Glen Donnelly is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Richard Huggett. The actor joined the cast shortly after leaving E Street, and he relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, where the show is filmed. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 December 1990. Glen was introduced as the secret son of series regular Jim Robinson (Alan Dale). He came to Erinsborough to meet his father and to ask for money to pay for his mother's funeral.
The character was portrayed as being independent, mature and strong. One of Glen's most notable storylines featured an inappropriate relationship between him and his half-sister, Lucy Robinson (Melissa Bell). Scenes between them were edited out by the BBC upon their UK airing. Glen also had a romance with Gaby Willis (Rachel Blakely). Huggett decided not to renew his contract and Glen departed on 6 February 1992, following an accident which left him paralysed. Huggett reprised the role in November 2021, appearing until 28 July 2022 during the serial's finale.
Creation and casting In 1990, Neighbours faced "ratings wars" with fellow soap operas in both Britain and Australia, leading to producers scrapping the serial's "goody-goody" image and introducing more sex and scandal in a bid to increase ratings over Coronation Street and Home and Away. The change in storyline direction was prompted by Shaunna O'Grady's decision to quit her role as Beverly Marshall. The character of Glen was soon introduced as Jim Robinson's (Alan Dale) long-lost, illegitimate son. The news causes "embarrassment" for Jim and problems for Glen, who develops an attraction to his half-sister. Glen and Huggett's casting were detailed in the 29 December 1990 edition of TV Week. A writer revealed that Jim would not welcome Glen "with open arms", but added he was to be a "permanent fixture around Ramsay Street."
Richard Huggett was cast as Glen. He joined Neighbours shortly after leaving his role as Sonny Bennett in E Street. On his arrival, Huggett said Glen was "very different" from Sonny. Huggett was forced to relocate from Sydney to Melbourne for the role and he revealed it affected his personal life.
Development Characterisation Glen has been described as "independent, tough and mature beyond his twenty years". He is used to fighting his own battles. When his mother died of cancer, Glen was "full of grief for his mother and resentment for Jim". When Glen arrives in Ramsay Street, he assumes that Jim does not want to know him and he comes in a "fight-picking mood".Monroe 1996, pp. 43–44. Jim eventually persuades Glen that he knew nothing about him. Glen and Jim's oldest son, Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), do not get on and Glen resents the fact the only jobs he can get mean Paul would be his boss. In 2021, ahead of his return scenes airing, Huggett said Glen was "a troubled young man", but he had grown up and was "a lot calmer now. He doesn't bite quite as easily anymore." He added that there would be a confrontation with Paul.
Incestuous relationship One of the character's more notable storylines was an incestuous relationship with his half-sister Lucy Robinson (Melissa Bell). This was Neighbours''' first incest storyline. The plot was created as part of a revamp of the show, which saw storylines become more "hard-edged", following a decline in ratings. Neither Lucy or Glen were aware that they were related after he arrived in Ramsay Street and before she returned home from boarding school. When Glen and Lucy meet they are "unable to deny the attraction between them". Glen and Lucy kiss and they are discovered in a compromising situation that angers their father, Jim. Of the storyline Huggett said "The story of Glen's and Lucy's growing feelings for one another might seem pretty audacious, but I think it works because it has been handled sensitively. It was a great acting challenge." He added that incest was a brave subject for Neighbours, a family show, to tackle and that he was surprised about the reaction it caused. Viewers in Australia called Network Ten to complain about the storyline, which was branded a "scandal" and "one of television soaps' most daring encounters". Three episodes featuring the incest scenes between Glen and Lucy were dropped by the BBC when they were due to be aired in the UK. Tony Pratt of the Daily Mirror noted that the pair "were becoming a mite too friendly for the Beeb's liking". The episodes were later shown uncut in repeats on UK Gold.
Other relationships The character was part of the show's first "shotgun wedding" plot in 1991. Actress Fiona Jarvis was introduced as Karen Constintine, a woman Glen had had a one-night stand with prior to his arrival in Erinsborough. Karen informs Glen that she is six months pregnant with his child, so he feels that he has to "do the right thing" and proposes marriage. Chrissie Camp of TV Week observed that Glen's decision "has been the talking point of Ramsay Street for weeks." The couple opt to be married at a registry office, with Jim and Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) as witnesses. However, as the celebrant talks about love and honesty, Karen grows "decidedly uncomfortable". Jarvis hoped viewers would sympathise with her character, as she reveals a secret. She explained, "Karen is hiding something, but basically she is a good person. She doesn't mean to hurt anybody." Jarvis said that she enjoyed working with Huggett on the storyline, and admitted that she accepted the part of Karen when her agent told her he was a good actor.
