Janae Timmins

Actress Eliza Morley secured the role of Janae after previously appearing in a guest role in 2003. Taylor-Cotter had originally auditioned for the role of Lana Crawford, however, it was actress Bridget Neval who was eventually cast. ==Character development==

Characterisation Cotter described Janae as being "a very troubled young girl in constant need of attention." She has a promiscuous and tough persona. Comparing Janae to her younger sister, she said "Janae and Bee are very different from one another, and Janae especially has a knack for getting into trouble." HIV scare Writers used Janae to portray the issue lead topic of HIV. The storyline features Janae discovering that her ex-boyfriend Mike Pill (Alexander Cappelli) carries the virus, forcing Janae to be tested. Janae is characterised as not being "very good at rational thinking" so she attempts to end her relationship with Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh), in order to protect him. Taylor-Cotter revealed that she was thankful that Boyd "sees straight through it" and agrees to support her. Janae also confides in her younger sister Bree but is reluctant to tell anyone else. Janae "approaches it the best way she knows how and that's by pushing everyone that cares about her away." Marriage to Boyd Hoyland Producers created Janae's first romantic partnership alongside Boyd. Their relationship was developed fast and the two characters decide to get married. However their families are not happy with their engagement for various reasons. Writers set up the opposing relatives warring against either side. Boyd's father Max Hoyland (Stephen Lovatt) does not approve because of their young age. Marsh told an Inside Soap reporter that the engagement causes tension between the Timmins and Hoylands because Max thinks Janae is not good enough for his son. Boyd later has an affair with Glenn Forrest (Cleopatra Coleman) while holidaying in Tasmania. He feels guilty and tells Janae that he kissed Glenn who forgives him. Glenn arrives in Erinsborough to visit her friend Elle Robinson (Pippa Black) and Boyd. Behind the scenes Marsh was furious with Boyd's infidelity and criticised the producers for their "stupid" storyline. He told a reporter "I absolutely hated my character at the end. I couldn't believe what they made me do, I thought it was a stupid storyline and I copped a lot of flack over it. I was really upset." Relationship with Ned Parker Producers later decided to pair Janae with Ned Parker (Daniel O'Connor). Writers were tasked with creating reasons for them to share screen time together. So Janae hires Ned as her personal boxing trainer and he helps her with a fitness regime. Ned's ex-girlfriend, Kirsten Gannon (Nikola Dubois), attempts to steal him away from Janae. Kirsten takes a break away from Erinsborough but returns to regain custody of her son Mickey Gannon (Fletcher O'Leary). But Janae and Ned had cared for Mickey and created their own family unit. Taylor-Cotter warned that infidelity would cause trouble for her character. Dan Bennet from Network Ten announced that the kiss would be exposed and added "Kirsten saw it all and being the vindictive ex that she is, she'll make Janae's life hell. The relationship between Janae & Ned is very much tested after her kiss." Janae is sad to witness the hurt she causes Libby's son Ben Kirk (Blake O'Leary) so decides to leave. Departure In 2007 Nell Feeney and Sianoa Smit-McPhee, who play Janae's mother Janelle and sister Bree Timmins, were axed by executive producer Ric Pellizzeri. He wanted Janae to remain in the show and kept Taylor-Cotter in contract. But that year Taylor-Cotter decided to leave Neighbours to pursue other projects and move her career to America. The Timmins family being written out of the show was a factor in the actress' decision to leave. Their departure made her experience too different. She explained, "it just didn’t feel like the family that I joined when I started three years ago." Taylor-Cotter finished filming her final studio scenes on 28 September 2007 and received a goodbye gathering from cast and crew. On-screen Janae's exit played out following the fall-out from her kiss with Darren. Bennett revealed that writers had planned an emotional exit for Janae and viewers would need tissues as it was likely to upset them. The character's exit plays out following a series of arguments between residents. It brings Janae to the realisation people will be better off without her. Mickey and Ben fight over whether it was Janae or Darren to blame for the kiss. She explains that she initiated the kiss and they should blame her. But Ned is angry that Janae has discussed the issue with the children believing they are too young to deal with such an adult issue. ==Storylines==

