London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Neighbours under threat after Channel 5 drops show

Neighbours under threat after Channel 5 drops show

Neighbours has been dropped by Channel 5, putting the long-running Australian soap opera's future under threat.

The UK network announced on Sunday it would stop showing the programme later this year, after airing it for more than a decade.

Singer and former Neighbours star Jason Donovan said the soap "changed the Australian television landscape".

Australian broadcaster Network 10 said it would look for a new partner to work with to keep it on air.

The television network denied filming of the show - which began in 1985 - was being paused.

The broadcaster added it was committed to keeping the show going if a new broadcasting partner could be found.

Set and filmed in Melbourne, Neighbours was first broadcast in Australia in 1985 and launched on BBC One a year later.

It became a huge hit in the UK and in Australia, and helped launch the career of numerous stars, including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and later Margot Robbie.

Channel 5 said it knew the decision to axe the show - which attracts more than one million viewers per day in the UK - would disappoint many, confirming it would no longer air "beyond this summer".

But it added its "current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our UK viewers".

Neighbours stars over the years
Singer Kylie Minogue was one of the first stars to come out of the programme in the 1980s


The soap has featured many notable Australian actors, actresses and performers over the years, many of whom have gone on to have glittering careers.

Perhaps the most high profile of these stars to make her name on Neighbours is singer Kylie Minogue, who acted in the early years of the soap, playing Charlene between 1986 and 1988.

Russell Crowe briefly featured in the soap opera in 1987


Other people to come off the Ramsay Street set include Oscar winner and Gladiator star Russell Crowe, musician Jason Donovan and actor Guy Pearce.

More recently, the show featured Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie from 2008 to 2011 and Liam Hemsworth between 2007 and 2008.

Margot Robbie starred in the show before launching her Hollywood career


Other people to have made their names from appearing on the show over the years include the singers Natalie Imbruglia, Holly Vallance and Delta Goodrem.

Actor and singer Donovan, who played Scott Robinson from 1986 to 1989, wrote on Twitter: "It launched many careers over decades including mine.

"Engaged and entertained audiences for generations. Hoping that it will find a new home with another UK broadcaster and continue to provide opportunity and entertainment."

In a statement, Network 10 said: "As outlined in the email to Neighbours cast and crew, it is our intention to continue our association with Neighbours if another broadcast partner comes forward.

"Network 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available."

The soap, which launched in 1985, has been more popular in the UK than in Australia for years - so Channel 5's announcement has thrown its future into doubt.

In Australia it has been shown on digital channel 10 Peach since 2011, when it lost a slot following the nightly news on the main Network 10 schedule, leaving it reliant on the UK broadcaster for production costs.

Fremantle Media, which makes the soap, is yet to comment.

However, in an email to staff, Fremantle Media executive producer Jason Herbison said production would stop indefinitely because of the lack of a broadcast partner to provide financial backing.

In the message, seen by the Sydney Morning Herald, staff were asked to attend a meeting on Monday by Mr Herbison, who added filming would go on until 10 June.

The email said: "Our audience remains steady and Channel Ten would love the show to continue if we could find another broadcast partner to replace [Channel 5].

"These discussions are ongoing, however there is no new broadcaster at the moment and production must end, effectively resting the show.

"We are so proud of the show, you all and everything that you've achieved. But for now, this chapter is closing and we want to work together to give Neighbours the amazing send-off it deserves."

The soap has featured many guest stars from the UK in recent years, including Amanda Holden, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ryan Thomas and Janet Street-Porter.

In 2016, BBC Newsround had kids react to the show's iconic wedding scene between Scott and Charlene - played by Donovan and Minogue - from 1988.

One boy described their hair styles as "long, shaggy and uncut", adding he was unsure if "they had barbers in those days".


The soap aired a special scene in January 2020 about the bushfires that were devastating Australia at the time


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×