Andrea Townsend was a minor character in Neighbours in 1986. She was a former girlfriend of Des Clarke and mother to Bradley Townsend. She later agreed to marry Jack Lassiter as a marriage of convenience. Andrea and her son left with Jack in June 1986 to go travelling. Andrea was played by Regina Gaigalas.
Biography[]
Backstory[]
Andrea Townsend was born in 1958 in Australia. She grew up in Perth. In late 1973, aged just 15, she had a brief fling with Gavin McKinley and afterwards she was pregnant with his baby. On the 21st September 1974, Andrea gave birth to a son Bradley Townsend. She put "Father Unknown" on his birth certificate. Andrea was a single mother. Shortly after Bradley was born, Andrea had a one night stand with Des Clarke and they had a brief relationship in December 1974 when she was 16 and Des was 17. Andrea left Bradley with relatives for a while and never told Des she had a child from a previous relationship. Des and Andrea only had a brief fling and soon split up and Andrea bought Bradley up alone. Des left Perth to move to Erinsborough, a Melbourne suburb. Andrea survived on a single mothers pension. Bradley grew into quite an obnoxious, mischievous child due to having no father figure in his life.
In early 1986, a struggling Andrea decided to track Des down. She found he was living in Erinsboriugh, had his own home, and was doing really well as a bank manager. Andrea used this as an excuse to visit Des in Erinsborough so that her and Bradley could gain from Des by saying he is Bradley's father. They even fudged Bradley's birth date to make the dates fit.
1986[]
In March 1986, Andrea Townsend and her son Bradley came to Erinsborough to see her old boyfriend Des Clarke. Andrea stayed with Des at No 28 Ramsay Street. Within a day, they had virtually alienated all of the residents of Ramsay Street due to their rudeness and Bradley's behaviour which included cutting up Jim Robinson's roses with a boomerang, almost setting fire to Max Ramsay's house by turning up the oven, and even almost flooding Des' house when Bradley turned the water up at the mains when Des was repairing the kitchen sink. Andrea refused to discipline Bradley and said "he is just a kid" to annoyed residents. Andrea even tried to get rid of Des' lodger Zoe Davis but Zoe relented. Zoe and Andrea argued until Des told them to both stop bickering.
Andrea still wanted to benefit from Des' job as a bank manager by pretending that he was Bradley's father. Andrea even made Bradley go along with the lies, and Bradley accepted this. Andrea even tricked Des into agreeing to marry her so they would be a family. Des said he still loved Daphne and nasty Andrea blamed Daphne, knowing full well that Des was not Bradley's father. She said Daphne is stopping her and Des being a family.
However Des' flighty gossip mother Eileen Clarke turned up in 1986 and saw that Andrea was living with Des. Eileen visited Andrea, and Andrea said that Des was Bradley's father. Eileen said that proof is needed, such as a blood test. Andrea said Bradley was born on the 21st September 1975 and she had a fling with Des in December 1974. Eileen then pretended to accept Bradley was her grandson and headed back to Perth. She wanted to find out if this was true. When Andrea heard that Eileen was taking a holiday in Perth, she was worried that Eileen would try and find truth.
While in Perth, Eileen did look for the truth about Bradley's paternity, that his real dad was Gavin McKinley and Bradley was born before Andrea met Des, and she was lying about his age, he was born 21st September 1974, 3 months before Andrea met Des. Eileen even obtained a copy of Bradley's birth certificate. Eileen suspected that Andrea was using Des, due to his job as a bank manager. Des told her to butt out. Ever laid back, Des found out he was not Bradley's real father but was still willing to see him as a son. Bradley asked if Des and Andrea would marry so he could really be Bradley's legal father but Des explained that him and Andrea did not love each other but that he could see Des as his dad and him and Andrea can still stay with him at No 28.
Andrea remained friends with Des and continued to live with him. Andrea was too soft with her wayward son Bradley who liked to be a brat. One time, Bradley and Lucy Robinson cut up her father Jim Robinson's wedding ring. Jim kept moralising to Andrea how to bring up her son. Andrea started dating her rich boss Jack Lassiter, as Paul Robinson wanted Jack to sell up and go travelling so Paul could buy Lassiters from Jack. Paul paid Andrea to wine and dine Jack to get him to sell up. Jack wanted to give Andrea the security and happiness that she never had before. He said when he is gone, all his empire will be Andrea's.
In June 1986 Jack and Andrea agreed to marry and they decided to go travelling around Europe, much to the relief of several Ramsay Street residents who saw the Townsends as troublesome. Paul even hinted to Jack that he may find Europe so nice, he may stay more than 6 months. Paul's devious plan to get Lassiters was in fruition. Andrea was excited to be going travelling.
