Australia’s favourite soap was axed for the second time last week less than two years after it was first revived.
Despite its return on Prime Video and Ten, it has been confirmed that the last episode of Neighbours will now air in December 2025, much to the disappointment of fans.
On Thursday, the crew broke their silence on the show’s fate as they assured fans that new episodes from the 40th anniversary season would continue to be broadcast on Prime Video and Ten, with ‘all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love.’
The news comes as one of the show’s original star’s Ian Smith shared a health update with fans as he revealed how long he has to live after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last year.
The actor, 86, stepped away from the soap in December after announcing he had pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma, a rare form of the disease.
And as fans prepare to say goodbye to the show for good, we take a look at where the original cast are now – from those who used the soap as a springboard for super stardom to others who turned their back on fame completely…
Where are the original Neighbours cast now? As Australia’s favourite soap is axed for a second time we take a look at Ramsay Street’s residents
Ian Smith: Harold Bishop
The soap opera icon, who has played Harold Bishop on the Australian series since 1987, says his prognosis is dire. Pictured on the series in his hey day
Harold is one of the show’s most legendary characters.
His relationship with Madge Bishop was a focus of numerous plots while his friendship with Lou, who nicknamed him ‘jelly belly’, often added comedy to the show.
He was infamously killed off in 1991 – or so we thought – as he then made a miraculous return to appear in the show on and off from the nineties until 2015.
Harold returned with former co-star Anne Charleston for the soap’s 30th anniversary.
He returned in 2022 as a series regular, however the star stepped away for good in December 2024 after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Earlier this week Ian shared the news that despite being told by doctors he would die by March, the actor has been told he will live to see Christmas 2026.
‘They can’t say the cancer has gone. In fact, they mustn’t, because it has come back in other people and they have died of it,’ he told The Guardian.
‘But honestly, if they told me it had come back now, I would be ready this time.’
Ian went on to say ‘dying changes how you live’, adding his diagnosis has helped him be a ‘more forgiving, more understanding’ person.
‘It is a pity that I couldn’t have come to all these realisations [before] I was sick. I could have done somebody some good in the world,’ he said.
Last month, Ian told TV Week his cancerous tumour had been shrinking after three rounds of palliative treatment, including immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Pictured alongside Neighbours co-star Anne Charleston who played his wife Madge Bishop
Earlier this week Ian shared the news that despite being told by doctors he would die by March, the actor has been told he will live to see Christmas 2026
‘I did a PET scan and the words, I believe, were “significant metabolic change, significant shrinkage of tumour,”‘ he said at the time.
‘I’ve gone from a threat of dying this coming March to maybe a few more months…and now, God, who knows?
‘It’s not a cure and it won’t be a cure, but I certainly have got a year, maybe two. That’s amazing. It really is.’
Ian stepped down from his popular role on Neighbours last year amid his terminal cancer battle.
‘I found out a few months back that I have cancer,’ he told Ten News at the time.
‘That I have a very aggressive non-fixable cancer and they expect me to… they expect me to die.’
Executive Producer Jason Herbison said Ian’s character would be given a fitting send-off from the series, reported the Herald Sun.
‘It was a very emotional moment on set as we paid tribute to him and the incredible contribution he has made to the show,’ he said.
Jason added Ian, just like his character, is deeply ‘loved’ by the show and public alike.
Russell Crowe: Kenny Larkin
Another Neighbour to hit the big time is megastar Russell Crowe, 60, who won an Oscar for his role in Gladiator in 2000. But he first starred as ex-con Kenny Larkin in four episodes
Russell pictured in Gladiator. This year the sequel was released, starring Paul Mescal
Another Neighbour to hit the big time is megastar Russell Crowe, 60, who won an Oscar for his role in Gladiator in 2000.
He is one of Hollywood’s leading male stars but before he was rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ridley Scott, he played ex-con Kenny Larkin in four episodes in the Eighties.
His career shows no sign of slowing down and he’s set to star in the action-packed Marvel film Kraven The Hunter, playing Aaron Taylor-Johnson‘s ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff.
Russell is estimated to have a staggering $120million net worth.
Late last year, it was revealed that early 25 years after he starred in the original smash hit film Gladiator (2000), Crowe is set to battle the Roman Empire once again.
Deadline reported that the New Zealand–born actor and director has signed on to star in The Last Druid.
