Xanthe Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Lilly Van der Meer. The character's introduction was teased by actress Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, during an interview in October 2015. Van der Meer's casting was announced the following month. She taped her first audition for the part at her home. Van der Meer learned she had won the role during her school lunch break, and she relocated from Queensland to Melbourne for filming. Xanthe is the granddaughter of Sheila Canning and the half-sister of Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan). She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 22 January 2016. In December 2018, it was confirmed that Van der Meer had relocated to Los Angeles, leading to her exit from the show. Xanthe made her final appearance on 8 January 2019.
Xanthe is portrayed as bubbly and confident. She comes to Erinsborough to live with her father, Gary Canning (Damien Richardson), after being abandoned by her mother. Early storylines for the character saw her clash with Sheila and Kyle, reconcile with her father, and suffer from low self esteem after being bullied. Xanthe developed a romantic relationship with Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) and the characters starred in their own online spin-off. Following a break-up, Xanthe was assaulted by one of her classmates. Towards the end of 2016, Xanthe's mother, Brooke Butler (Fifi Box), was introduced, causing several problems between Xanthe's family and friends when she scams them out of their money.
During the following year, Xanthe found herself being manipulated by Finn Kelly (Rob Mills), who plots to become Principal of Erinsborough High. Finn uses Xanthe as his spy and he confides in her, after she learns he has a brain aneurysm. Finn later frames Xanthe for poisoning Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) and she realises that he has been using her all along. Van der Meer said Finn's actions would continue to impact Xanthe's life in the future. The storyline was revisited in 2018 when Finn deliberately strikes Xanthe with a car, leaving her with serious injuries. The character and Van der Meer's performance have received a positive response from critics, with one calling her the "find of the year". Van der Meer was also nominated for a Best Newcomer accolade.
Casting In October 2015, actress Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, told Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that a new member of the Canning family would be introduced to the show in the coming months. She said the new arrival would start "a big new storyline" for the family. The following month, it was announced that Lilly Van der Meer had joined the cast as Xanthe, Sheila's granddaughter and the half-sister of Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan). Van der Meer taped an audition with the help of her mother at their home. Two days after her 16th birthday, she was contacted by the producers and asked to fly to the studios in Melbourne.
Van der Meer learned she had won the role of Xanthe during her lunch break while she was at school. She then had to relocate from Queensland to Melbourne. The role marks her first major acting job, and she commented "The filming has been going really well, so it's amazing to finally get to see them on screen." To keep up with her studies, Van der Meer does her schooling online in between her scenes. Of Van der Meer's casting, Mann said "Lilly's world has certainly been opened up since joining the show and we're loving having her here. She was already a Canning after just a couple of weeks, we had converted her." Van der Meer made her first appearance as Xanthe on 22 January 2016.
Development Characterisation and introduction Mann thought viewers would like Xanthe, commenting, "There is a toughness to her, but she has a fun side, too." While Van der Meer said Xanthe's arrival would "shake things up a bit". The character's profile on the official website describes her as "naturally confident", but adds that she had to hone her "survival skills" as she grew up with her "flighty" mother Brooke Butler (Fifi Box). Van der Meer enjoys portraying Xanthe's "bubbly personality", commenting "she's so bouncy and in your face the whole time, it's great." Van der Merr said she and Xanthe did not have much in common, which she found "exciting" as an actress, as she did not want to play a copy of herself. She explained, "I'm making completely different character choices for Xanthe. She does everything with a good heart but gets mixed up in the wrong things and goes about it the wrong way." Van der Meer described Xanthe's style as "very girly". She said Xanthe often wore tight tops, and favoured purples and pinks, whereas Van der Meer preferred loose tops and monochrome colours. The actress also said that Xanthe had some "insanely cool" dresses, which she thought she would wear in real life, and that high heels made the character.
Shortly after arriving in Erinsborough, Xanthe attempts to scam a free burger from The Waterhole pub. However, the manager, Sheila Canning, realises what she is up to straight away, causing Xanthe to run off. Xanthe next shows up at Sheila's house on Ramsay Street, where Sheila gives her "short shrift" when she sees her. Xanthe then reveals that she is Sheila's granddaughter. An Inside Soap writer observed that the revelation was "a huge development" for Sheila, who was unaware that her son, Gary Canning (Damien Richardson), had fathered another child. His son, and Xanthe's half-brother, Kyle, was also surprised to learn that he had a sister. Mann commented that Sheila is hurt that Gary kept Xanthe a secret from her, as he is her favourite child. Mann also said that Sheila "doesn't believe it at first, but soon realises it's true. She actually feels sorry for Xanthe, because Gary has kept a lot from her as well." Sheila initially struggles to get along with Xanthe, but Mann was pleased by the new addition to the Canning family, calling her "a great character". Van der Meer said Xanthe would eventually make "a good friend" on Ramsay Street and that she would also get into "trouble, excitement, and mischief."
