbours against each other, while bringing others closer.

Thursday 20th March (Episode 9211 / 308)

A blast from the past hits Ramsay Street.

Terese fears for her relationship.

Leo’s pushed to his limit.