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Madeleine West

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Madeleine West
West in 2001
Born
Melanie Ann Weston

(1980-07-26) 26 July 1980 (age 44)[1]
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupations
  • Actress
  • author
  • director
Years active2000–present
PartnerShannon Bennett (2005–2018)
Children6

Melanie Ann Weston (born 26 July 1980), known professionally as Madeleine West, is an Australian actress, author and director. She is best known for her television roles, having played Dee Bliss and Andrea Somers on the soap opera Neighbours from 2000 to 2003 and on-off 2017 to 2020, high-class escort Mel on Satisfaction from 2007 to 2010, Dimity on House Husbands in 2013, Danielle McGuire in Underbelly and later Fat Tony & Co. In 2016, West joined the cast of The Wrong Girl. She has also written a parenting book called Six Under Eight. She played Sarah the wife of Stone Cold Steve Austin in the WWE produced film The Condemned in 2007.

Early life

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Born Melanie Ann Weston, West was raised in Woodend.[1] She attended Woodend Primary School and eight high schools because her family followed her stepfather's engineering work around the country.[1] West began performing in front of family and friends at an early age.[1][unreliable source?] In 1992, she entered the New South Wales Talented Child Drama Ensemble and later studied at Swinburne University of Technology, Tamworth Conservatorium of Music, and Riverina Drama Ensemble.[2]

In January 2023, West revealed she was sexually abused as a child; the abuse began when she was 5 years old and continued for five years. She said, "Part of the reason I went into acting was to wear someone else's skin, to hide what was actually happening in my life".[3]

West's abuser was a man named Peter White, who used to be her neighbour. In 2022, West decided to get justice against White, who was now a businessman, former plumber and who had a large family of his own. West met White in his home. Unbeknownst to White, she was wearing a recording wire. White did not deny the abuse, but claimed he could not remember it. He apologised to West and asked for forgiveness. However, West later said that the man was not truly remorseful. Her quest for justice revealed that White had abused other children, bringing the total of his victims to seven. All the victims joined West in exposing White's abuse and this resulted in White being charged with 33 sexual offences. White, aged 73, pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with a minimum of nine years to be served before he can be considered for parole.[4]

Career

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After commencing a degree in law at Deakin University, West deferred her studies indefinitely to turn to acting.[5] In 1999, West was awarded the 'Be Your Best' Performance Scholarship from the Australian Drug Foundation. West's amateur theatre credits include Arsenic and Old Lace, Night Reflections, Theatre in the Raw, Bye Bye Birdie, and Snow Queen.

West joined the cast of Neighbours as Dee Bliss in 1999. Two years later, she was nominated for the "Most Popular New Female Talent" Logie Award.[6] In March 2003, it was announced West was to leave Neighbours after her contract expired.[7] She filmed her final scenes in early April.[8]

West appeared in crime drama Underbelly as Danielle McGuire in 2008.[9] In 2011, she joined the cast of Winners & Losers in the recurring role of Deidre Gross.[10] West previously turned down a role with the show due to being heavily pregnant with her third child.[10]

In 2013, West appeared in series two of House Husbands as Dimity.[1] She reprised her role of Danielle McGuire in the Underbelly spin-off series Fat Tony & Co..[9] The series focuses on the rise and fall of Tony Mokbel, who also featured in the original series, played by Robert Mammone.[9] She also made a guest appearance in an episode of Mr & Mrs Murder as a receptionist.[11]

In 2017, West returned to Neighbours to play Andrea Somers, a lookalike who posed as Dee Bliss. West also joined the cast of The Wrong Girl as TV host Erica Jones.[12] Her first book titled Six Under Eight was published in March of that year.[12] West has since launched a series of children's books called Lily D, V.A.P. (Very Amazing Performer).[13] The books focus on topics such as bullying, illness and body image, and are told through schoolgirl Lily as she takes on different characters for a play.[13]

West worked with former detective Gary Jubelin on the 2023 eight-part podcast series Predatory, which brings attention to child sexual abuse. The podcast called for Australia's sex offender registry to be made public and for victims to be fairly compensated.[3][14]

Personal life

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West was engaged to Shopping for Love co-host Pete Lazer,[15] before entering into a relationship with Shannon Bennett, a restaurateur, in 2005.[1][10] The couple have six children together; Phoenix (born December 2005), Hendrix (born April 2008), Xascha (born July 2010), Xanthe (born 2012) and twins, Xalia and Margaux (2014). West commented that the Xs in the names did not start out as intentional.[1][16][12][17] In September 2018, West confirmed that she and Bennett had separated, but were "striving to reconnect as friends and parents."[18]