The actor is also the lead singer for The Gentlemen Barbers, whose members he has been friendly with for 30 years after they worked alongside the A-list actor in his previous bands Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts and The Ordinary Fear of God.
Kylie Minogue: Charlene Robinson
Kylie Minogue, 56, is arguably the show’s most famous export. The wedding of Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charleen (Kylie Minogue) is one of the best-loved moments from Neighbours
The songstress has been enjoying huge career success in recent years with the release of her album Tension and its lead single Padam Padam
Kylie Minogue, 56, is arguably the show’s most famous export after finding worldwide fame as a singer when she left the soap.
She initially won hearts with her on-screen romance with Scott Robinson, played by Jason Donovan.
The Kylie and Jason public obsession reached fever pitch when the couple got together in real life and they had a hit record together, Especially For You.
But superstardom beckoned for Kylie as she enjoyed hit after hit on the music charts.
The songstress has been enjoying huge career success in recent years with the release of her album Tension and its lead single Padam Padam.
She has now followed it up with the sequel album Tension II and has now kicked off her highly-anticipated tour.
Kicking off the shows in Perth last week, the Aussie pop queen delivered a spectacular performance at RAC Arena, dazzling in a sheer black gown with silver embellishments, fishnet stockings, and knee-high patent boots.
She has now followed it up with the sequel album Tension II and has now kicked off her highly-anticipated tour (pictured performing in Perth last week)
Kylie’s most recent known romance was her five-year relationship with magazine chief Paul Solomons which ended in 2023 (pictured in 2020)
She took fans on a nostalgic ride through her biggest hits, all while flanked by futuristic backup dancers and an elaborate stage production.
The singer is also heading to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Bangkok, and other destinations across the UK before concluding the tour in Birmingham on May 31.
Speaking to The Sun in October, Kylie admitted things have been quieter for her on the romance front but she’s not losing sleep over it.
She said: ‘There’s no one significant in my life and I feel content. I feel like this is my destiny right now.’
‘To go through this moment, this whole Tension and Tension II journey… that kind of is a love affair as well — with the fans, your audience and your work and the music.’
Kylie’s most recent known romance was her five-year relationship with magazine chief Paul Solomons which ended in 2023.
Jason Donovan: Scott Robinson
Like his on-screen wife Kylie, Jason left the soap to pursue a pop career. The actor played Scott Robinson on the programme from 1986 to 1989
Like his on-screen wife Kylie, Jason left the soap to pursue a pop career and while he may not have been quite so lucky, lucky, lucky with his recording career he too topped the charts in the Eighties.
Jason, now 56, played Scott Robinson on the programme from 1986 to 1989, when he left after launching career as a pop singer in 1988.
Scott and Charlene’s wedding being watched by two million Australians on July 1, 1987.
Their union was an even bigger attraction when it aired in the UK a year later, drawing 19.6 million viewers, making it Britain’s third most-watched show of 1988.
Off screen, the couple dated from 1986 to 1989 – famously sharing a night of passion in a Travelodge.
He’s starred in stage productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
The actor hit a rough patch due to alcohol and drug abuse, suffering a cocaine-induced seizure at Kate Moss’s 21 birthday party in 1995.
He documented his wild partying days in his book Between The Lines: My Story Uncut and admitted his drug dealer was worried by his three-gram-a-day habit.
When asked if he would change anything about his past, Jason responded with: ‘My relationship with drugs. In the 1990s I was so selfish, I wouldn’t really have noticed what was going on.’
In 2022, they made a return to Neighbours for its finale episode on Channel 5. It was later announced it would make a comeback on Amazon Prime
His roles over the years have included Dr. Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show as well as both Joseph and Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (pictured 2019)
Fortunately, Jason managed to kick his past addictions and re-establish himself as a successful stage and screen actor in the early 2000s.
His roles over the years have included Dr. Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show as well as both Joseph and Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
He also has a regular DJ slot on Heart FM on Sunday afternoons called Jason Donovan’s 80s Rewind.
In 2022, he made a return to Neighbours for its finale episode on Channel 5, before it was renewed for its Amazon Prime comeback.
Speaking about the finale episode, Jason previously told the Mirror: ‘To be part of that show that was so important to so many people, it felt the right thing to do – to pay respect to what it did to our careers.
‘It was a great day but it probably meant a lot more to the viewers than it does to us because so much time has passed. Kylie and myself were in it four or five years but Neighbours went for 36. A lot of other people were involved.