In mid June 1986, Andrea thanked Des for letting her and Bradley stay with them over the past few months. She went to see Daphne and Zoe at No 22 to say goodbye as she was leaving later today. Andrea said she is glad Des and Daphne are marrying, and would be very happy. Andrea said she hopes her and Zoe can be friends by the time she gets back. Bradley made peace with Zoe, then Andrea said a final bye to Zoe. About an hour later, Andrea fnished packing then Bradley, Jack and Andrea waved an emotional goodbye to Des and Daphne while Bradley said goodbye to Lucy. They then got into the taxi and it drove off towards the airport while Des, Daphne, Lucy and Zoe waved them off. Even Jim, who hated them, waved them off, but was secretly pleased the troublesome mother and son were leaving the area. Apart from Lucy and Des, all the other residents of Ramsay Street were glad to see the back of the obnoxious Townsends as they jetted off to France.
Life after Erinsborough[]
That afternoon after the Townsends and Jack left, Des said that Bradley will have forgotten all about him when they get back from Europe, as he was not even Bradley's real father anyway. Jack and Andrea married in Perth then jetted on to Paris.
In early 1987 Lucy joined Bradley, Andrea and Jack in Europe. Lucy returned to Australia in May 1987. Bradley then met another girl and dumped Lucy by letter. Lucy was heartbroken as Bradley broke their promise. Lucy's friend said she was too good for Bradley anyway. Lucy pretended her physiotherapy ball was Bradley's neck.
Andrea, Jack and Bradley at some point, probably around 1988, did return to Australia but as Jack had sold Lassiters to Paul and Bradley had dumped Lucy, Andrea never returned to Erinsborough.
Andrea and Jack later split up as their marriage did not work, and Jack felt he made a mistake marrying her. Whether she divorced Jack is unclear, but if so, she probably got a divorce payout from Jack. If they just separated, then Andrea probably went back to how she used to live, on a single mother's pension, until Bradley was old enough to go to work.
When Jack returned in 2013, he said that he and Andrea had split up, and he made a mistake marrying her. Jack had said he had not heard from Andrea for years. He said this in Episode 6728 - 11 September 2013.
As of 2019, Andrea's whereabouts are unknown.
Memorable info[]
Birthday: 1958
Full Name: Andrea Townsend (Later Lassiter)
Get's called Andy by Zoe Davis
Family[]
Husband Jack Lassiter (1986-2013)
Children Bradley Townsend (1974)
Appearances[]
1986
- Episode 205 - 7 March 1986
- Episode 206 - 10 March 1986
- Episode 207 - 11 March 1986
- Episode 208 - 12 March 1986
- Episode 210 - 14 March 1986
- Episode 211 - 17 March 1986
- Episode 212 - 18 March 1986
- Episode 213 - 19 March 1986
- Episode 218 - 26 March 1986
- Episode 219 - 27 March 1986
- Episode 220 - 28 March 1986
- Episode 224 - 3 April 1986
- Episode 225 - 4 April 1986
- Episode 226 - 7 April 1986
- Episode 227 - 8 April 1986
- Episode 229 - 10 April 1986
- Episode 230 - 11 April 1986
- Episode 232 - 15 April 1986
- Episode 233 - 16 April 1986
- Episode 238 - 23 April 1986
- Episode 239 - 24 April 1986
- Episode 240 - 25 April 1986
- Episode 241 - 28 April 1986
- Episode 242 - 29 April 1986
- Episode 243 - 30 April 1986
- Episode 244 - 1 May 1986
- Episode 245 - 2 May 1986
- Episode 246 - 5 May 1986
- Episode 247 - 6 May 1986
- Episode 252 - 13 May 1986
- Episode 255 - 16 May 1986
- Episode 258 - 21 May 1986
- Episode 259 - 22 May 1986
- Episode 261 - 26 May 1986
- Episode 262 - 27 May 1986
- Episode 264 - 29 May 1986
- Episode 269 - 5 June 1986
- Episode 270 - 6 June 1986
- Episode 271 - 9 June 1986
- Episode 273 - 11 June 1986
- Episode 274 - 12 June 1986
- Episode 275 - 13 June 1986
- Episode 279 - 19 June 1986
- Episode 280 - 20 June 1986
- Episode 281 - 23 June 1986
- Episode 282 - 24 June 1986
- Episode 283 - 25 June 1986
- Episode 285 - 27 June 1986