Ben Atkins

Ben Atkins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brett Cousins. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 April 1997. He departed on 22 May 1998, before making a two episode guest appearance the following month.

Upon graduating from Deakin University with a BA degree in Drama, Cousins took on a 50 word guest role on Neighbours as an Attendant in a scene where established character Billy Kennedy went bungee jumping. When the producers rang Cousins several months later to offer him the more substantial role of Ben Atkins he accepted. Cousins in an interview with TV Week, "I could hardly believe it when they rang and said I had the part, "It’s a big jolt, I’ve been used to leading a student’s life until now. But I enjoy it so much. I can get up at 5 am with a smile on my face, and sail into work every morning". Cousins became "a local hero" following his casting, as the show is filmed in his home city of Melbourne.

Following his arrival, Ben moves into Number 30 Ramsay Street and he hides a secret, which has something to do with Ruth Wilkinson (Piper). It was later revealed that Ruth was Ben's biological mother. Piper was surprised by the development, saying "I'll never forget the time they told me I was going to have a 21 year old son and I'd been pregnant at 16. I'd been hiding it all this time." Piper liked that the storyline led to some "meaty scenes" between Ruth and Ben, and that another side to her character was finally shown. Cousins later explained that Ben's introductory storyline inspired a young female fan to get in contact with her real mother. Caitlin causes various problems for Ben with her troublesome behaviour, such as making up stories about his childhood and spending a number of nights "out on the town." The stunt was the most expensive scene in the show's history at the time. Cousins thought it was a great end to the year, and was grateful that his stunt double took over during filming. The storyline marked Ben's departure from the show, as Cousins filmed his final scenes in April 1998. Of his departure, Cousins stated "I was sad to leave the show. I've made some great friends, who I think I will stay close to for the rest of my life." The episode featuring Ben's confession about his identity won Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial at the 1997 Australian Film Institute Awards. The award was given to the director of the episode, Peter Dodds. After his arrival, a Daily Record reporter observed the female characters at Number 30 were "bowled over by their new flatmate". Stephen Murphy of Inside Soap wrote, "You've got to feel sorry for Ben Atkins. Once a happy go lucky chap, the likeable mechanic has become a shadow of his former self since his sister Caitlin arrived in town."