Leask made her debut on 2 December 2021 and returned in February the following year as a recurring character, as requested by the serial's executive producer, Jason Herbison.

Herbison later teased to Inside Soap that a new family move into Ramsay Street and fans online guessed correctly that it would be the Rodwells.

Leask's character was developed some more by producers and writers upon her move into the street to help her fill the shoes created by the departure of nosy neighbour, Sheila Canning (Colette Mann).

Wendy was initially unpopular amongst viewers and the character received a negative backlash online, however it was promised that people would "grow to love" her.

Leask explained that she was "100% grateful" for being able to make it into the final cast and that fan acceptance of Wendy helped her get to understand the character better.

[2] In October 2021, Leask, who was 37 years old at the time,[3] was informed of the audition by her agent and read the script, but was unaware if she would be able to portray the character well.

[4] However after Leask "noticed a lot more things" in common between herself and Wendy, she decided to audition for the role two days later by sending in a self tape,[3] but remained worried that she did not win the producers over.

As she "didn't think it would ever happen", Leask reported being "frozen" when she received an email two weeks later informing her that she had secured the part, which marked her fifth and only successful audition on the serial, a show she "really wanted to get on".

Leask told Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly that she "started jumping up and down" in joy and "was ready to enter Ramsay Street".

[6] Wendy is portrayed as the hard-working protective mother of a mixed family, as well as the new town gossip, following the departure of Sheila Canning (Colette Mann).

Script producer Shane Isheev explained that Wendy is "one of those characters who is definitely a gossip, but she doesn't thrive on it as people like Sheila did – her heart is always in the right place."

Isheev told Kilkelly that "Wendy always puts her foot in her mouth and that came from watching the actress in the police ball – we took what Candice gave us and ran with it."

Isheev also named Wendy an "amalgamation" of Sheila, Lyn Scully (Janet Andrewartha) and Valda Sheergold (Joan Sydney).

Wendy is first seen on screens beside her husband, Andrew, at the Erinsborough police ball and accidentally insults Levi Canning's (Richie Morris) polyamorous relationship.

Digital Spy's Jess Lee immediately claimed there was "a chance that it won't be entirely new characters" and guessed that the Rodwells would be the new family.

"[13] A later episode broadcast in April "hinted" that it would be the Rodwells who move into the street, with Andrew and Wendy explaining that their real estate agent has alerted them of the house's sale following their "expressed interest" in the home.

[14] Wendy, Andrew and Sadie were upgraded to regular characters, which occurred following the news of the serial's cancellation and a month from its intended final episode, making them the last family unit introduced to the show prior to the soap's revival.

"[8] Wendy finds herself in an awkward position as she tries to befriend her new neighbours, one of which happens to be Hendrix Greyson (Ben Turland), who has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis due to a fire caused by Sadie at Erinsborough High.

[1] "In an effort to try and smooth things over with their neighbours", Wendy suggests a moving-in barbecue, but it does not "go to plan" and results in a confrontation between the Rodwells and Hendrix's girlfriend, Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone).

"[1] Wendy spends the next few days asking principal Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) to allow Sadie back into Erinsborough High after she and Andrew's budget shows that they do not have the money to move for a second time.

"[16] Wendy later attends her neighbours' engagement party and accidentally knocks Harold Bishop's (Ian Smith) Ramsay Street history book into an icy tub of water, then leaves and remains "totally oblivious" to what has happened.

[4] Isheev previously disclosed that more of Wendy and Andrew's children were planned to be introduced,[7] and Leask confirmed that producers had to discard the arrival of a younger son and had to instead "settle" with Sadie as the couple's only child.

Leask was not aware of any "scandals" planned for her character, but said that Wendy would most likely have tried to climb the ranks to manager of The Waterhole and also joked that she had "a feeling that one of us would have had an affair!"

She meets Levi Canning and Amy Greenwood (Jacinta Stapleton), and accidentally mistakes their polyamorous relationship with Ned Willis (Ben Hall) for a thruple, but apologises and then praises them for making it work.

Wendy later escorts her daughter, Sadie Rodwell, out of the police station following questioning and later attends Roxy and Kyle Canning's (Chris Milligan) going away party, where she and Andrew discuss moving into Ramsay Street.

They eventually buy the house and Wendy presents her neighbours with gifts, however she is not greeted kindly by Amy, whose daughter was implicated for the school fire that Sadie lit.

Wendy hires Paige Smith (Olympia Valance) as her real estate agent when she and Andrew decide to sell their house but they later renounce the deal.

Neighbours was also praised for Wendy's casting, which helped boost east Asian and multicultural representation on Australian screens, something which Leask herself had longed for.

[4] Whilst reviewing the Neighbours relaunch, Digital Spy further said that, "Candice Leask has cemented herself as a fan favourite in the role of Wendy Rodwell, who has featured in some wonderful scenes recently as the show has explored the vulnerabilities and insecurities that lie beneath her zany front.

[23] In his weekly review, Jack Ori, writing on behalf of American site TV Fanatic, pointed out that Wendy "seems to do things impulsively and then try to fix it when she realizes she screwed up".