Phoebe Gottlieb (also Bright) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Simone Robertson. She made her first screen appearance as Phoebe during the episode broadcast on 23 September 1991. Phoebe is characterised as a studious individual which earns her the title of the "school swat". To secure the role Robertson put on a geeky persona during her audition. The character is also noted for her keen liking of reptiles, particularly her pet snake. The character is most often used in romantic stories with Todd Landers (Kristian Schmid) and Stephen Gottlieb (Lochie Daddo). Throughout her two year duration, writers developed Phoebe from a bookish teenager into the show's tragic and tortured female. First her father died and she was made homeless. She found love with Todd until producers killed off the character and Phoebe was left grieving and pregnant with his child. She was later held hostage by Todd's father Bob Landers (Bruce Kilpatrick) and gives birth to a daughter named Hope. Phoebe would then begin a relationship with Stephen who would help her bring up Hope. He becomes paralysed and relies on Phoebe for support. She then became a victim to stalking from her obsessive housemate Russell Butler (Stephen Whittaker). Producers decided to write Phoebe out of Neighbours following Daddo's decision to leave, with him complaining that his character was written entirely around Phoebe. She departed the show during the episode broadcast on 15 September 1993.