Melissa Bell (actor)

Melissa Bell
Born	(1972-11-07) 7 November 1972 (age 52)[1] Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)	Actress, fashion designer
Years active	1988–present
Known for	Neighbours (TV series) as Lucy Robinson E Street (TV series) as Bonnie Tait Paradise Beach (TV series) as Emily Harris
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 & Away and Water Rats.

Career

Acting

Bell had earlier appeared in the soap opera E Street in the guest role of Janine. She left the role of Lucy in Neighbours to return to E Street to play a new character, the eco-crusader Bonnie Tait. After E Street ended Bell made several brief returns to Neighbours.

She also acted in another soap, Paradise Beach, playing surfer Emily Harris.[2] She later appeared in several lifestyle programs, such as Celebrity Overhaul.[3]

Fashion design

Bell later become a fashion designer, selling kaftans and party wear from a boutique in Double Bay, Sydney.[4]

Personal life

Bell was married to Jason Redlich from 1996 to 1998.[5] They have one son. Following the end of her marriage, Bell suffered from body dysmorphic disorder and depression.[6] In 2000, Bell married Gary Dickinson. They had three children and lived on the Gold Coast. In November 2015, Dickinson, then 57, suffered a heart attack which left him in a coma.[7] Dickinson died on 13 February 2016.[8] In 2020, Bell became engaged to Grant Thompson,[9] and the couple married in 2022, with Bell wearing the dress her Neighbours character wore in her on-screen wedding.[10] Bell now owns and runs a dress shop in Worongary on the Gold Coast.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	The Venus Factory	Emily DuBois	Film
2012	Housos vs. Authority	Model	Film
2018	Occupation	Mrs. Kyle	Film
2021	The Possessed	Helen	Film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Rafferty's Rules	Angela Griffin	Episode: "The Beast"
1990–91	E Street	Janine	Guest role
1991–1993, 1995, 2005, 2013–2016, 2020–2024	Neighbours	Lucy Robinson	Main/Guest cast - 235 episodes
1992–93	E Street	Bonnie Tait	Main cast
1993–94	Paradise Beach	Emily Harris	Main cast
1994	G.P.	Rachel Weller	Episode: "Breakfast with Gazza"
1996	Home & Away	Suzie Hudson	Guest role
1998	Water Rats	Lisa Hubbard	Episode: "Untouchable"

References

1. "Chatterbox". TV Week. 30 November 1991. p. 71.
2. Mercado, Andrew (2004). Super Aussie Soaps: Behind the Scenes of Australia's Best Loved TV Shows. Australia: Pluto Press. p. 297. ISBN 1-86403-191-3.
3. Celebrity Overhaul: Melissa Bell, Nine Network.
4. Wing's eye on Bell's view, The Daily Telegraph, 7 August 2007.
5. Dowdney, Mark (31 January 1997). "Husband tried to kill me claims Oz soap queen Melissa; Punched: He struck as I cradled our four-week-old son". Daily Record. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via The Free Library.
6. "Melissa Bell admits she suffered body dysmorphia leading to thousands of dollars of plastic surgery". The Daily Telegraph. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
7. Koch, Phillip (8 December 2015). "Neighbours star Melissa Bell's brave battle to save her husband's life". Woman's Day. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
8. "Neighbours star Melissa Bell reveals heartbreak after husband Gary Dickinson battled for life". 21 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
9. Burrell, Zoe (9 August 2021). "Neighbours star Melissa Bell's wedding joy: 'How I found happiness again'". New Idea. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
10. Julians, Joe (7 November 2022). "Former Neighbours star Melissa Bell ties the knot in dress she wore on the soap". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 November 2022.

External links

• Melissa Bell at IMDb