Neighbours star Fiona Corke played Gail Robinson on the soap, wife to super-scheming Paul – but what became of the actress who once starred alongside Stefan Dennis?
12:00, 04 Oct 2025
Paul and Gail Robinson married on Neighbours(Image: Fremantle Media/REX/Shutterstock)
It’s impossible to understand why anyone would ever have chosen to wed Neighbours’ ruthless and cunning businessman, Paul Robinson. Yet in the late 1980s, Gail Lewis did exactly that – becoming Gail Robinson – when they hatched a plan purely to deceive Japanese businessman Mr Udagawa, thus securing a deal for the Daniels Corporation.
The backstory revealed that Gail and Paul, played by actor Stefan Dennis who’s now starring on Strictly, had worked together as flight attendants, and both had evolved into cutthroat business individuals, each with a past marriage. Consequently, they tied the knot in the living room of 22 Ramsay Street, where Dr Clive Gibbons also resided, in a modest ceremony surrounded by family.
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However, Fiona Corke, who portrayed Gail and made her debut on the Australian soap in March 1987, soon decided it was time for a change – but not before experiencing a level of fan frenzy that she described as “was so full on and so huge, you didn’t know if you were an actor or in a pop group.”
At that time, Neighbours’ popularity had surged in the UK, regularly drawing in millions of daily viewers – with Scott and Charlene’s wedding pulling in an audience of 20 million when it was broadcast in November 1988. Gail’s character was subsequently written out of the show in August 1989, when she parted ways with Paul while expecting their triplets, opting to relocate to Tasmania.
Other original cast members, including Peter O’Brien (who portrayed Shane), Paul Keane (Des) and Elaine Smith (Daphne) also departed the soap during the late 1980s.
Gail ranked 13th in Huffpost’s 35 Greatest Neighbours Characters Of All Time in 2020(Image: Channel 5)
Fiona had launched her career with small film and television roles in 1985, aged 24, before landing the part of Alison Mills in Prisoner: Cell Block H in 1986 – a character meant to continue until the programme was axed. During her time on Neighbours, she encountered her future husband Nick Carrafa (who portrayed Tony Romeo), though they concealed their relationship from fear that their real-life romance might perplex audiences.
Following Neighbours, Fiona featured in additional film and television productions, but returned to Ramsay Street as Gail for guest spots in 2005, 2006 and 2007, before a longer run in 2019, for a plot involving the comeback of all Paul Robinson’s former wives (the soap heartthrob has wed six times).
Gail ranked 13th in Huffpost’s 35 Greatest Neighbours Characters Of All Time in 2020, with the writer describing “smart cookie” Gail as “the true love of Paul’s life”.
Dianne Buswell and her Strictly dance partner Stefan attending the Inside Soap Awards (Image: WireImage)
He also mentioned Gail’s style sense, as Fiona’s costumes for the soap were notoriously supplied by one exclusive boutique in the 1980s, with the acknowledgement at the conclusion of each episode, “Fiona Corke’s wardrobe by Kamizole,” becoming a legendary moment for audiences.
Fiona is now a prominent wildlife campaigner and has served as vice president of the Australian Society for Kangaroos, which fights against the killing of kangaroos for their hides and flesh. In 2016, she spoke about her role with the society: “Most of my time is now concentrated on raising awareness of the horrific cruelty involved in the culling/shooting of kangaroos under government permits on public and private land, and the kangaroo industry.
“It’s something most Australians don’t know about. I didn’t, but was so appalled, I just had to do something about it.
Fiona is now a prominent wildlife campaigner and has served as vice president of the Australian Society for Kangaroos(Image: Neighbours Official Channel )
“If people are outraged at the cruelty involved in greyhound racing, live exports, bashing of seals and whaling etcetera, then they should be equally outraged and concerned about what really happens to our kangaroos.”
In 2022, it was announced that Neighbours would be cancelled after an impressive 40-year run, with its final episode airing in July last year, featuring a host of former stars reprising their roles. It was later disclosed that the soap would be resurrected by streaming behemoth Amazon for a reboot, before being cancelled again with final scenes set to air later this year.
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