West has been in a relationship with environmentalist Maximo Bottaro since 2020, after meeting him while volunteering at his organisation ReForest Now.[19]

In July 2002, West was hit by a bus in Sydney. The actress was also robbed while she was unconscious.[20] She needed reconstructive plastic surgery and had to be written out of Neighbours but returned to the show a month later.[20]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 You and Your Stupid Mate Emma
2007 The Condemned Sarah Cavanaugh
2010 Matching Jack Nancy
2011 Faces Rita Short film
2012 Save Your Legs! Janine
2014 Predestination Mrs. Stapleton

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2000–2003, 2017, 2019–2020 Neighbours Dione "Dee" Bliss Main cast
2004 Stingers Rochelle Episode: "The River of No Return"
2004 Big Reef Casey Lane TV film
2005 Hercules Hippolyta TV miniseries
2005 Last Man Standing Janie Season 1, Episode 16
2007–2010 Satisfaction Mel
2007 The Starter Wife Katy
2008 Canal Road Bianca/Meredith Pearce/Bianca Pearce
2008 Underbelly Danielle McGuire
2009 City Homicide Melinda Jackson Episode: "Diggers"
2010 Rescue Special Ops Annika Ehrenberg
2011 Winners & Losers Deidre Gross Episode: "We Are Family"
2012 Lowdown Mark Hardy's Wife Episode: "A Bollywood Ending"
2013 House Husbands Dimity
2013 Mr & Mrs Murder Rena Episode: "Keeping Up Appearances"
2014 Fat Tony & Co. Danielle McGuire
2016–2017 The Wrong Girl Erica Jones Main cast
2017–2020 Neighbours Andrea Somers Recurring
2018 Show Me the Movie! Herself
2018 Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation Herself
2018 Have You Been Paying Attention? Herself Guest Quiz Master
2018–2019 Playing for Keeps Kath Rickards Main cast

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Miller, Megan (1 June 2013). "Madeleine West has the looks of a sex kitten, talks like an academic and has four kids to one of our top chefs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Madeleine West". ICMI. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  3. ^ a b PA Media (15 January 2023). "Ex-Neighbours actress Madeleine West says she was sexually abused as a child". The Press. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Going undercover to catch a serial paedophile | 60 Minutes Australia". YouTube.
  5. ^ Brygel, Jackie (9 August 2000). "Law unto herself; FACTfile". Melbourne Herald-Sun. p. H5. Accessed 25 November 2011 via LexisNexis Academic.
  6. ^ Courtis, Brian (22 April 2001). "Time for hottest show in town". The Age. Fairfax Media. p. 12. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  7. ^ Randall, Tim (1 March 2003). "Soap gossip..." Daily Record. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  8. ^ Miller, Kylie (10 April 2003). "Networking". The Age. Fairfax Media. p. 14. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  9. ^ a b c Bamber, Shaun (2 February 2015). "Playing gangster bride an honour and a challenge". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Vickery, Colin (26 July 2011). "West's pregnant pause". The Sunday Times. News Limited. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  11. ^ "TV Guide Free-To-Air Highlights". The Advertiser. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2024 – via Gale.
  12. ^ a b c Dunk, Tiffany (7 October 2016). "The Wrong Girl star Madeleine West on being a working mum of six, wife and her home, 'Chateau Catastrophe'". news.com.au. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. ^ a b Tuohy, Wendy (5 May 2018). "Go West". Herald Sun. Retrieved 17 July 2024 – via Gale.
  14. ^ News Corp Australia (14 January 2023). "New Predatory podcast exposes monsters hiding in plain sight". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  15. ^ Miller, Megan (31 May 2013). "Madeleine West has the looks of a sex kitten, talks like an academic and has four kids to one of our top chefs". www.adelaidenow.com.au. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  16. ^ "In the kitchen with Shannon Bennett". The Daily Telegraph. 13 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Madeleine West gives birth to twins". new!. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  18. ^ Herbrik, Tiffany (10 September 2018). "Madeleine West confirms split from Masterchef star". Who. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  19. ^ "Madeleine West confirms new beau, opens up about sex life after split". news.com.au. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Neighbours star back after being hit by bus". Breaking News.ie. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. 4 August 2002. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
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