Gaby Willis

Gaby Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Rachel Blakely. The show's casting director spotted Blakely on the cover of a magazine and asked her to audition for the role of Gaby. Blakely received the part and she was introduced to the show during a period of roller-coaster ratings. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 August 1991. Gaby was introduced as the eldest daughter of Doug (Terence Donovan) and Pam Willis (Sue Jones). She comes to Erinsborough after taking a business course in Japan. Gaby is characterised as beautiful, intelligent and the apple of her father's eye. She also has a temper, leading Blakely to call her fiery.

Gaby opens her own fashion boutique, with the help and support from her boyfriend, and later fiancé, Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett). Gaby and Glen's engagement ends when he flees Erinsborough following an accident. Gaby's business burns down and she becomes a punk to cope with her losses. She also befriends and briefly dates a punk musician. Gaby takes a job as a barmaid, before becoming a secretary at the Robinson Corporation. Gaby becomes attracted to teacher Wayne Duncan (Jonathon Sammy-Lee), with whom she shares a real chemistry. However, the couple are mismatched and they often fight. Gaby and Wayne realise their relationship is destructive and they end it.

Blakely believed the breakup with Wayne was Gaby's fault and called for her character to grow up. Gaby takes flying lessons and she falls for her instructor, Jack Flynn (Mark Pennell). Gaby becomes pregnant and Jack agrees to stay away from them. Gaby later gives birth to a son, who is named Zac (Jay Callahan). Blakely's decision to quit Neighbours in 1993, led to Gaby taking a less stressful job in Darwin after struggling to balance her career and motherhood. Her departure aired on 2 September 1994. Blakely later reprised the role to appear in the show's 20th anniversary episode, which was broadcast on 27 July 2005.

The character, along with Brad Willis (Scott Michaelson) and Guy Carpenter (Andrew Williams), was created as part of a large revamp of the show, which had seen a large decline in ratings and eight other characters written out. Coral O'Connor of the Daily Mirror said it was hoped their introductions would attract younger viewers to the serial. Blakely was a successful model when she was spotted by the Neighbours casting director on the front cover of a magazine and invited to audition for the part of Gaby Willis. The casting director thought Blakely would be perfect for the role. Of her casting, Blakely told Mark McGowan from TV Week: "I was ecstatic... I screamed down the end of the phone when my agent rang me. She asked me to do it again. I obliged!" The producers also hoped Blakely's introduction would capture the "Kylie magic". The actress was introduced to the cast as Gaby in August 1991, alongside Michaelson, who played Gaby's brother, Brad. James Cockington of The Sydney Morning Herald commented on their introduction: "Despite some roller-coaster ratings of late, Ten still believes there is life in Ramsay Street and is introducing some new, young residents this week. Rachel Blakely, 23, and Scott Michaelson, 20, conform to the teen hunk/spunk category that has made E Street such a fun place to visit. Gaby and Brad, as they will become better known, appear as a boutique owner and her brother."

When the Willis family were introduced to Neighbours, eldest daughter Gaby was said to be studying at a business school in Japan. She later returned to Australia and came to live with her parents, Doug Willis (Terence Donovan) and Pam Willis (Sue Jones), in Ramsay Street. Gaby was also reunited with her brother, Brad. During her tenure, writers displayed the character as having a bad temper. Blakely told TV Week's McGowan that "Gaby's a fiery little thing. She flies off the handle quite regularly, which I find quite enjoyable." A writer for the BBC described Gaby as being "the apple of her father's eye" and said her beauty was matched by her intelligence. Josephine Monroe, author of Neighbours: The First 10 Years said Gaby's "cascading dark hair" and model looks meant there was never a shortage of men after her. Monroe opined that whatever Gaby set her mind to, happened. She said Gaby had "a knack with a sewing machine", which she put to use by making dresses for her friends and neighbours. Gaby then decided to use her skills to make a profit and she opened her own boutique called Gabrielle's in the Lassiter's complex.

Gaby begins dating Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett), who becomes a source of support for her during the opening of her store. He encouraged her to capatalise on a client with a famous name and the boutique's takings rose. Following an argument, Gaby runs off with Guy Carpenter (Andrew Williams), but she is not serious about him and she returns to Glen, who proposes to her. Huggett revealed that Glen and Gaby do not end up getting married, saying "I don't want to give the game away, but it's pretty dramatic stuff, and it all ends in tears." While repairing a roof at the Lassiter's Complex, Glen falls and is paralysed from the waist down, Gaby vows to support him. However, she was devastated when he decided to leave Erinsborough. After her engagement to Glen is broken off and her fashion boutique burns down, Gaby turns into "the biggest rebel in Erinsborough." A writer for Inside Soap said turning punk is her way of coping with her losses. Gaby befriends "outrageous punk" musician Zed (Gavan McLaren) as she believes he is the perfect man to party with. Zed also gives Gaby a lot of support when she needs it. Zed tries to turn his friendship with Gaby into something more, but she turns him down in favour of Simon Hunter (Fred Whitlock). When Gaby is almost raped by Simon, while on a date with him, she turns to Zed for his support. Gaby then decides to date Zed as "a blatant act of defiance" against her father. McLaren explained "It never really comes to anything, but Zed doesn't mind, he's happy just to have Gaby as a friend." Gaby and Zed partake in binge nightclubbing sessions which annoys her parents further. Blakely told Mark McGowan from TV Week that "Gaby threatens that if they don't let her lead her own life, she will move out. Much to her shock they say 'see you later'."

"Gaby Willis is Neighbours' independent woman of the Nineties, but when it comes to love she's about as sophisticated as a sheep in a mud bath!"

Gaby takes a barmaid position at The Waterhole and she competes with Brad for the manager's job. A writer for Inside Soap said both siblings are convinced they are the right person for the job and try to prove this to Philip Martin (Ian Rawlings). However, when Gaby issues an ultimatum to Philip to choose between her and Brad, Philip fires her. Gaby embarks on a "fevered" job hunt and she accepts a bar job over the phone. When she goes to the new bar to start work, she discovers that she is expected to waitress topless. Gaby turns the job down and finds employment as a secretary at the Robinson Corporation. She is later promoted to manager of Lassiter's. Gaby later sets about furthering her career. During an interview with Inside Soap, Blakely said she did not think Gaby would ever be happy with a guy as she kept picking losers. She said her character is "too headstong and likes too many arguments."