Selina Cook
Selina Cook | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Selina Roberts |
| Occupation | Fictional character |
| Known for | Character on Australian soap opera Home and Away |
Selina Cook (also known as Roberts) is a character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, which airs on Channel Seven. The role was played by Tempany Deckert, who first appeared as Selina on 5 May 1994. After three auditions, Deckert was cast, but in 1996 she briefly fell ill, leading to Louise Crawford stepping in temporarily. Deckert departed the series in 1997, returning for a short stint in 1998 when scenes were shot in Ironbridge, Shropshire—marking the program’s inaugural filming outside Australia. Selina’s final episode aired on 30 March 1998, concluding with her agreeing to wed Steven.
Initially introduced as a rebellious teenager harboring feelings for her teacher, Selina carried the label of "town tramp" yet possessed an inherently kind nature. Inside Soap described her as a "tart with a heart who is simply misunderstood." She often presented as a tomboy, favoring tartan shirts and Doc Martens. Deckert influenced this image by incorporating biker boots, aiming to avoid a stereotypical bimbo appearance. Over time, Selina matured, cleaned up her act, and entered a relationship with Jack Wilson, whom she viewed as her soulmate. Her storylines tackled sensitive issues such as a school miscarriage, sexual harassment, stalking, and a romance with her teacher Steven Matheson. For this portrayal, Deckert earned a Logie Award nomination for "Most Popular Actress."
Casting
Deckert underwent three auditions in Melbourne before securing the role of Selina. Following her last audition, she traveled to Sydney for a screen test and commenced filming immediately, leaving school to pursue the role full-time. When Deckert became ill in 1996, Louise Crawford temporarily took over the character. Rumors about Deckert’s exit surfaced mid-1997; she officially left that year but returned briefly in 1998.
Character development
Selina was initially depicted as a rebellious troublemaker with an attitude and notorious for being the "town tramp," though Deckert stressed that beneath this exterior she was fundamentally good-hearted. Growing up in the Bay amidst a turbulent family environment marked by constant conflicts influenced her unruly conduct.
Deckert told Inside Soap that Selina’s storyline began with her infatuation with teacher Luke Cunningham. After unsuccessfully pursuing him at the debutante ball, her reputation suffered further decline, motivating her to try improving herself. She later dated fellow rebel Jack Wilson, which allowed Selina’s gentler qualities to surface. Deckert noted that boys were typically Selina’s primary focus.
Her wardrobe—consisting of leather jackets, tartan shirts, and Doc Martens—reinforced her tomboy persona. Deckert added biker boots to avoid portraying Selina as a stereotypical "grunge chick" or falling into clichéd bimbo territory. Some fans were surprised by the contrast between Deckert’s real-life appearance and Selina’s on-screen look.
Selina eventually formed a relationship with Curtis Reed, although filming of their kissing scenes was reduced after actor Shane Ammann became ill. A major plotline involved Selina’s unplanned pregnancy following a brief relationship with Damian Roberts; she subsequently suffered a miscarriage in an intense school corridor scene. Deckert described this storyline as challenging but appreciated not having to film childbirth scenes. She portrayed Selina as someone who had endured hardship but remained determined to be a good mother.
Her complex romance with teacher Steven Matheson included numerous dramatic turns, culminating in Selina leaving him on their wedding day—a classic soap moment filled with mishaps. Deckert’s final scenes were shot in Ironbridge, Shropshire—the show’s first time filming overseas—and featured Irene Roberts arriving to support Selina’s recovery from malaria and reuniting her with Steven, who declared his love for her.
Storylines
Selina develops feelings for her teacher, Luke Cunningham, and gains a reputation for being somewhat promiscuous. Jack Wilson is drawn to her; they start dating and attend the school formal as a couple. During the dance, a kiss leads to an accidental spill of paint over principal Donald Fisher (Norman Coburn) and his companion Irene. Selina's mother, Dawn (Kim Deacon), announces their impending move. Before leaving, Selina offers to be intimate with Jack, but he refuses. A few weeks later, Selina runs away and asks Irene to take her in. Although Irene cannot officially become her foster parent, the Department of Child Care Services permits Selina to stay with her. Upon discovering Jack is seeing another girl, Sonia Johnson (Eva Matuik), Selina punches him. The pair resume their relationship, but Jack simultaneously dates Sonia and Frankie Brooks (Lenka Kripac). When the girls uncover Jack’s triple dating, they publicly embarrass him at the caravan park.
Selina shows interest in Curtis; his adopted sister Shannon (Isla Fisher) becomes irritated, resulting in a confrontation at a party that Rob Storey (Matthew Lilley) breaks up. Selina backs down and forms a friendship with Shannon. She briefly dates Irene’s nephew, Nelson McFarlane (Laurence Bruels). When Irene’s son Damian arrives for the wedding of Shane Parrish (Dieter Brummer) and Angel Brooks (Melissa George), Selina feels attracted to him. After they sleep together, she discovers she is pregnant. Since neither is prepared for parenthood, Selina decides on adoption for the baby, naming her Maddie at birth. Unfortunately, she later experiences a miscarriage.
