Pierce Greyson is set to return to Neighbours in special scenes recorded in Sydney, according to an Instagram post by one of the show’s directors, Kate Kendall.
Suburban Melbourne – Neighbours.
Sydney’s beaches – Home and Away.
That’s how it’s been for the past three and a half decades, ever since the two Australian soaps first aired on American television in the mid-to-late 1980s.
However, an Instagram post by Kate Kendall, who played Lauren Turner on the show from 2003 to 2018, before going on to direct and then produce it, has claimed that the next episodes of Neighbours will feature a trip to Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach.
What’s more, two characters are set for a return!
Kate (@katekendall9) shared a shot of a rainbow at the famed beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Instagram on Saturday.
She replied to her own post shortly after, praising the cast and staff of Neighbours for “making this such a wonderful shoot.”
“Thanks @neighbours cast and crew for making this such an unforgettable shoot. See you tomorrow Melbourne.
jackiewoodburn @alanfletcher @georgiestone @benjaminturland @mrtimrobards @jane_allsop @tony_gardiner_acs @lecabba You know who you are!
Love you.
KK
???”
Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy), Georgie Stone (Mackenzie Hargreaves), and Ben Turland (Hendrix Greyson) are among the current cast members, as are two additional actors whose names you may recognize…
Jane Allsop (Lisa Rowsthorn) and Tim Robards (Pierce Greyson)!
Tim Robards, who previously appeared on The Bachelor Australia, portrayed billionaire Pierce Greyson in Neighbours from 2018 until 2020.
Pierce came to Erinsborough to negotiate business with Lassiters, but he quickly grabbed the attention of Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly), who was offering a cash-for-company service at the time.
When Pierce questioned Chloe about her ‘Cash4Company’ business card, she said it had nothing to do with her position at Lassiter’s, but she offered to resign.
Pierce, on the other hand, was interested in using her services and spent weeks showering her with lavish presents in exchange for her time.
Despite the fact that they met in an unorthodox way, genuine sentiments grew over time. Not only did they wind up in a relationship, but a year later, they married.
Soon after, Pierce’s son Hendrix, played by Ben Turland, was introduced. Pierce admitted that he had taken very little role in his son’s development and that he often just threw money at any troubles Hendrix had.
Pierce’s marriage to Chloe ended when he started having an affair with Dipi Rebecchi (Sharon Johal). After Nicolette (Charlotte Chimes) planned for Chloe to go to Pierce’s Lassiter’s hotel room when she knew the couple would be there, Chloe saw them in bed together. He decided to leave Erinsborough since his reputation was in shambles.
Tim Robards was intended to depart the program in September 2020 after filming his final scenes as Pierce Greyson, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to leave four weeks early so he could be with his wife, who was pregnant with their first child.
“For the past two years, Tim Robards has played wealthy businessman Pierce Greyson on Neighbours and was slated to end filming with the show in Melbourne next month,” Network 10 said in a statement at the time. Tim has wrapped early to be with his wife, Anna Heinrich, as they prepare for the joyous arrival of their first child, due to COVID-19 laws and travel restrictions.
Tim also released a statement, reading: “I would like to thank the amazing cast, crew, Fremantle and Network 10 for the incredible opportunity to play Pierce Greyson. I have absolutely loved my time on the show and will miss it immensely.
“I made the gut-wrenching decision to depart Neighbours early as my responsibilities as a husband and father have to take precedence. If I’ve learnt anything in this pandemic it’s that the health and wellbeing of my family has to come first.”
Instead of a quick rewrite in the middle of Pierce’s affair with Dipi Rebecchi, the decision was taken to recast Pierce, with Don Hany filling him for the last weeks.
Don even re-shot parts of Tim Robards’ previously broadcast moments to make the transition as seamless as possible, with the recast scenes airing in the recap in his first episode. At No. 24, the photos of Chloe and Pierce were likewise replaced, with Don taking the place of Tim.
“I’m thrilled to have been invited to be part of a show that is part of Australian television history,” Don said in a statement. “I’ve never done the show before, so it’s all new and I’m so happy to be here.”
“It’s a testament to the resilience of Neighbours that it’s still running at a time like this.”
In June 2021, Don Hany returned, as Pierce returned to Erinsborough to sell his beloved winery to Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano). When he found out that Nicolette (Charlotte Chimes) had exposed his affair, he caused even more strife between Chloe (April Rose Pengilly) and Nicolette (Charlotte Chimes).
Pierce is due to return almost a year later, but this time it appears to be the original Pierce, Tim Robards, repeating the role!
Jane Allsop, who played Lisa Rowsthorn, Hendrix’s mother, appears with him. When Jane’s character Lisa arrived in Erinsborough to assist cope with Hendrix’s wild behavior in early 2020, she caused even more problems for Chloe and Pierce’s marriage by asking Pierce to have another child with her.
She returned to Sydney after finding out she was pregnant with her ex-child, boyfriend and gave birth to a baby girl.
Hendrix’s entire family, including his birth parents, new surrogate parents Karl and Susan, and girlfriend Mackenzie, is expected to reunite at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
Fans are already guessing on what might bring Karl, Susan, Hendrix, and Mackenzie all the way to Sydney’s east coast, as well as what would bring Pierce and Lisa back together. As Neighbours approaches its last episode, might we be witnessing a Hendrix and Mackenzie wedding?
In around two months, these sequences should air in the United Kingdom.
