Toni Warner

Antoinette "Toni" Warner (née Thompson, formerly McAllister) is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Laura Hill from 2001 until 2008.

Following the departures of Rachel McKenna (Angela Bloomfield), Ellen Crozier (Robyn Malcolm), Kirsty Knight (Angela Dotchin), Jenny Harrison (Maggie Harper) and the axing of David Kearney (Peter Elliott),[1][2] in 1998 and 1999, ratings for the show dropped dramatically in 2000 and producers decided to reinvent the show to boost audience interest.

[9] She cited health reasons under her resignation and stated, "Shortland Street’s been a big part of my professional life and a time of enormous change and growth for me.

[14][15] Following the conversion of Shortland Street clinic into a public hospital in early 2001 at the hands of Chris Warner (Michael Galvin), several new nurses were hired including Toni Thompson.

Toni quickly made her mark on the social scene at the hospital, forming a tight bond with Donna Heka (Stephanie Tauevihi).

After a series of one-night stands, she started a relationship with Matt McCallister (Roy Snow) but quickly moved on with Adam Heywood (Leighton Cardno).

This was dispelled but Toni's brother Dominic (Shane Cortese) developed a deep jealousy of Chris as a result that bordered on obsession.

Toni's best friend Sarah Potts (Amanda Billing) later discovered the pills she had been taking for her kidney were faulty and had contributed to her death.

[7] She noticed throughout Toni's 7 year stint on the show that she underwent a sharp character change, going from a "party girl" to a hard working mother quite dramatically.

[10] Toni's death was remembered as one of the show's most shocking,[16] though Hill's on-screen husband Michael Galvin confessed to confusing the scene with her falling down the stairs and miscarrying.