‘We all have a lot of love and respect for each other and are very grateful for what we had. But a lot of stuff has happened in my life that is more important than just Neighbours.’
Anne Charleston: Madge Bishop
Anne Charleston is another Neighbours legend who played Madge Bishop from 1985 to 1992 (pictured right with onscreen husband Ian)
Anne Charleston is another Neighbours legend who played Madge Bishop from 1985 to 1992.
Now 82, she has appeared in various other shows and stage productions since leaving the soap but thanks to her long-enduring appeal, she’ll always be now known as Madge.
Though leaving in 1992 to re-locate to Ireland, she later accepted the offer to return to Neighbours reprising her role from 1996. Her character Madge died in 2001 of pancreatic cancer.
But show producers have revealed Madge will make an appearance in Harold’s final scenes, which are set to air in April 2025.
Natalie Imbruglia: Beth Brennan
Natalie Imbruglia, 50, left her role as Beth Brennan and kissed goodbye to her onscreen surfer husband Brad Willisto launch a singing career in 1997
More recently, she was crowned the winner of The Masked Singer 2022 after being revealed as Panda
Natalie Imbruglia, 50, left her role as Beth Brennan after joining the soap in the early nineties and kissed goodbye to her onscreen surfer husband Brad Willis to launch a singing career in 1997.
The album Left In The Middle sold seven million copies and her single Torn became an instant hit. Other albums followed although they weren’t as commercially successful as her first.
In 2015, she made a comeback with the album Male, featuring cover versions of songs made famous my male lead singers, which reached number 20 in the UK album charts.
She made her first film debut in the 2003 film Johnny English alongside Rowan Atkinson.
The singer has since appeared in films Closed for Winter, Underdogs and Among Ravens as well as continuing her music career.
Natalie celebrated her 50th birthday earlier this month as she took to Instagram with an array of snaps from the celebrations
She appeared on The X Factor Australia as a judge in 2010 but didn’t return for the third season and in 2014 signed with Sony Masterworks for her first album in six years.
The London-based star divorced her Australian husband of five years, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns in 2008 saying the distance between them was too much.
In 2019, Natalie announced she had given birth to baby boy, whom she conceived through IVF and a sperm donor.
She was crowned the winner of The Masked Singer 2022 after being revealed as Panda.
Natalie celebrated her 50th birthday earlier this month as she took to Instagram with an array of snaps from the celebrations.
She penned: ‘It’s been a magical week celebrating turning 50yrs old!! To all my friends and family who went above and beyond to make me feel special this week, THANK YOU!! I’ve never felt more loved and appreciated!! 50 feels great!!’
Guy Pearce: Mike Young
British-born Guy Pearce, another original cast member, had a four-year stint as Mike in Neighbours before hitting the big time
British-born Guy Pearce, another original cast member, had a four-year stint as Mike in Neighbours before hitting the big time.
The actor, 57, has appeared in hit films including L.A. Confidential, Memento and The Hurt Locker and has been nominated for Golden Globe Awards.
He most recently earned an Academy Award nod for The Brutalist after he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2015, he split from his wife, psychologist Kate Mestitz – his childhood sweetheart who he married in 1997.
He later welcomed a son, called Monte, in 2016 with his then partner Dutch actress Carice van Houten, who starred in Game Of Thrones.
The pair announced they had split in January, yet appeared to be on good terms as they put on a united front at the BAFTAs last Sunday.
Last month, Carice revealed on her Instagram account that she and Guy haven’t been a couple for ‘years’.
‘I don’t usually engage in discussions about my personal life, but because of a number of conclusions in the media last week regarding my relationship with Guy, I wanted to make something clear,’ she began.
Guy Pearce and his ex-girlfriend Game Of Thrones star Carice van Houten showed they’re on good terms as they reunited at the BAFTA 2025 Awards on Sunday
He most recently earned an Academy Award nod for The Brutalist after he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (pictured in the film alongside Adrien Brody)
‘He and I are great friends and love each other very much, but we haven’t been a couple for years.
‘I am however, very proud to say we are in a wonderful partnership raising the true love of our lives – our beautiful son and his hamster. The end.’
Guy, who currently lives in Amsterdam, revealed in an interview with The Independent last year that parenthood has changed his entire outlook on life and made him more emotional.
