Teresa "Tess" Bell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Krista Vendy. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 September 1999 and departed on 18 September 2001. Vendy reprised the role in 2023 and appeared again from 13 May 2025 until 17 June 2025.

Vendy originally auditioned for the role of Sarah Beaumont, but Nicola Charles was cast instead. Three years later, Vendy auditioned for another role in Neighbours through her agency. Vendy auditioned three times in total and she revealed she was one of three girls up for the role. The actress told the official Neighbours website she learnt she had won the part of Teresa six months later. Of her reaction to the news, Vendy said "I'd put it out of my mind until one night when I got a call from my manager, Scott. He called me all the way from the UK to say 'congratulations, you've got the part'. It was a dream come true for me because I've been trying to get into acting for such a long time."

Vendy told Jason Herbison from Inside Soap that her character had originally been "a barmaid called Tamsin Flynn", but after she was cast, the producers looked at her audition again and changed the character's name and occupation. Vendy said Tamsin was supposed to be a surfer and a party girl, but when the character became Teresa she was changed into a "strait-laced schoolteacher" instead. Vendy revealed her cousin, Kristian Schmid (who played Todd Landers in the show), gave her some advice before she entered the show. The actress said "Kristian told me to always think about the motivation of other characters as well as my own." Vendy filmed her first scenes on location at the Erinsborough High set. Two months after her on screen debut, Gina Leros of The Sun-Herald said Vendy would be the one to watch in Neighbours in 2000. In July 2000, Vendy's contract was renewed for two years, with an option for another 12 months. Vendy called it "fantastic", as she had finally begun to "flesh out" her character and no longer felt nervous on set.

Teresa was introduced as a 24-year-old, married English teacher. She moved to Erinsborough to regain her independence and found employment at the local high school. Vendy said Teresa prefers to be called Tess and she described her character as a "perfectionist", especially when it came to teaching and cleaning. Vendy said while she is not a "cleaning freak" like Tess, she does share the same work ethic as her. The actress revealed Tess has a vivacious side to her and she has been married to her husband for a couple of years. Vendy told an Inside Soap columnist that she was glad her character had more depth than a bimbo and she said Tess is nothing like the person she thought she would be playing. When asked if it felt strange to be playing a married school teacher, Vendy said "Yeah! It is weird because in real life, I have no desire to get married whatsoever! Tess has many more responsibilities than Krista, so it has been interesting to play someone like her." A writer from the official Neighbours website called Tess "headstrong and intelligent."

Shortly after her arrival, Tess makes the decision to leave her violent husband, Brendan (Blair Venn). Vendy said Brendan had been physically and mentally abusing Tess and she was desperate to get away from him. The Kennedy family suspect Brendan has been hitting his wife when they notice a scratch on Tess' face. They ask her to move in with them and Tess opens up about Brendan and his behaviour. Of her character's marriage to Brendan, Vendy explained "Tess is a very strong woman, but she has lost a lot of her confidence during the abusive marriage. She is only 24 years old and she looks up to Brendan because he is 11 years her senior and is a successful lawyer. Sadly, he only sees her as a trophy." A writer for Inside Soap said Neighbours rarely strayed from its formula of light-hearted story lines, so when the producers decided to tackle the issue of domestic violence they made sure it would be handled realistically and sensitively. Vendy said to get her head around what Tess was going through, she researched domestic violence and made sure the story line was dealt with carefully.

Brendan comes to Ramsay Street to see Tess and he tries talking his way back into her affections. Vendy said despite Brendan's past behaviour, Tess wants her marriage to work and her stubbornness keeps her going back for more. The actress explained "She doesn't want to be seen as a failure, or to think she has failed herself. She believes Brendan when he says that he has changed, because she wants to believe him. She doesn't see any of the warning signs." Tess' friends, Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner) and Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), become alarmed when they learn Tess has allowed Brendan back into her life and they try to warn her about him. However, this just makes Tess want to be with him more and Vendy said Tess and Steph fall out over the situation. Teresa believes Brendan has changed, but she is unaware he has turned on a few people and has shown a split personality. The actress revealed she had received positive reactions about the storyline from viewers.

Tess develops a crush on her housemate Daniel Fitzgerald (Brett Tucker) and when she learns he has asked Steph out on a date, she is "crestfallen". It does not stop her pining for him and even though Dan and Steph fail to hit it off, Tess finds it difficult to live with Dan and she decides to move out. Vendy told Inside Soap's' Jason Herbison that Tess talks to Steph about her feelings and she is told that living with Dan is unhealthy when there is unresolved tension. Tess takes Steph's advice because she does not think Dan will ever see her as more than a friend. She chooses to move out as it is the easiest option. Vendy revealed "Tess suggests that Daniel takes over the lease on his own. He is totally shocked by this, and asks her why she wants to move out. Finally, Tess admits that she likes him more than a friend, and that it's hard for her to live under the same roof knowing he doesn't feel the same way."

However, Dan then admits he is also likes her. He explains that he has always been attracted to her, but did not do anything about it as it was not long since Brendan died. Herbison stated "one might expect this mutual admission to lead to romance", but Vendy thought it was not as simple as that. She said that the moment had passed and Tess and Dan had crossed the boundary into friendship and had become too familiar with each other. Dan then makes the decision to move out, saying that if they are to have a chance, they will need some space. Herbison quipped "With both Tess and Dan employed as teachers at Erinsborough High, there would seem to be plenty of opportunities for them to get together in the future." Vendy was unsure if the story line would continue as Tucker was not a regular cast member. But she added that it was nice to see Tess so happy while it lasted.