Melissa Bell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 November 1972 [1] Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, fashion designer |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Known for |
|
| Spouses | Jason Redlich (m. 1996;div. 1998)Gary Dickinson (m. 2000;died 2016)Grant Thompson (m. 2022) |
| Children | 4 |
Melissa Bell (born 7 November 1972) is an Australian actress and fashion designer. She is best known for her roles of Bonnie Tait in E Street , Lucy Robinson in Neighbours , and Emily Harris in Paradise Beach . Bell also made appearances in Home and Away and Water Rats .
Bell's first major television appearance was the guest role of Janine in the soap opera E Street in 1990. [2] She joined the main cast of Neighbours as the third actress to play Lucy Robinson in early 1991. [3] After 18 months of playing Lucy, Bell decided to leave Neighbours. She filmed her final scenes in June 1992. [4] Bell then returned to E Street in the new role of eco-crusader Bonnie Tait, who became a love interest for Bruce Samazan's Max Simmonds. [4] Bell cited homesickness as her reason for leaving Neighbours, which was filmed in Melbourne. She returned to Sydney for E Street and to be closer to her family. [4] After E Street ended Bell made several brief returns to Neighbours. [2] Due to her popularity in the UK, Bell appeared in several pantomimes. [2]
Bell also acted in another soap, Paradise Beach , playing surfer Emily Harris. [5] In 1994, after returning from overseas, Bell secured guest roles in Over the Hill and G.P. . [6] In 1995, she co-wrote the fiction novel Living Famously with television writer and producer Jason Herbison. [7] The following year, she made a guest appearance as Suzie Hudson in an episode of Home and Away . [8] Bell had a regular slot on Sydney radio station Sea FM in the late 1990s. [9] She appears in the 1999 adventure sci-fi film Duran Duran, alongside Rebekah Elmaloglou and Ben Oxenbould. [2]
She appeared in the 2005 lifestyle program Celebrity Overhaul . [10] In 2007, she appeared on Seven Network's Mums and Bubs. [11]
In 1999, Bell developed a range of bath products called Bondi Baby, which were inspired her then two year old son. [2] She also designed her own clothing, which was modelled by actress Kate Ritchie in an issue of TV Week . [9] Bell has since opened and closed a number of fashion boutiques, including Terrigal Babe on the NSW Central Coast, close to where she grew up, [9] a boutique in Double Bay that sold kaftans and party wear, [11] a small boutique called Radical Love on Chevron Island in 2019, [12] and a boutique store called Lilly Blue in Worongary on the Gold Coast. [13]
Bell was married to Jason Redlich from 1996 to 1998. [14] They have one son. Following the end of her marriage, Bell suffered from body dysmorphic disorder and depression. [15] In 2000, Bell married Gary Dickinson. They had three children and lived on the Central Coast, NSW. In November 2015, Dickinson, then 57, suffered a heart attack which left him in a coma. [16] Dickinson died on 13 February 2016. [17] In 2020, Bell became engaged to Grant Thompson, [18] and the couple married in 2022, with Bell wearing the dress her Neighbours character wore in her on-screen wedding. [19]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Venus Factory | Emily DuBois | |
| 1999 | Duran Duran | Echidna | |
| 2012 | Housos vs. Authority | Model | |
| 2018 | Occupation | Mrs. Kyle | |
| 2021 | The Possessed | Helen | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Angela Griffin | Episode: "The Beast" |
| 1990–1991 | E Street | Janine | Guest role |
| 1991–1993, 1995, 2005, 2013–2016, 2020–2024, 2025 | Neighbours | Lucy Robinson | Main cast |
| 1992–1993 | E Street | Bonnie Tait | Main cast |
| 1993–1994 | Paradise Beach | Emily Harris | Main cast |
| 1994 | G.P. | Rachel Weller | Episode: "Breakfast with Gazza" |
| 1996 | Home and Away | Suzie Hudson | Guest role |
| 1998 | Water Rats | Lisa Hubbard | Episode: "Untouchable" |