Celeste Rivers

Professor Celeste Rivers was a senior scientist working at the Pharos Institute, who became a friend to Sarah Jane Smith in the late 2000s.

Biography
In the 2000s, Professor Rivers showed Sarah Jane Smith around the institute, much to the dismay of Korst Gogg Thek Lutiven-Day Slitheen, then masquerading as the human child prodigy Nathan Goss. (TV: The Lost Boy)

She thanked Sarah Jane for not telling anyone about the incident with Goss, which could have destroyed the institute. Later, unofficially, she permitted Sarah Jane to take away a fragment of the Weserbergland meteorite kept at the institute. (TV: The Day of the Clown)

In 2009, she conducted a paranormal investigation at Ashen Hill Manor, aided by Sarah Jane, Clyde Langer, Rani Chandra, and her assistant, Toby Silverman. During this time, she was displaced by Erasmus Darkening's transdimensional accelerator. She was returned when Sarah shut off the machine, with no memory of her time away. (TV: The Eternity Trap)

In 2010, Professor Rivers and Toby Silverman went to Luke Smith's second farewell party before Luke was going to the University of Oxford. (PROSE: The Nightmare Man)

In 2011, she helped Sarah Jane and Rani find out more about the alien who wanted to capture Sky. When they succeeded, Sarah Jane and Rani left Rivers and pursued Sky and her mother/creator. (TV: Sky)

Personality
Celeste was friendly and loyal to Sarah Jane. She was fond of Sarah Jane's alien exploits and once pretended her regular lipstick was sonic. (TV: The Day of the Clown, Sky)

Behind the scenes

 * Although it had previously been confirmed by the production team, her first name was not actually mentioned on-screen until The Eternity Trap.
 * Plans were underway for Professor Rivers to return to the screen in the Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 story The Battle for Bannerman Road, but the passing of Elisabeth Sladen resulted in the story being scrapped.