Neighbours actress, Natalie Blair, has revealed that she decided to quit the Australian soap due to her characters depressive storylines.

Natalie told OK magazine:

“My character has gone through so much. She’s become a very tortured, depressive character and there was no light at the end of the tunnel,” Natalie, who plays Carmella Cammeniti, told the magazine.

“After a while I’d open my script and say, ‘Please give me one scene where I’m smiling’. And then I’d read the script and think, ‘Damn - no smiling scenes again’.”

Oh No!!!! Neighbours is about to unleash yet another wannabe pop star, soap star upon us!

Not bad enough that we had to endure Stefan Dennis’ pathetic attempt at a music career, but now it seems as though Daniel O’Connor, or Ned Parker as we know him is about to follow in his footsteps.

Former Australian Idol finalist, Daniel revealed last month that he was leaving the Aussie soap which has recently moved to Five in the UK, and he is set to film his final scenes in April. After that he is going to immerse himself in his singing career.

“To try and do music and the show at the same time is really hard,” the Daily Star Sunday quotes Daniel as saying. Read more & comment »

Former Neighbour’s actor, Alan Dale (aka Jim Robinson) has slammed bosses of the show as manipulative and greedy.

The star, who has went on to star in Ugly Betty and The OC, told The Stage newspaper:

“The show I loved. It was sweet and the people I worked with were sweet, most of them. But the producers were greedy and nasty. There are many examples of the things these people did and, as far as I know, are still doing. Read more & comment »

My husband is going to be beside himself with delight. He always fancied Libby Kennedy from Neighbours, so no doubt when she returns to our screens in the Aussie soap he will be recording every episode!

Libby returns to look after her mum Susan, who after a period of ill health discovers she has been suffering from mini strokes.

Actress Kym Valentine who plays Libby was last seen on our screens three years ago.

She told The Sun: Read more & comment »

Neighbours actor, Ian Smith, has revealed that he has worked hard over the past twenty years to stop the script writers turning his character, Harold Bishop gay.

Ian, who is in Britain to mark Neighbours’ switch from BBC One to Five this week, told The Daily Star: “There was a lot of talk about this. He and Lou once ate a salad together and that means you are gay … in Australia!”

The video below has become a surprise YouTube hit this week after Ian Smith, aka Harold Bishop from Neighbours took to Trafalgar Square on Thursday to perform the Neighbours theme tune with his 330 piece brass band.

The performance was to mark the move of Australian soap opera Neighbours from BBC One to Five this Monday.

Ian has admitted this week that he will be taking a reduced role in the soap from now on, to try to avoid the adverse reaction he gets from Aussie youngsters.

To mark the move of Australian soap opera, Neighbours, from BBC One to Five next week, The Times have put together a great list of the most memorable moments from the last 22 years of the show.

My personal favourites are Bouncers romantice dream about next door’s sheepdog, and Jim and Doug’s river trip where they mistakenly got high on magic mushrooms!
Read more & comment »

Ian Smith, the actor who plays Harold Bishop in Australian soap opera, Neighbours has drastically reduced his hours on the show due to the amount of trouble he is given by youngsters in public.

Smithr said: “The recognition I get can be ugly. They hunt in packs, see me, laugh, point, sometimes chuck lager and shout things like, ‘you great, fat stupid ****’.”

Ian, 69, who has played Harold 21 years, added: “I absolutely hate it and by semi-retiring – just coming back for a stint every four months – I become a bit less recognisable and hopefully less subjected to the horrible abuse I’ve suffered.” Read more & comment »

To mark the move of Australian soap, Neighbours from BBC One, Five have put together this fabulous list of thirty things you didn’t know about Neighbours.

There are some crackers in here!

* On March 18th 1985, new soap Neighbours launched on Australian Channel 7. Despite an incredible opening dream sequence, the show was axed just months later. It was picked up by Network 10 in 1986 and the rest, as they say, is history.

* Erinsborough is an anagram of Neighbours - with an extra o and r.

* Ramsbottom Street was the new name proposed for Ramsay Street – Harold led the fight to prevent it.

* Neighbours has been the step on the road to world stardom for many artistes including: Kylie Minogue; Guy Pearce; Natalie Imbruglia; Alan Dale; Jason Donovan; Kimberley Davies; Craig McLachlan; Holly Valance, Jesse Spencer, Anne Charleston and Delta Goodrem.

* Russell Crowe played Kenny Larkin in several episodes in 1987.

* Hugh Jackman was signed and about to start when he got accepted into WAAPA (the prestigious Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts) so the programme let him go. Read more & comment »

Australian biini model, Imogen Bailey, has been signed up for a role on Aussie soap Neighbours.

The minor celebrity has appeared in afew Australian reality TV shows, but this is her first major acting role.

“Acting is a passion of mine. It has been a slow burn,” Bailey told Adelaide Now. “I have done bits and pieces over the years. When my agent called and said I had the role, I thought he was joking.”

“I had a sexy image and I am proud of my modelling and what I was able to do with my image,” she added. “But I am getting to a point in my life where I am trying to shed that [image] a little bit.”

Neighbours will move from BBC One to Five on the 11th of February.