‘After Monte was born, someone said to me, “You realise you’re now living with your heart on the outside?” And it really is true, isn’t it?’ he told the publication.
‘When I started acting, I knew if I needed to cry that it could come out easily. Then after 15 years of therapy, I became a far calmer and more satisfied human being, but trying to cry in a scene became impossible.
‘Since having my boy though, I cry at the drop of a hat again…’
Jesse Spencer: Billy Kennedy
Jesse Spencer, 46, became a teenage heartthrob when he played Billy Kennedy in the soap from 1994 to 2000, left the show with high hopes to crack Hollywood
Jesse Spencer, 46, became a teenage heartthrob when he played Billy Kennedy in the soap from 1994 to 2000, left the show with high hopes to crack Hollywood.
He went on to star in hit US series House alongside Hugh Laurie and played a leading role in Chicago Fire as well as taking on film parts.
The star is also a keen musician and played the violin in the charity cover group Band From TV, with his former co-star Hugh Laurie.
In 2024 it was revealed he was returning to Australian TV in the show Last Days of the Space Age.
The series follows three families in Perth in 1979 as the American space station crash lands near the Western Australian city.
In 2024 it was revealed he was returning to Australian TV in the show Last Days of the Space Age (pictured)
Jesse plays dad Tony Bissett, who is juggling family life while also leading a strike at the local power plant.
The new show is a welcome departure for Spencer, who said he has been searching for a production in Australia after working in the US for so long.
He became a US citizen in 2021 and married neuroscientist Dr. Kali Woodruff Carr in 2020, one year after their engagement. They welcomed their first child in 2022.
Craig McLachlan: Henry Ramsay
Another original cast member, Craig McLachlan, 59, who played Mike’s curly-haired buddy Henry Ramsay from 1987-89, had a brief singing career
Another original cast member, Craig McLachlan, 59, who played Mike’s curly-haired buddy Henry Ramsay from 1987-89, had a brief singing career.
He had a Number Two hit, Mona, and appeared in Grease on the West End stage.
But he went back to his first love of soap by playing school teacher Grant Mitchell on rival Oz show Home & Away and also stayed on TV screens down under in The Dr Blake Mysteries.
However his life took a dark turn after he was forced to quit his leading role as Frank-N-Furter in a 2018 Australian production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show after three of his former female co-stars accused him of serious inappropriate behaviour while performing alongside him four years earlier.
He was charged with 13 offences of assault and indecent assault after Victoria Police investigated the allegations but he was ultimately acquitted on all counts following a four-week trial in December 2020.
Craig, who has always vehemently denied the allegations, said he had suffered crippling anxiety as a result of the ordeal and had been apprehensive about a return to the limelight.
But he said he had managed to overcome his anxiety with the help of ‘the best psychiatrist in Australia’ – and by playing guitar alongside country crooner Andy Penkow in an ongoing series of pub rock gigs around the country.
The popular entertainer was accused of serious inappropriate misconduct while playing Frank-N-Furter in a 2014 production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
He was charged with 13 offences of assault and indecent assault after Victoria Police investigated the allegations but he was ultimately acquitted on all counts following a four-week trial in December 2020 (pictured with his partner Vanessa Scammell outside court in 2022)
‘When you’ve gone through the ring of hell – you do wonder, “Gosh, can I ever get up and put myself out there again?” It’s tough,’ he said.
Last August it was revealed Craig is poised to sign on to star in a feature film after receiving an unexpected approach from the movie’s producers.
While the star said it was too early to reveal the full details of his movie role, it is understood the feature will go into pre-production in the next few months before being filmed in Australia in the new year.
Craig said he had ‘fallen out of love’ with show business after his ‘public crucifixion’ but decided to accept the role after discussing the opportunity with long-term partner Vanessa Scammell.
Tom Oliver: Lou Carpenter
Lou Carpenter, played by Tom Oliver, 86, first joined the cast as Madge’s ex in 1988. In early 1992 the rogue car salesman was reintroduced to the series and was a key character until 2016
Lou Carpenter, played by Tom Oliver, 86, first joined the cast as Madge’s ex in 1988.
In early 1992 the rogue car salesman was reintroduced to the series and was a key character until 2016.
Tom was written out of the show in 1996 but producers relented after numerous petitions from fans and he was quickly reintroduced.
