Irish TV channel RTE has secured a long term contract for Australian soap, Neighbours.

The news will be good news for Irish neighbours fans, after BBC lost the show earlier this year.

Dermot Horan, director of broadcast and acquisitions at RTE added: “We are delighted to continue our association with Neighbours and FME and are very much looking forward to an increase in audience as the newly worked episodes come to Ireland. I have seen some of them and they bring a fresh new zest to the series.”

Kym Valentine left Aussie soap opera, Neighbours in 2004 to tour with the hit musical, Dirty Dancing. However she has revealed that she will soon be returning to our screens in the show that made her famous.

“I am hugely loyal to the show and I’m ready to go back and do what I love,” Kym told the Sunday Herald Sun. Read more & comment »

Neighbours actor Ian Smith, who plays fuddy duddy Harold Bishop in the Australian soap opera, has expressed his dismay at the shows producers decision to axe the entire Timmins family.

“I think it was a huge mistake to get rid of them - I was in love with every single one,” Ian told Inside Soap.

“Fortunately, we’re still left with Janae, played by Eliza Taylor-Cotter. If you want an actress who’s going places, look to her. She’s a natural-born comedienne and a lovely person, too. If I could have been guaranteed of having a child like her in real life, I might have considered it.”

The BBC issued a statement about Neighbours at 1.40pm on Friday 18 May 2007.

“‘We have this afternoon formally withdrawn from the bidding for Neighbours.

“The BBC has had a long and fruitful relationship with Neighbours, which has transmitted on BBC One for 21 years, and this has come to an end because of an unrealistic price demand.

“We do not believe that we could have justified to BBC viewers a price tag of what would have amounted to some £300 million across the term of the contract.

“Paying that sum would also have compromised our ability to invest in new original programmes.

“We made a fair offer and are sad that we have not been able to reach terms with Fremantle.”

Reports suggest that the BBC have already selected a soap opera to replace the hugely popular Neighbours which they may be axing after 21 years.

If the BBC lose Neighbours they are rumoured to be replacing it with US teen drama, Falcon Beach.

More than 4000 fans have signed a petition to keep Neighbours and all is not lost, “We are still hopeful we will hold on to Neighbours,” says George McGhee, the BBC director of acquisitions.

More than 4500 people have signed a petition to the BBC begging them to keep Australian Soap Opera, Neighbours

The petition comes in response to an announcement last week that the BBC may axe neighbours as it was becoming too costly per episode and then a follow up announcement saying that ITV was competing for the rights to the soap.

The BBC’s contract with Freemantle Media for Neighbours ends very soon, so expect a decision shortly.

We reported yesterday that the BBC were considering axing Australian soap opera, Neighbours, from their schedule as the price per episode has risen dramatically since they signed their last contract.

It has emerged today that ITV have grasped this opportunity with both hands and have now initiated a bidding war with the BBC over the show.

The BBC currently pays £25,000 per episode of the show and was prepared to pay up to £70,000. But this might not be enough to hold onto the most popular British daytime show, as ITV have thrown a massive bid of £100,000 per episode on the table.

Emma Bunton will star in two epsiodes of Neighbours,as herself, in May this year.

The show filmed two shows in London and also appearing are Julian Clary, Michael Parkinson and Neil Morrissey… as a vicar! Natalie Bassingthwaighte, who formerly played Izzy on the show will also be making her return.

Bassingthwaighte told Whats On TV: “I thought, ‘Am I going to remember how to play Izzy..?’ But it felt quite easy. And I had two of the best actors to work with opposite me. It was a blast.

“Emma Bunton was sweet as pie and she was tiny. Julian was very quiet.”

The episode will screen on BBC One on Thursday, May 24.