Neighbours star Ben Hall talks Ned's connection with Sheila - and what it means for him and Yashvi

Ben has been chatting to RadioTimes.com about the story, as well as offering up some intriguing hints as to what we can expect for his character as 2021 continues.

Let’s start with Paul. Ned recently betrayed him – never a wise move – but many people thought he was in the right. Do you think Ned feels guilty about it, or would he stand up to Paul if he learned the truth?

Ned is very loyal, so he feels a little guilty throwing Paul under the bus - he is pseudo-family after all. But he also knows that what he’s done was the right thing to do, and Paul can always find someone else to rip off or make money from.

Ned and Yashvi have had many issues since getting together. Are you starting to think that they may not be as well suited as they thought they were?

I think there’s definitely been a lack of connection between the two of them recently. They’re both realising what they want from their lives and at the moment the relationship seems to be getting in the way.

Ned’s attraction to other Sheila seems to take him by surprise. Do you think he has genuine feelings for her, or is it more than he has connected with someone who is a kindred spirit and shares his passions?

I think that is the exact question that Ned is trying to work out himself. The intimate moment they shared has confused what he thought was just finding a kindred spirit.

We know that Ned doubles down on his love for Yashvi after his moment with Sheila, but is he genuine about wanting to be with her or is he just clinging to what he knows?

I think after all of the back and forth, and the push from Sheila for him to be honest with himself and with Yashvi, Ned's decision is a truthful one. His heart is with Yashvi even if his mind was inspired and fulfilled by Sheila. What it has done, however, is left a sliver of doubt in his mind over whether he’ll ever be fully satisfied with someone who doesn’t stimulate him creatively.

Something we didn’t know about you was how great your comic timing is and that really came to the forefront in the Fandangle story. Was it fun to play this comical side of Ned (until Scarlett came along) and would you like the opportunity to do more comedy?

Haha, thank you. I actually did a lot of comedy when I was at WAAPA (West Australia Academy of Performing Arts) but I haven’t really had a chance to showcase it with a character like Ned, who is often “dark and broody”. Fortunately, the next storyline for Ned definitely has some more comic moments.

Fans have been calling for a return for Beth for some time now. Would you like to see her come back and how do you feel about the suggestion that Dannii Minogue takes over the role? A few people were calling for this after her recent set visit.

I think both of those ideas are great. Let’s be honest, it would be a big ask to get Natalie back to Australia right now but I think Dannii would be an incredible Beth. Although she might be a bit too young to be my mum, maybe a long lost sister?

You've worked with some absolute Neighbours legends over the years, how was it filming with the likes of Sue Jones and Terence Donovan?

I know. I got very lucky when I first arrived to work with both of those icons, I learned a lot from even the small number of scenes we had together. I think that’s one of the greatest things about Neighbours, the calibre of actor that comes through this show is world-class and so varied, you can’t get that experience anywhere else.

Are there any hints you can give us about what is coming up for Ned later in the year, and what are your hopes for the character? Would you like to see his darker side come back?

Well Ned’s next storyline is something that’s never been done on Neighbours before, so I’m really interested to see how people are going to react. It’s one of the most complex stories we’ve had to negotiate and it’s definitely going to shock a few people, but I think a lot of people will dig it.

As for the future, I’ve always wanted a storyline where his street art takes off and Ned becomes Erinsborough's Banksy. Rich, famous and having to keep it all a secret. I could definitely see that turning dark. Perhaps having his Bikie past coming back to bite him could bring out some old tendencies. I’ll talk to the writers.

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