By 2009, he was the show’s longest serving character, both in continuous and overall duration. From the 2009 season, Oliver reduced his role on Neighbours to a part-time regular member of the cast.
In October 2016 it was announced the actor had left the role after 24 years and his last appearance aired in December 2016.
He did not feature in the series finale and appears to have scaled back work since his departure.
Alan Dale: Jim Robinson
Alan Dale played Jim Robinson (pictured right) from when the first show aired till his departure in 1993 when his character famously suffered from a heart attack
Alan Dale played Jim Robinson from when the first show aired till his departure in 1993 when his character famously suffered from a heart attack.
He appeared in 869 episodes and was the head of one of the show’s most popular families.
However Alan was fired from the show after management overheard the actor make an off-the-cuff remark over how much the actors were paid.
‘I made some sort of crack about the fact that when we started doing Neighbours [in 1985], we got paid the same money as when I was doing The Young Doctors [which he starred in from 1979-1983],’ he told TV Week.
The New Zealand-born star also revealed that although they were paid $600 a week, half that amount was overseas residuals.
It took a few years for him to put Jim behind him and resurrect his acting career but in 2000 he found success in the US hit shows The OC and then Ugly Betty.
The 77-year-old also appeared in 24 and Lost and worked on Dominion and NCIS, as well as The West Wing, Entourage and Once Upon a Time.
His film roles include Detective Isaksson in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Councilman Rockwell in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Alan has been married to former Miss Australia Tracey Dale since 1990.
Original cast members who turned their back on fame…
Vivean Gray: Mrs Mangel
Vivean Gray was another Neighbours legend as gossipy old woman of Ramsay Street, Mrs Mangel. Sadly, she died in Australia in July 2016 at the age of 92
Vivean Gray was another Neighbours legend as gossipy old woman of Ramsay Street, Mrs Mangel.
She could always be trusted to ruin the young people’s fun and lay down the moral high ground.
Before Neighbours, she had a long-running role in Australian soap The Sullivans but became much more famous thanks to her time in Erinsborough.
But the actress didn’t seem comfortable with the worldwide fame and devoted fans Neighbours brought and left in 1988 when she retired from acting.
Sadly, she died in Australia in July 2016 at the age of 92.
Annie Jones: Plain Jane
Annie Jones played ‘Plain Jane Superbrain’ from 1986- 1989 and shed her nerdy image by ditching her glasses
Despite her popularity, Annie never became as successful as her co-stars like Guy Pearce, pictured with her as Mike in 1986
But in 2020, it was announced Annie had reprised the role as a permanent cast member and she remained in the role until the show’s then final episode on 28 July 2022 (pictured with Guy)
Annie Jones, now 58, played ‘Plain Jane Superbrain’ from 1986 to 1989 and was love interest to Guy Pearce’s Mike.
She famously transformed from a nerd to a beauty by losing her glasses and letting her hair down and won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress in 1989.
Despite her popularity then, Annie never went on to be as famous as her co-stars.
She had a few small roles including in The Flying Doctors after leaving Neighbours but work took a back seat so she could care for her ill mother.
But in 2020, it was announced Annie had reprised the role as a permanent cast member and she remained in the role until the show’s then final episode on 28 July 2022.
The series was later picked up by streaming service and Annie was confirmed to be reprising her role in February 2023.
Paul Keane and Elaine Smith: Des and Daphne
Des and Daphne, played by Paul Keane and Elaine Smith, were Neighbours original happiest couple.
Daphne lent her name to the popular cafe for a time that was a regular haunt of the characters while Des was her lovable husband and they had a child together on the show.
But as this is soapland, their happy marriage was not to last as Daphne was killed off in a car crash in 1987 – the show’s first big tear-jerking departure.
Des and Daphne played by Paul Keane and Elaine Smith, were Neighbours original happiest couple – until she was killed off in a car crash in 1987. Neither went on to pursue acting careers
After appearing on Neighbours, Elaine went on to guest star in other TV roles in The Flying Doctors and Home And Away, but always struggled with the idea of fame.
She said: ‘I found all the attention pretty overwhelming because I’m quite a private person and people would shout “stripper” at me in the street!’
Elaine now teaches at a school in Sydney’s inner-west, where she lives with her husband writer Jonathon Biggins and twin daughters Charlotte and Imogen.
Paul stayed on the soap for a few years and left in 1990. He quit acting altogether and instead took a job in a pub.
