Harlow Robinson (Neighbours)

Harlow Robinson
Occupation	Fictional character
Known for	Neighbours

Harlow Robinson is a fictional persona featured in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, brought to life by actress Jemma Donovan. She is introduced as the concealed daughter of Robert Robinson (Adam Hunter) and the granddaughter of Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), thereby expanding the well-known Robinson family. Donovan, who is the daughter of actor Jason Donovan, known for portraying Harlow's great uncle Scott, resumed her acting career after a four-year break to take on this part. The producers tailored the character specifically for her, with Harlow’s first appearance broadcast on 15 July 2019. The character is depicted as determined, pragmatic, and intelligent. Initial plotlines revolve around a rivalry with Roxy Willis (Zima Anderson) and reconnecting with her mother, Prudence Wallace (Denise van Outen). Harlow’s arrival mirrors Donovan’s personal transition from London to Melbourne.

The series developed a romantic storyline between Harlow and her neighbour Hendrix Greyson (Ben Turland), initially addressing themes of consent before evolving into a full relationship. Their romance featured pivotal intimate moments in early 2020 but concluded due to Harlow’s dissatisfaction with Hendrix’s immaturity. Both actors expressed regret over their characters’ breakup. Following this, Harlow enters a relationship with Brent Colefax (Texas Watterson), moving from friendship into romance. Donovan remarked that this relationship was unforeseen for her character, who was initially hesitant but ultimately embraced her emotions. The narrative explored the difficulties of maintaining a secret long-distance romance, which ended when Brent observed negative changes in Harlow’s demeanor and ended things, likening her to a younger version of Paul Robinson.

A mental health storyline depicted a decline in Harlow’s behavior, unveiling an unusually ruthless aspect of her personality. She deliberately undermines Chloe Brennan's (April Rose Pengilly) employment and shows a lack of empathy toward friends and neighbours. Donovan described Harlow as arrogant and deriving pleasure from others’ misfortunes. Her friends grew concerned about potential psychopathic traits; however, she was eventually diagnosed with compassion fatigue and underwent personal growth. This plotline paved the way for a romantic development involving Ned Willis (Ben Hall), culminating in a kiss and the revelation of Ned’s infidelity despite being in another relationship.

On 17 May 2022, it was announced that Donovan had finished filming; her final scenes were broadcast on 6 July.

Creation and casting

Harlow is introduced as Robert Robinson's secret daughter (Adam Hunter) and Paul Robinson's granddaughter (Stefan Dennis). Jemma Donovan's casting as this new character was revealed through the show’s social media channels on 26 March 2019. The announcement emphasized that Jemma Donovan—daughter of Neighbours icon Jason and granddaughter of series patriarch Terence—would join the cast as Harlow Robinson, with her debut scheduled for July. Having pursued acting since age 11, Jemma returned to the profession following completion of her studies through this role. The character was slightly adapted to suit Donovan, with Harlow’s storyline reflecting her own relocation from the UK to Australia.

Executive producer Jason Herbison praised Donovan’s audition performance and highlighted the importance of introducing a third-generation Donovan to the series. Donovan expressed enthusiasm about joining a program enjoyed by multiple generations and valued the timing following her school completion. Her father, Jason Donovan, described the role as an “incredible learning curve” and encouraged her to seize the opportunity.

Initially, Donovan auditioned for the part of Roxy Willis, but felt it was not the right fit; that role ultimately went to Zima Anderson. She revealed that she auditioned for both Home and Away and Neighbours, meeting with several casting directors before securing this role. Although she was initially apprehensive about Roxy’s more provocative character traits, she recognized Neighbours as an excellent platform to advance her acting career, bolstered by her family’s longstanding association with the show.

Characterisation and introduction

Harlow's debut aligns with the storyline of Robert's return. She first appeared on 15 July 2019. Paul and his son, David Tanaka (Takaya Honda), encounter Harlow in the prison waiting area where Robert is detained; she reveals who she is and shares that Robert met her mother, Prudence Wallace (Denise van Outen), during a backpacking trip in Tasmania. Although Harlow has never met her father in person, she has corresponded with him from London. Donovan described Harlow as determined and assertive, enjoying portraying a character who is confident in her desires and actively involved.

Dennis explained that Harlow confronts Paul and David, accusing them of blocking her access to her father—Paul was previously unaware that Robert had a child. Nearly two decades earlier, Robert’s brief relationship with Prudence resulted in Harlow, who has had no contact with Robert until she traveled to Australia to meet him after sending letters. Paul assumes a protective role over Harlow, who then moves in with him and Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) on Ramsay Street. Dennis described her as sensible and intelligent.

Harlow’s initial story arcs center around reconnecting with her mother and clashing with her housemate Roxy Willis. Dennis pointed out that their contrasting personalities create tension that culminates in a memorable food fight between the two. He also noted that despite Robert’s notorious reputation, Harlow has yet to display any dark traits herself, though there may be developments ahead. At first, Paul tends to side with Harlow rather than Roxy due to family loyalty.