Producers established a romantic relationship between Glen and Gaby Willis (Rachel Blakely) in late 1991. Glen proves to be a big support when Gaby opens her own fashion boutique.Monroe 1996, p. 57. He encourages her to capitalise on a client with a famous name and they begin dating. Blakeley admitted to being nervous about Glen and Gaby's first kissing scene, but she called Huggett a "perfect gentleman" and found the scene went well in the end. Huggett said that the love scenes were all choreographed and it was hard to get carried away with ten people standing around watching. Blakeley also said that while Glen and Gabby were in "the early stages" of romance, she did not think their relationship would get too far. A writer for Inside Soap said the couple had Ramsay Street's biggest on-off romance since Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene (Kylie Minogue). Following an argument, Gaby runs off with Guy Carpenter (Andrew Williams), but Huggett revealed that she is not serious about Guy and she soon returns to Glen, who proposes. Gaby accepts, making it Glen's second engagement, with the first being to Karen. The characters do not end up marrying, and Huggett said "I don't want to give the game away, but it's pretty dramatic stuff, and it all ends in tears."
Departure In September 1991, Chrissie Camp of TV Week reported that Huggett had decided to quit the role. The actor's one-year contract ended in November and he chose not to renew it. Huggett wanted to pursue more "demanding" roles, and stated "I was always pretty adamant that one year is enough to be in one TV series. The thing that has changed in me is that I want to do material which means something to me, stuff with a harder edge. I suppose quality is what I mean – not pumping it out like a sausage factory."
The character's exit storyline began playing out in the last episode of the 1991 season, as he falls from the roof of a building site. In the opening episode of 1992, Glen is taken to the hospital with his neck in a brace. When he wakes up, he learns he is paralysed from the waist down. The plot also deals with the effects of the accident on his family and friends, particularly his fiancée Gaby. In order to prepare for the storyline, Huggett visited the spinal injuries unit at the Austin Hospital and spoke with paraplegics. Huggett also spoke with doctors and nurses to gain insight into the psychological effects on patients, which also includes guilt at becoming a burden on their families. Huggett found the visit to be depressing and sad.
On-screen, Glen decides to call off his wedding to Gaby. Huggett explained "Glen thinks Gaby will waste her life on him and he doesn't want that so, although he's in love with her, he tells her he doesn't love her and wants her to go." Gaby does not believe Glen, but he is insistent. Over the following weeks, Glen tries to come to terms with accident and his paralysis. Glen then decides to leave Erinsborough for good. Huggett was happy to leave the show as part of a dramatic story. His last scenes aired on 8 February 1992. After his exit from Neighbours, Huggett told a writer for Inside Soap that working in soap operas was good training, but he would not go back to them.
Reintroduction On 14 August 2021, Joe Julians of Radio Times confirmed that Huggett had reprised the role and would be returning to the serial, alongside Melissa Bell who plays Lucy Robinson. Huggett told Julians that 2021 marked 30 years since he stopped filming with the show. He explained "I did it for a year and it's just like being back home, actually! For one it really doesn't seem like 30 years, maybe it feels like 10 at most, but we've definitely all aged about 30 years. The studios have changed a bit and I get lost going from place to place in there but it really is like being back home. Stefan Dennis who plays Paul is there and Lucinda Cowden who plays Melanie is back now too and catching up with her feels like I just saw her yesterday. Same too with Melissa Bell, she's a real sweetheart and she's hilarious. It's just been really good." Huggett said Neighbours felt like a different show and noted the filming techniques had changed since his days on set, but he was settling in well and had picked up where he left off.
Huggett told Julians that Glen initially returns to Erinsborough to reconnect with Lucy. He then explained that Glen encounters Paul, and as they "were not on the best of terms" when Glen left, there would be "all sorts of twists and turns and cliffhangers – but no hanging off of hotel roofs this time." When asked if the brothers would form a better bond this time around, Huggett said their relationship is more complicated than just pure dislike due to their history and how Paul treated Glen. He also said Glen and Lucy's relationship is "a brotherly sisterly one", and referencing the incest plot, commented that there would be nothing controversial between them. When the character departed in 1992, he was a paraplegic and used a wheelchair. Huggett admitted that his first question was whether Glen was still a paraplegic, but he was pleased with the explanation and justification by the scriptwriters for why he no longer needs the wheelchair. Huggett added that the audience would learn why Glen left Erinsborough back in 1992.
Further details about Glen's return were revealed shortly ahead of the scenes airing in November. Glen comes to the aid of a drunk and disorientated Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou), who is in Queensland with Paul for a conference. Huggett said Glen is genuine when he offers his help, saying "It's concerning for a woman to be alone and drunk on the beach. I think anyone with an ounce of integrity would help someone in trouble. Glen felt sorry for her and, with the best intentions, wanted to get her back to the safety of the hotel room." Glen initially assumes Terese is Paul's colleague, but later learns they are married. Meanwhile Terese is unhappy to learn that Glen is related to Paul, who she is currently separated from. Paul later spots Glen from a distance, before they reunite and confront one another. Huggett was added to the serial's opening titles in late January 2022.
Secret daughter