Neighbours star Richie Morris on Levi's decision to report Kyle
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Neighbours spoilers follow for UK viewers.
Neighbours policeman Levi Canning makes a difficult decision on UK screens next week as he reports his cousin Kyle to the Erinsborough Council over the recent poisoning drama.
Levi is horrified when he discovers that Kyle and Roxy accidentally used death cap mushrooms in a recipe at The 82, inadvertently poisoning Jacinta Hay and Bea Nilsson.
Although Kyle wants to keep The 82 running to respect the legacy of his late father Gary, no-nonsense Levi contacts the council and gets the business shut down for breaching food regulations. In the aftermath, Levi faces a backlash of his own as not everybody is happy over his decision.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Richie Morris, who plays Levi, for his insight into the storyline.
How has Bea's poisoning affected Levi?
"It's really slapped him around. I think this situation really came out of nowhere. In Levi's head, everything was going perfectly and then he found Bea lying on the floor. He lost his mind and was freaking out because he was so scared and shocked. Everything in his life is going crazy right now because of Bea eating those mushrooms!
"It's affected Levi a lot because he really has a fear of loss. Just the idea of losing somebody that he cherishes as much as Bea is messing him around a little bit. He's trying not to process that, but it's been a scary situation for him."
Can you tell us how Levi starts putting two and two together over what caused Bea's health scare?
"So far, nobody has traced it back to the mushroom pie because it happened so quickly – and it's such a weird thing to cause such a crazy health scare.
"Over time, Levi notices Kyle and Roxy's guilt. From there, it doesn't take long for him to figure it out and for them both to come clean. Levi really doesn't know how to process it.
"It's massive news, because not only did Levi's cousin somehow poison his girlfriend, but he hid it from him afterwards. That's not the kind of news you want when your girlfriend is sick in bed in hospital."
Can we expect a few showdowns between Levi and Kyle?
"We have a sword-fighting scene with gunshots! No, I'm joking! (Laughs.) Obviously these kind of things have to come to a peak. It's a weird battle now, because it's about family, trust and betrayal.
"There's so much at stake because of the relationship that Levi and Kyle now have. It's heated because it comes from a deeper place."
Why does Levi report Kyle to the council? It's a big move to make against his own cousin.
"It's tough, because Levi is passionate about this and really believes in it. It relates to his whole moral compass. Being a cop is something that Levi doesn't think is just a job. It's a way of life too and it's a big reason that there's no grey in his life – it's just black and white.
"Levi is confronted with a situation that doesn't just affect his life or his cousin's life, but it has already affected his girlfriend's life and there's the potential of it affecting other people too.
"Levi weighs all of this up – it's family versus his moral compass. That's the battle he has."
As Richie, can you understand Levi's decision?
"It's such a big decision to make. I'm really close with my family in real life. Levi likes things to be black and white, but I'm cool with some grey! I can see where he's coming from, but I might have just kept my mouth shut and had an argument with my cousin."
Bea isn't happy over Levi's decision, is she?
"She isn't – and that's obviously a turn that Levi wasn't expecting. He thought he was doing the right thing, but the person he's trying to protect and do all of this for, isn't happy with him. That becomes a drama in itself, so it's interesting to see how Levi and Bea navigate through all this."
Does Sheila take sides?
"Sheila just loves her family. Her main priority is to keep the peace and handle all of this in a civil way. That's what she tries to do through this situation. Taking sides wouldn't make that goal come any faster."
Do you enjoy filming the Canning family tension, or do you prefer it when they're getting along?
"That's a tough one! I really love the goofy stuff with Chris Milligan, who plays Kyle, because we have a real friendship. I love the relationship that Levi and Kyle have. That started from the very first scene and I enjoy adding little building blocks along the way to enrich that friendship.
"Don't get me wrong, the drama and the fighting scenes are good as well, but I love the playfulness of the scenes when things are happier."
Were you pleased to see Levi and Bea finally get together at Christmas?
"Yeah, when I was reading the scripts I was like: 'Finally! Yes!' There had been so much miscommunication back and forth between them.
"I think they make a really good couple because they balance each other out. Bea has this wild side to her. She eases Levi up a bit, while he helps her with her moral compass in certain situations as well."
You've been filming on Neighbours for nearly a year now. How do you look back on your time with the show?
"It's honestly flown, but at the same time, it's been one of the most rewarding and amazing processes and journeys that I've had. Everyone in the Neighbours cast has been so lovely and I fit in. The crew are great too and it's the most amazing working environment.
"I've learned and grown so much and I continue to learn and grow. I'm just grateful that I have an environment like Neighbours to do all of that."
Now that Melbourne is out of lockdown, is it nice that you can finally socialise with your co-stars?
"Yeah, it is. The big C-word really terrorised 2020, so it's nice that we can now go out and have some drinks, or just get out of our houses for a while. It's refreshing, but it's heartbreaking that not everyone has the same blessings that we have right now."
What have Chris Milligan and Colette Mann (Sheila) been like to work with?
"I absolutely love and adore both of them. From day one, they just scooped me up. On the first day, Colette came and gave me a little journal to help break down the scheduling and the scripts. She has mentored me and I look up to those guys so much – I adore them. I'm humbled to be part of the Cannings because of those two."
What would you like Levi's future to hold?
"I'd really love to explore his past and other family members he has – maybe his mum, or if he has any other cousins or long-lost Canning family members. I just want something to do with his past so we can know more about Levi."
Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and weekdays at 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).
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