Everyone loves good neighbors, right? Well, that’s no longer the case, thanks to Channel 5’s announcement that the popular serial will be canceled this year.
Yes, after more than three decades on UK television, the happenings on Ramsey Street appear to be coming to an end this summer after Channel 5 canceled its current deal, leaving fans distraught.
The show has become embedded in UK television history, with its theme tune being one of its most recognizable features, but it has also served as a springboard for a number of top film talents.
Soaps don’t always generate huge names, but Neighbours has a long history of doing so. Some of the cast members have gone on to become famous around the world, but where are the rest of the Neighbours cast members now?
Let’s find out…
Charlene Mitchell – Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue, the biggest celebrity to ever emerge from a soap anywhere – no exaggeration – swept the globe by storm after leaving Neighbours.
Charlene was a tough tomboy on her way to becoming a mechanic, and Minogue landed the part after finishing her school examinations.
She was only in the role of Charlene for two years, but her most notable moment was her wedding to Scott Robinson, which was watched by 19.6 million people in the United Kingdom, making it the highest-rated episode of Neighbours ever on these shores.
Since then, Kylie has dominated the charts with hits like ‘I Should Be So Lucky,’ ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head,’ and ‘All the Lovers,’ and she holds the distinction of being the first female artist to top the album chart for five decades in a row, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
She’s also participated as a coach on The Voice UK, and she’s planning to return to Australia this year after 30 years in the UK.
Scott Robinson – Jason Donovan
Scott, a role defined by Jason Donovan, was first played by someone else, but it was his second iteration that cemented his place in soap history.
Jason, who played the character for three years, became well-known outside of Erinsborough, earning a number one hit with Kylie on ‘Especially for You,’ as well as a solo chart-topper with ‘Too Many Broken Hearts.’
With this triumph, he would go on to play Joseph in the eponymous Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat show, which would become his most famous performance. His career has been harmed by his drug addiction since then, but he has recovered and is now drug-free.
With significant appearances on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, Strictly Come Dancing, and Dancing on Ice, he’s become a fixture on the reality TV circuit.
Jason, a panto regular, is never far from dazzling UK audiences, and he made a guest appearance in the Lee Mack sitcom Not Going Out’s seasonal-themed special last Christmas.
Paul Robinson – Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis’ Paul Robinson, one of the most recognizable faces from Neighbours, is one of the few original characters who remained in the show.
Paul, a somewhat nasty businessman, has been at the center of several episodes on the serial, with Stefan portraying the character from 1985 to 1993 before leaving – a decision he now admits was a mistake.
During his time away from Oz, he appeared in the Scottish soap opera River City and appeared in a number of pantomimes before returning to Neighbours in 2004.
Stefan is also a talented musician, with the song ‘Don’t It Make You Feel Good’ reaching the top 40 in the UK in 1989.
Harold Bishop – Ian Smith
Harold, a bespectacled character who has appeared on and off throughout the years on Neighbours, is one of the show’s most well-known characters.
Harold, played by Ian Smith, left the series in 1991 after being assumed dead after being washed away at sea, but he returned five years later to critical acclaim. He’d eventually leave again in 2009, only to return in 2011 and soon leave again.
Harold’s journey appears to have come to an end with one (as of yet) final appearance in 2015, whereas Ian has kept a quiet profile, but he returned to TV screens last year as Father Michael in the sitcom How to Stay Married.
Madge Bishop – Anne Charleston
Anne’s Charleston’s Madge, the matriarch of the Bishop clan, is so well-known in Neighbours history that she’s been brought back from the grave.
Madge arrived in Erinsborough as a single mother in 1986 and worked hard for her family, eventually marrying Harold, but she departed the program in 1992 owing to Charleston’s off-screen financial problems. She returned in 1996, but left again after Madge died of cancer in 2001.
Madge reappeared in 2015 for the soap’s 30th anniversary, but only as a hallucination of Harold’s imagination while he pondered life.
Aside from Neighbours, Anne spent three years as Lily Butterfield in Emmerdale and appeared in guest roles on Holby City and Doctors.
She also starred in Wentworth, a modern remake of the 1970s television series Prisoner, in which she also appeared.
Alan Dale – Jim Robinson
Jim, the patriarch of the Robinson family, was one of Neighbours’ founding characters and is still affectionately remembered by fans today.
Jim, a widower who lives on Ramsey Street with his four children, was a cast member of Neighbours from 1985 to 1993, when actor Alan fell out with the producers over salary.
Jim died of a heart attack as a result, but, as is customary in soap operas, Alan returned to reprise the role in 2018 and 2019 in dream sequences with son Paul.
Alan is a well-known face outside of soaps, and since leaving Neighbours, he has been in a variety of productions on both sides of the Atlantic.
In addition to Lost, The X-Files, Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, and most recently, the adaptation of the legendary 1980s drama Dynasty, he has a long list of credits.
Nina Tucker – Delta Goodrem
After Kylie, a lot of Neighbours stars went on to have pop careers, but Deltra Goodrem was able to incorporate her singing into the program as her character grew.
Delta was an up-and-coming musician at the time, having spent three years playing Nina Tucker, a terribly shy and unsure of herself character. Her soap role had been purposefully recast to reflect Delta’s attitude.
Delta’s blossoming music career would also become a part of the drama, with Nina also aspiring to be a musician.
Delta went on to have a successful music career after leaving in 2005, achieving many top 10 successes in the UK, one of which was a duet with Westlife’s Brian McFadden, with whom she would later become engaged.
However, the couple divorced in 2011 after seven years of marriage, and she has been dating fellow musician Matthew Copley since 2017.
Henry Ramsey – Craig McLachlan
With his Henry Ramsey character being the clown of the soap pack, Craig McLachlan was seen as the heartthrob for many viewers back in Neighbours’ prime.
Henry, Kylie’s Charlene’s brother, was notorious for plotting and scheming his way to riches, but he would quit the soap after only two years when he moved to New Zealand with his new girlfriend Bronwyn to pursue a career as a DJ.
Craig has dabbled in singing as well, having had a number two hit with the song Mona in 1990, followed by Amanda, which reached number 19.
Craig’s career as a stage actor has been damaged in recent years by a succession of sexual harassment charges, all of which he has rejected.
Felicity ‘Flick’ Scully – Holly Valance
Holly Valance was cast by chance as another singer who rose to stardom on Neighbours, with Flick as a feminist who was dedicated to the cause.
Holly departed Ramsey Street after only three years to concentrate on her singing career, which includes the UK number one hit Kiss Kiss. Down Boy, which peaked at number two, and State of Mind, which peaked at number eight, were other chart successes for her.
Away from music, Holly had a recurring role in the Fox drama Prison Break for the first two seasons, and she competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2011.
Holly finished fourth in the BBC show, partnering with Artem Chigvintsev, and nearly missed out on a place in the final.
Toadfish – Ryan Moloney
No list would be complete without Toadfish. It really wouldn’t.
Toadie Rebecchi – or Jarrod if we’re being formal – has been played by Ryan Moloney since 1995. He began out in the series as a slightly problematic youngster who’d rather be the class clown than study, but he’d settle down in maturity and become a lawyer.
Toadie’s love life, on the other hand, has been anything but straightforward, with three marriages and as many divorces, as well as a variety of other employment outside of the law.
Ryan’s acting credits outside of Neighbours are minimal, with only Terry in 2000’s Enemies Closer and The Duke of Wales in 2015’s Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell.
In 2013, he competed in Celebrity Big Brother, finishing third behind Heidi and Spencer, as well as the winner, Rylan.
