After being left out of the eagerly anticipated last episode of Neighbours, former Ramsay Street actor Craig McLachlan blasted the show’s makers for giving in to “cancel culture.”
In the popular soap opera from 1987 to 1989, McLachlan portrayed Henry Ramsay, Charlene’s brother, who was portrayed by Kylie Minogue.
McLachlan, 56, was exonerated of assault allegations made against him by four women with whom he collaborated on the Rocky Horror Show in 2014 two years ago.
He now alleges that his past is haunting him, telling The Sun that he thinks his legal issues are the reason he was excluded from the star-studded conclusion of the cancelled series, in which several well-known actors will reprise their roles.
Notably, Charlene and Scott Robinson will be portrayed by Kylie Minogue and Jason Donavan.
His entire on-screen family, including Minogue’s Charlene, Ian Smith’s Harold Bishop, and even his on-screen late mother Madge (Anne Charleston) as a ghost, will put on one final performance for the audience.
The actor’s mother being reborn so that Anne Charleston could be featured in the episode, according to a spokesman for the actor, was a particular sticking point.
A spokesperson for McLachlan exclusively revealed to The Sun that “Henry’s deceased mother is being reborn for the last episode — yet cancel culture won’t allow her son Henry to appear or even be acknowledged.” She went on to describe the omission “devastating.”
What Craig and his girlfriend have gone through over the past four and a half years is “devastating,” the spokeswoman said, “only to emerge on the other side and be greeted by, among other things, the attempted irreversible erasure of his place in Neighbours history.”
“Craig was not requested to participate in the final episode or, in fact, to make any contributions to Neighbours’ conclusion.
Henry has always been a fan favourite on Neighbours, and Craig still adores him today. Over the years, Craig willingly and enthusiastically participated in a number of Neighbours milestone celebrations and was always honoured to be asked.
The father of one was exonerated in 2020 of seven accusations of physical and sexual assault against four women he had collaborated with in 2014 while working on the Australian version of The Rocky Horror Show.
The actor abandoned a defamation lawsuit against a number of Australian media outlets that had covered the allegations, as well as actress Christie Whelan-Browne, who was one of the women who accused McLachlan of the allegations in pieces by the ABC and Sydney Morning Herald, two months ago.
He declared at the time that he was giving up the legal fight to defend his family and mental health in the face of the “continued pressure.”
A number of celebrities, including Guy Pearce, Margot Robbie, and Delta Goodrem, will make cameo appearances in the final episode of Neighbours, which airs tonight on Channel 10.
After a 37-year career on Australian and British television, an astounding 49 former cast members have come back to say goodbye to the programme.
It occurs when Neighbours’ creators, Fremantle Media, were unable to find a new broadcaster after Britain’s Channel 5 axed the show from its schedule.
