Now it’s Mat Stevenson. Source: IMDB. Neighbours has revealed further information about who will feature in the show’s final episodes, including characters from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
With Neighbours’ 37-year run coming to an end in August, the show’s writers and producers have been planning a nostalgic send-off that pays homage to some of the show’s most memorable characters and storylines.
The show has already revealed a list of 23 characters who will return before the series’ conclusion. According to a press release, the show’s finale “will contain something for everyone, spanning all generations of viewers from the first scene in 1985 to the final episode cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval cheval
Over the last few months, news about the first returnees has been slowly disclosed. In February, it was announced that Ian Smith would return as Harold Bishop for the first time since 2015, and that Peter O’Brien would play Shane Ramsay, who first featured in the inaugural episode of Neighbours.
Tim Robards’ return as Pierce Greyson, father of Hendrix (Ben Turland) and ex-husband of Chloe, was formally revealed a few weeks ago (April Rose Pengilly).
Tim will be back on UK screens on Friday, May 20th, and in Australia on Thursday, June 16th.
Olympia Valance, who played Paige Smith in the show, has returned to set in the last few days. Paige was last seen in the 35th anniversary episodes of Neighbours, in which she married Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor).
Then, on Saturday, it was revealed that Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue would be reprising their roles as Scott and Charlene, the show’s golden pair, whose wedding in the late 1980s was viewed by approximately 20 million people in the United Kingdom alone.
Both Kylie and Jason verified the news in Instagram posts, both posting half of the screenplay for an outside scene set on Ramsay Street.
Shortly later, the news was announced on the official Neighbours Twitter account, along with a remark from Executive Producer Jason Herbison:
Now, Neighbours has stated that a slew of new characters will appear in the finale, including names from decades past. Continue reading to find out who has returned!
“Whether the eighties, nineties, naughties, or teens are your favorite decade, we will be giving something for everyone as Neighbours draws to a close,” stated Jason Herbison, Executive Producer of Neighbours.
“We’ll be commemorating the most memorable characters from different eras with the present cast, with a few surprises up our sleeves.”
Neighbors from the 1980s
Kyle Minogue as Charlene Mitchell, Jason Donovan as Scott Robinson, Ian Smith as Harold Bishop, and Peter O’Brien as Shane Ramsay were already confirmed from the 1980s.
Mark Little as Joe Mangle and Paul Keane as Des Clarke will join them from the 1980s lineup.
Des has returned several times in recent years, most notably in 2021 when Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) welcomed him to Erinsborough in an unsuccessful attempt to reconnect him with his ex-wife Jane Harris (Annie Jones).
Joe Mangle was last seen in 2005, for the show’s 20th anniversary, where he began dating Lyn Scully (Janet Andrewartha) and supported Harold following the deaths of his son David (Kevin Harrington), daughter-in-law Liljana (Marcella Russo), and their daughter Serena (Lara Sacher).
How would he respond now that Melanie (Lucinda Cowden), his second wife, has returned to town and is dating Toadie (Ryan Moloney)?
“It’s an amazing delight to be back,” Ian Smith stated of his return as Harold. I’m the biggest jerk in the planet. On the final night of Neighbours, I’m going to be startling. It will truly be the end of an era, and I am honored to have played a role in it.”
Returnees from the 1990s
Melissa Bell has lately returned as Lucy Robinson, but she’ll be joined by Daniel MacPherson’s Joel Samuels, Benjamin McNair’s Malcolm Kennedy, and Angie Rebecchi’s Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson) (Lesley Baker).
Susan and Karl will be overjoyed to see their son, Malcolm, who relocated to London in the late 1990s and has been to Erinsborough only a few times in the decades since. In 2014, he was last seen as part of a storyline commemorating Karl and Susan’s 20th anniversary on Ramsay Street.
With many people believing that the Kennedys would decide to move to the United Kingdom to be closer to their family – including Karl and Izzy’s daughter Holly Hoyland – Mal’s return could be the ideal way to kick off their big relocation.
Athlete Joel Samuels, played by Daniel MacPherson, is also back.
Joel was a close friend of Mal Kennedy’s who unexpectedly appeared on Ramsay Street in May 1998. He first lived at No. 28, but soon moved next door to No. 30, where he shared a room with Toadie and Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles).