Selina and Curtis begin dating. During a school excursion, Selina stops classmate Joe Lynch (Justin Rosniak) from fleeing due to bullying, but principal Donald finds her with Joe, Jack, and Curtis in the boys’ dormitory. As a result, Donald cancels the trip; Selina confronts him leading to an unsuccessful attempt to expel her before she is reinstated. Later on, she is elected school captain and legally changes her surname to Roberts. Irene reconciles with estranged husband Murdoch (Tom Richards), who then begins sexually harassing Selina. Upon discovering this, Irene expels Murdoch. After Murdoch’s body is discovered following a bushfire, both Irene and Selina become suspects but are ultimately cleared. Selina experiences a near-death ordeal after a bee sting triggers visions including hearing her baby cry and witnessing a prophetic fight between Steven and Brian "Dodge" Forbes (Kelly Dingwall). Following this event, she ends her relationship with Curtis as he doubts her account.
Saul Bennett (David Ritchie) becomes fixated on Selina, asserting that if they have a child together Maddie would be reincarnated. To prevent Saul from manipulating her, Irene, Shannon, and Alex Bennett (Nick Freedman) intervene. Saul kidnaps Selina until Alex manages to rescue her. Later, upon finding an abandoned infant named Millie on the beach, Selina feels destined to care for her. Brendan Coyne (Billy Mitchell), the baby’s father, proposes raising Millie jointly; Selina declines. After being stalked—initially suspecting Curtis—Selina learns that Curtis actually apprehended the true stalker but kept it secret. She has an affair with teacher Steven; they admit mutual feelings but realize their relationship cannot continue while she remains a student. She befriends classmate Jeremy Riggs (David Stanley), who turns out to be her stalker. Jeremy attempts blackmail and later tries suicide after being rejected. When Irene discovers Steven’s involvement with Selina and investigates, Steven resigns his position and departs.
Selina begins dating ex-criminal Jesse McGregor (Ben Unwin) who commits to reforming himself; she develops a bond with his daughter Rachel (Kelly Glaister). When Jesse kisses Chloe Richards (Kristy Wright), Selina initially refuses forgiveness but eventually resumes both their relationship and friendship with Chloe.
Following the kidnapping of Irene’s grandson Paul, Selina and Joey Rainbow (Alex O'Han) visit Saul’s commune; Selina is trapped in a burning room but rescued by Jesse and Joey. Saul is presumed dead thereafter. Selina pursues nursing studies at university and is placed at Northern Districts hospital where she unexpectedly encounters Steven again working as a computer technician. Despite being involved with Jesse, she rekindles feelings for Steven; they reunite before deciding to marry. Although Irene initially objects, she eventually supports their marriage plans.
On their wedding day, Saul abducts Selina again while driving the limousine. When Saul falls ill during captivity, she chooses to stay with him rather than escape immediately. Police surround Saul; Constable Terri Garner (Alyson Standen) shoots him dead believing he poses a threat. Traumatized by these events, Selina tells Steven she is not prepared for marriage and departs abroad to travel. Contracting malaria in Africa, she is brought back to Ironbridge by Geoffrey Burns (Ben Price) for recovery. Assisted by Irene and Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons), Irene contacts Steven who reignites their relationship. Selina agrees to marry him and travel together thereafter.
Reception
Deckert received a nomination for "Most Popular Actress" at the 1997 Logie Awards for her portrayal of Selina, and later that same year, she was also up for "Best Actress" at the Inside Soap Awards. She mentioned that audiences felt a strong connection to Selina because of the character's traumatic background, and described some scenes as among the most unusual performances in her acting career. Dave Lanning from The People raised concerns about Australia's child protection services following Selina's decision to keep a baby discovered on the beach. The Birmingham Post referred to Selina's abduction on her wedding day as an "unusual storyline." Additionally, The Newcastle Herald highlighted the 1998 episode featuring Selina and Steven's return in its "TV Highlights" section.
Simon Hughes of The Age delivered a harsh critique of the series, labeling it a "pedophile's paradise," particularly focusing on Selina's interactions with Murdoch. He described her as a "typical adolescent" with exaggerated facial expressions and commented critically on the makeup styling choices. In the book Teen TV: genre, consumption, identity, authors Glyn Davis and Kay Dickinson used Selina as an example of 1990s teenage television characters who appeared to reject higher education. A contributor from What's on TV identified Selina’s loss of her baby as one of her most emotionally devastating moments, emphasizing the numerous challenges she had faced throughout her storyline.