Early storylines Xanthe runs away and stays in a show home. She throws a party at the house and charges an entrance fee, so she can afford to buy a ticket back to Gold Coast. After she is caught by the police, Xanthe is given the choice of staying with Sheila or moving to a foster home. Xanthe opts to stay with Sheila, but she is "devastated" to overhear Kyle complaining about her poor attitude. Kyle later tells Xanthe that she is not wanted, but he realises that he is damaging their relationship and they have their first proper conversation. Sheila enrols Xanthe at Erinsborough High, but she worries that she will come across as stupid. Xanthe is told off for wearing too much make-up and she struggles with a reading exercise, leading to fellow student Alison Gore (Madeleine Andreopoulos) teasing her. Xanthe befriends Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel) after she stands up for her. Piper does not condone Xanthe's stealing and selling of an exam paper to raise money.
Xanthe was unaware her father was in prison when she arrived, so when Kyle rejects a visiting order, Xanthe asks Sheila to take her to visit Gary instead. Xanthe is "over the moon" to see her father even though things between them are initially awkward. Gary tells Sheila and Xanthe that he could be getting out of prison in the near future, so Sheila invites him to stay with her. A concerned Kyle visits Gary to tell him that Xanthe needs people who are going to stay around and look after her. Sheila later learns that Gary has been in a fight and his parole has been revoked. Xanthe is prepared to fight for her father's release, but Piper's sister informs her that only a prisoner can appeal the decision. Gary refuses to see Xanthe and when she learns what Kyle said to him, she prepares to run away again. A confrontation with Sheila, leads to her suffering a heart attack. Xanthe is briefly taken into care.
Xanthe is the victim of cyber-bullying and suffers from low self esteem. After she is trolled online, Xanthe starts copying the comments and trolls herself. Van der Meer explained that Xanthe feels that if she cannot beat them, she should join them. The actress found the scenes "confronting" and she researched the topic beforehand, as she wanted to know what it was like for children in a similar situation. Of how the bullying affects Xanthe, Van der Meer continued, "When someone calls her stupid or dumb she starts to believe it and the only way to fix that is to become the most beautiful person that she can and she thinks plastic surgery is the only way to do that." Xanthe arranges an appointment with a plastic surgeon to get breast implants, but pulls out at the last minute when her friends tell Sheila. Xanthe later explains that she felt ugly growing up and blames her mother for her body issues.
Relationship with Ben Kirk When Xanthe notices Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) she is immediately attracted to him. She sets about trying to win his affection, and starts by supplying him with an alcoholic drink. Ben's grandparents Karl (Alan Fletcher) and Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) worry that Xanthe will disrupt Ben's attempts to settle down and get his life "on a positive course." After Karl and Susan order Ben to stay away from Xanthe, she tells him that she has come up with several ideas to get around the ban. But Ben is reluctant to go against his grandparents' wishes.
In April 2016, it was announced that Xanthe and Ben would star in an online spin-off titled Xanthe ♥ Ben. The 20-part series was available via the show's Instagram account, and focused on the characters before and after the Lassiters' Hotel explosion. Xanthe and Ben take a bag of money belonging to Tom Quill (Kane Felsinger) from the hotel. Van der Meer pointed out that Ben and Xanthe were slowly forming "a connection". Although Ben appears uninterested, Xanthe is "infatuated" and Van der Meer commented that she is "very forward" in her approach. The actress hoped the characters would eventually get together.
Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford) later takes an interest in Xanthe. Angus also steals Ben's share of Tom Quill's money, leading Ben to try and break into Angus's school locker to get it back. The boys fight and Angus tells Susan that they were fighting over Xanthe, which pleases her. Xanthe spends time with Ben after he is suspended and feels that they are getting on well. However, she is "left humiliated" when Ben tells her the real reason why he and Angus were fighting. Xanthe is also annoyed with Angus, but he wins her over with his "charms". Waetford said Angus is "super flirty" with Xanthe. He buys her things and realises that he may have a reason to stay in Erinsborough after all. Angus later helps Xanthe get out of an English exam, by pulling the fire alarm and his actions win her "approval".
Ben and Xanthe attend the school formal together and finally start dating. Xanthe purchases an expensive dress for the dance and keeps the tags on, so she can return it. However, Piper later throws a drink at teacher Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta) and Xanthe is accidentally drenched. As Xanthe worries about how she can pay for the dress, Ben distracts her with a kiss. However, the following day Xanthe learns that Gary paid Ben to take her to the formal and she is "heartbroken" by the revelation, leading her to end their relationship. A few weeks later, Xanthe and Ben arrange a date, but Xanthe is late when she becomes trapped in a shed with a snake. Xanthe calls out for help, but this agitates the snake and Xanthe worries that it will bite her. Piper eventually comes to her rescue. Unaware of the reason why Xanthe was late, Ben kisses Alison, which Xanthe sees.