In the 1998 season finale, he was stuck in a river beneath Anne Wilkinson’s ute as the water levels rose, which was maybe his most memorable storyline. The onus was on Karl to keep Joel breathing, and the air ambulance arrived barely in time, Joel having passed out shortly before they arrived.
“Joining Neighbours at age 17 was going to kick start a career that continues to be the adventure of a lifetime,” Daniel remarked of his comeback. Returning to portray Joel was a little way for me to express my gratitude to the cast, crew, and fans of the show.”
Lesley Baker will reprise her role as Angie Rebecchi, Toadie’s eccentric mother, who last appeared in March 2019 at Sonya Rebecchi’s funeral (Eve Morey).
Neighbors who returned in the 2000s
Susan, be careful! It’s been rumored for a long, but Natalie Bassingthwaighte will reprise her role as Izzy Hoyland for the final time.
Since Alan Fletcher was featured on the UK’s This Morning, where he hinted that “someone from Karl’s sordid past is definitely coming back,” Izzy’s comeback has been rumored.
Izzy had a huge impact on Ramsay Street, and her friendship with Karl ended Karl and Susan’s marriage for the second time. Izzy had a daughter with Karl, Holly, which gave her plenty of reasons to return to Australia.
Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan), as well as Toadie’s son Callum, are also returning from the 2000s (Morgan Baker).
Finally, half-siblings Elle (Pippa Black) and Andrew (Jordan Patrick Smith), Paul Robinson’s offspring, will emerge in the final episodes.
Neighbors from the 2010s
Finally, many people from recent years have returned.
While they may have only recently left, Zima Anderson and Ben Hall will be back as Roxy and Ned Willis. Yashvi Rebecchi (Olivia Junkeer) will return a year after departing for Sydney.
James Mason will reprise his role as Chris Pappas, while Elly Conway will be played by Jodi Gordon, Amy Williams will be played by Zoe Cramond, and Lauren Turner will be played by director Kate Kendall.
While the full list of cast members has been revealed, no details on which characters will return to Ramsay Street and which will appear via video calls or video messages have been revealed.
Sky Mangel, Mark Gottlieb, Des Clarke, and Dylan Timmins, among others, made cameo appearances in Neighbours’ 35th anniversary episode in 2020.
Lucas Fitzgerald and Vanessa Villante, as well as Janelle Timmins, Nina Tucker, Guy Carpenter, and Tom Ramsay, returned for the series’ 30th anniversary in 2015.
Many characters, though, have returned through video message during big events. A handful of characters returned in video form for the series’ 20th anniversary in 2005, as part of a documentary that Annalise Hartman was putting together on the street. Debbie and Hannah Martin, Marlene and Sam Kratz, Gaby Willis, Billy Kennedy, and Matt Hancock all appeared in this video.
1980s characters returning
Kylie Minogue – Charlene Mitchell
Jason Donovan – Scott Robinson
Ian Smith – Harold Bishop
Peter O’Brien – Shane Ramsay
Mark Little – Joe Mangle
Paul Keane – Des Clarke
1990s characters returning
Daniel MacPherson – Joel Samuels
Benjamin McNair – Mal Kennedy
Melissa Bell – Lucy Robinson
Lesley Baker – Angie Rebecchi
2000s characters returning
Natalie Bassingthwaighte – Izzy Hoyland
Morgan Baker – Callum Rebecchi
Pippa Black – Elle Robinson
Jordan Patrick Smith – Andrew Robinson
Chris Milligan – Kyle Canning
2010s characters returning
Olympia Valance – Paige Smith
James Mason – Chris Pappas
Jodi Gordon – Elly Conway
Zoe Cramond – Amy Williams
Kate Kendall – Lauren Turner
Olivia Junkeer – Yashvi Rebecchi
Zima Anderson – Roxy Willis
Ben Hall – Ned Willis
On August 1, 2022, the final episode of Neighbours, number 8,903, will premiere in the United Kingdom and Australia. On the last day, the UK is expected to screen a “epic double episode.”
Although Australian timetables have yet to be announced, 10 Peach will begin airing double episodes on Monday, June 13th, allowing Australia to catch up with UK broadcasts in time for the final day.
