Susan Kennedy (also Smith and Kinski), is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Susan made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1994, along with her eldest son and daughter. The storyliners made Susan a teacher at Erinsborough High to give her immediate links with other characters. Since her introduction, Susan's personality and appearance have been through several changes. Her storylines have seen her begin a relationship with a priest, being married, divorced and widowed. Susan has become a stepmother and a grandmother and she has been central to three plots revolving around health issues - retrograde amnesia, multiple sclerosis and surrogacy. She has also been central to a cyber-bullying plot. In October 2009, Susan became the longest-running female character in the show's history, having been in Neighbours for over fifteen years. Woodburne has garnered various award nominations for her portrayal of Susan and the character has been well received by viewers and television critics.