Relationship with Hendrix Greyson

During the Erinsborough High School ball in September 2019, a storyline addressing consent was introduced involving Harlow and Hendrix Greyson, where Hendrix forces a kiss and Harlow responds by slapping him. Over the next few months, a romantic relationship develops as they share mutual attraction and chemistry. Despite initial reservations, they eventually share a kiss and start dating. Romantic scenes were incorporated into their storyline during the show's 35th anniversary celebrations. When Harlow learns that her mother did not leave a cult voluntarily, she and Hendrix flee to an island where they encounter peril, including being trapped in a mineshaft where Hendrix suffers a snake bite. Both survive the ordeal, and their relationship continues.

The couple faces numerous obstacles: Hendrix steals exam papers to assist Harlow, which leads to her being implicated; later, his involvement with an illegal gambling operation results in Harlow being kidnapped by Natasha Leighton. Traumatized by these events, Harlow ends their relationship despite Hendrix’s efforts to mend things. Actor Benny Turland expressed disappointment over the breakup but suggested there might be a reunion due to their strong bond. Donovan also expressed openness regarding Harlow’s future romantic prospects.

Relationship with Brent Colefax

Harlow develops a friendship with Brent Colefax that displeases both Hendrix and Paul Robinson. After attempts by Hendrix and Paul to push Brent out of town fail, Harlow grows closer to Brent, culminating in an unexpected kiss and the start of their relationship. Donovan collaborated closely with producers to ensure the storyline felt genuine, highlighting Brent’s sincere desire for personal growth as a key reason for Harlow’s forgiveness.

Brent becomes involved in criminal activity and is subsequently sent to the Australian Defence Force as part of an agreement. During this time, Harlow and Brent maintain a secret long-distance relationship while she pretends to be on a date with Jesse Porter to distract her grandfather from the truth. This phase sees Harlow adopt increasingly cold behavior and distance herself from friends. When Brent returns, he ends their relationship after noticing her changed demeanor and secrecy; both actors described this as a challenging but necessary turning point for their characters.

Compassion fatigue

After ending her relationship with Brent, Harlow's attitude towards others grows increasingly severe. Paul Robinson promotes her to the role of executive liaison at Lassiters Hotel, which causes unrest among the staff who view the move as nepotistic. Following a demotion, Harlow uncovers that employees receive certain benefits unknown to management. She briefly considers exploiting this information for personal gain but ultimately decides to keep it confidential.

Subsequently, Harlow takes on the position of executive assistant to Chloe Brennan and intentionally undermines Chloe’s efforts by hiring the troublemaker Mick Allsop and manipulating work schedules. Donovan explained that Harlow believes her actions are justified as retaliation against Chloe. Her cold-hearted behavior also manifests in her lack of sympathy towards Kyle Canning's cancer diagnosis, prompting Mackenzie Hargreaves’ character to question whether Harlow is becoming similar to her father. Nevertheless, David Tanaka suggests that compassion fatigue might be influencing her and collaborates with her to improve her behavior.

Crush on Ned Willis

Harlow connects with Ned Willis through their mutual experience of compassion fatigue. During a group outing, they become separated and share a private moment by a waterfall, which leads to a kiss and a brief romantic encounter. Later, Ned’s former girlfriend Amy Greenwood discovers them and rekindles her relationship with Ned despite his feelings for Harlow.

Harlow returns home feeling embarrassed after scenes were filmed in London; Donovan remarked on the difficulty of portraying this storyline without prior knowledge of the script. Ned confesses his feelings for Harlow but continues his relationship with Amy until Corey Smythe-Jones reveals Ned and Harlow’s kiss during Fashion Week by projecting images onto Harlow’s dress. This revelation results in Amy ending things with Ned, who then departs from Erinsborough.

Departure

In May 2022, it was announced that Donovan had finished filming her final scenes on Neighbours; her exit was broadcast in July before the series concluded. The storyline surrounding her departure involved Harlow relocating back to London to live with her aunt Harriet Wallace after a heartfelt goodbye to friends. Donovan reflected positively on her experience playing Harlow, highlighting the rewarding nature of the role and the connections made on set. Although initially reported to return for the finale, she appeared only through archival photographs during the closing credits.

Reception

Before her debut, Jemma Donovan’s casting received praise for continuing the Donovan family tradition on Neighbours. Her co-stars greeted her warmly upon joining the cast. During the compassion fatigue arc, media commentators speculated about darker aspects emerging in Harlow’s character reminiscent of her father’s villainous traits.

A fan poll placed Harlow as the 20th most favored character on Neighbours, noting her transformation from an exemplary student to someone exhibiting more ruthless qualities similar to her grandfather Paul Robinson. Co-star Richie Morris described Harlow as consistently true to herself throughout her time on the show.

External links

• Harlow Robinson at the official Neighbours website