Sheila Kennelly , also credited as Sheila Kenneally, is a retired English Australiancharacteractress of theatre, television and film, with a career spanning over 50 years in the industry. Her early career was based in theatre from the late 1950 onwards, and she didn't start her screen career until the late-1960s where she became well known for her roles in soap opera's, serials, sitcoms and mini-series. However she became famous for serial Number 96 as brassy barmaid Norma Whittaker and her trademark catchphrase of greeting and calling everyone "Ducky" In 1980 until 1984, she appeared opposite Ross Higgins as Rosa Berluccci in sitcom Kingswood Country, In 1987 she was given the choice of appearing in a small role in upcoming filmEvil Angels, in which she stated at the time she would have loved to have been in the film, just to say she had appeared with Meryl Streep she turned it down however to appear in new Seven Networksoap operaHome and Away as one of 16 original character's, playing retired carnival worker Floss McPhee but after a brief 6 month stint she was written out, but has returned back on numerous occasions in guest parts, including Sally Fletchers wedding storyline in 2000, and has continued to appear in the series until retiring in 2008.
Kennelly has been a staple of the small screen since the late 1960s, working firstly on plays at the ABC and then several television soap opera and comedy relief roles. She became a household name in soap opera in the Ten Network series Number 96 as a brassy bubbly barmaid, along with her on-screen husband amateur inventor Les Whittaker. The duo were conceived as comedy characters and added to the cast of the series a few months after it premiered in 1972. Although her husband's character was later regrettably written out of the series in the infamous bomb blast storyline, Norma remained with the series for four and a half years, both characters featured briefly in the film version in 1974. She subsequently went on to appear as Rosa Berlucci, a "cheery wog" in the sitcom Kingswood Country in 1980. She popped up in cameo roles in miniseries throughout the 1980s, and made guest appearances on shows like Glenview High, the children's show Secret Valley, The Flying Doctors, the short-lived Hampton Court and three roles in A Country Practice. In 1987 she was given the role of retired carnival worker Floss McPhee, an original cast member on the seven network series Home and Away, appearing from the pilot episode in January 1988. She remained in the role until being written out the following year. In the 1990s and 2000s she has had roles in Big Sky and All Saints, and has returned in numerous guest appearances in Home and Away, from 2000 until 2008.