Janae grew up in Colac, Victoria and is the daughter of Janelle and Kim Timmins (Brett Swain). Janae and Bree move to Erinsborough to live with Janelle and brothers Dylan (Damien Bodie) and Stingray Timmins (Ben Nicholas). She develops an attraction to Boyd, but loses interest because of his relationship with Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh). Janae dates Mike Pill, who treats her like a possession and allows his friends to try and seduce her. Mike pressures Janae to kiss his friend at a club, but she refuses and walks away from Mike. Janae meets photographer Chris Cousens (Simon Mallory) on her way, who tells her she has the potential to become a model. Chris spikes Janae's drink with rohypnol and attempts to take her home. Janae feels unwell and calls for help from her siblings, who attack Chris and take Janae to the hospital. Janae decides to end her relationship with Mike. Janae kisses Boyd but he rejects her, Janae turns to the school counsellor, Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher). Janae is upset when Karl breaks confidentiality by talking to Stringray. When she overhears Janelle telling Stringray that he is her only child of any worth, Janae leaves home. Janelle convinces Janae to stay, Janae opens up to her about incident with Chris. Janelle is upset that Janae did not feel able to talk to her and decides to make more effort with Janae. She becomes more dependent on Karl as their counselling sessions continue. Karl takes Janae to the theatre and realises that she has an ulterior motive. Karl suggests that they ease the counselling program which upsets Janae. She then admits that she wished he was her father. He tells Janae to contact Kim and take up a new hobby. Janae decides to participate in the basketball team. However, she becomes upset over Karl again and Janelle assumes that she is inappropriately involved with Karl. Janae runs off to Colac leaving Karl under suspicion. While there she discovers details about Kim. Janae returns to clear Karl's name, she begins to date Boyd and Kim returns to reunite with the rest of the Timmins family. Boyd starts working at a clinic and begins to question Janae about her relationship with Mike. Janae breaks into the clinic and reads Mike's file and discovers that he is HIV positive. Janae confides in Bree and Boyd who convince her to take a test. Janae later gets the results of the test which reveal that she does not have HIV. Janae tells Boyd that she does not want their relationship to be based on sex. Janae becomes jealous when Boyd socialises with other girls on his medicine course. Janae threatens his new friends and becomes obsessed with the idea of having children. Sasha Hennessey (Eliose Grace) tells Boyd that Janae is trying to trap him into marriage, which puts an end to their relationship. Janae discovers that Bree is not Janelle's biological child. Janae reveals the truth about Bree and decides that she does not need anyone else. However, when Boyd proposes to Janae she accepts. Boyd's father Max does not approve but he invites Janae to live with the Hoylands to make her realise the hardship of marriage. When this does not work, Max threatens to disown Boyd and Janelle voices her disapproval. Janae and Boyd decide to elope, Janae provides a fakes birth certificate marries Boyd. Max threatens to inform the police about the certificate and ruins their chances of moving into a flat. Janae finds married life hard, so she Janae takes a job as the hospital's cleaner to see more of Boyd. He does not appreciate her constant attention and is happy when Karl warns her about kissing in the workplace. Janae struggles with school and pays a friends to write her essays. When Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) learns she is cheating, Janae decides to leave school. Boyd travels to Tasmania in search of Max who has run away. Upon his return he tells Janae that he kissed a girl named Glenn who he saved from drowning; Janae decides to forgive him. Glenn arrives in Erinsborough and Boyd realises that he still has feelings for her. Janae decides to give him time, but he leaves her for Glenn. Janae starts working for Rex Colt (David Serafin), who tries to sexually assault her. Janae hits Rex to protect herself, and when she escapes she is the one charged with assault. Janae discovers that Ned is responsible for ruining Dylan's relationship with Elle. Janae and Janelle blackmail Ned into becoming their slave. Janae eventually forgives Ned and he soon becomes her boxing coach. Ned's brother Steve Parker (Steve Bastoni) and his family arrive in Erinsborough. After Ned reveals his feelings for her, the two get together. Ned found out that he has a son with previous girlfriend Kirsten. Mickey, is left by Kirsten in Ned's care and Janae decide to help him to look after the child. Ned then moves in with her and so did Mickey. Kirsten returns on a more permanent basis and clashes with Janae, after Kirsten reveals that she still has feelings for Ned. At the Oakey reunion, Kirsten kisses Ned who rejects her. This causes Janae's insecurities to grow. After an argument about the Timmins' house, Janae kisses Darren. Kirsten witnesses the kiss through a window and begins blackmailing Janae. Janae eventually tells Ned, though he forgives her and they attempt to solve their problems. Janae decides it would be for the best if she were to leave and reveals that she is moving to Cairns. Ned follows Janae to the airport where they say good-bye to one another. ==Reception==

At the 2007 Inside Soap Awards, Taylor-Cotter was nominated in the category of "Best Actress". The following year she was nominated in the "sexiest female" category. Adelaide based newspaper The Advertiser refer to Taylor-Cotter as "making her name playing the Ramsay Street rebel". The Herald Sun state that they found the Timmins family "unappealing" but added that Janae had been made the most of during her duration, and branded Taylor-Cotter a "talented blonde" for her portrayal. British local newspaper the Dorset Echo refer to Janae as a "feisty car mechanic". Fellow cast member Ian Smith who plays Harold in the serial expressed his sadness that the Timmins family were axed. A writer for the Gorey Guardian couldn't work out why Boyd loved Janae, saying that she is usually "a moaning, jealous, pain in the rear." A writer from SYN Media branded Janae an "ever so slightly skanky" character. Herbison from Inside Soap branded Janae "public enemy number one" for kissing Darren. A TVNZ reporter included Janae in their list of the top 30 Neighbours' characters, and stated "Starting out with a bad reputation, Janae eventually softened and won the love of the audience, becoming fondly known as 'the tart with a heart'." Sasha Morris from the Daily Star branded Janae a "rebellious teenager" and a "fan favourite". She added that "Janae won fans over with her rebellious nature and ill-advised romantic endeavour, and her friendships with fellow teens." ==References==