Cathy Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Elspeth Ballantyne.

[1] Following her role as Meg Jackson (later Morris) in Prisoner, Ballantyne took eight years off television to concentrate on theatre work.

[2] Ballantyne told David Nicholls of Inside Soap "I had a wry smile on my face when I read about the character of Cathy Alessi.

[4] Cathy and Benito believed that the matter was at an end, but a young woman began following Marco and later revealed herself to be his sister, Lindsay (Jane Longhurst).

Cathy takes over the Coffee Shop lease from Madge Bishop (Anne Charleston) and employs a pregnant Phoebe Bright to help out.

The manufacturer also wants to add extra flavourings, which Cathy believes would ruin the taste, but she agrees to the deal as the money is too good to turn down.

Benito is offered a job in Sydney and Cathy leaves the Coffee Shop in the hands of Phoebe and her husband, Stephen (Lochie Daddo).

When Phoebe and Stephen leave town, Rick takes over the Coffee Shop until Cathy comes back to terminate the lease.

[4] Robin Oliver of The Sydney Morning Herald used Cathy coming to terms with her infertility as an example of Neighbours becoming more "moralistic".

[7] Cronin bemoaned Cathy's desire for another child and thought her reaction to Benito's revelation about his vasectomy was unrealistic, writing "Come on Neighbours.