Did you spot these fun moments?
Neighbours has been having fun with us these past few weeks, as the Australian soap gears up for its untimely finale. As a result, the writers have inserted some frankly genius Easter eggs in recent episodes, and we’ve been loving each and every one of them! But did you spot them along the way?
From that nod to Lucy Robinson’s (Melissa Bell) recasts, to brother Paul’s (Stefan Dennis) time reminiscing on past affairs and a famous painting choosing the perfect moment to fall, RadioTimes.com has rounded up all the best golden moments from recent instalments. So join us as we dose up on some serious nostalgia!
Neighbours Easter eggs
1. Ode to three Lucys
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When the residents of Ramsay Street gathered together for Toadie Rebecchi’s (Ryan Moloney) engagement party, the precious memory book was passed around among them. And when Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett) looked over the various photos of half-sister Lucy, he remarked that it was like looking at “three different people”.
This gave fans a chuckle, because star Bell is the third actress to play Lucy, after Kylie Flinker and Sasha Close. A nice way to acknowledge all three ladies, and an entertaining nod to the fact that recasts can’t always be identical!
2. Mrs Mangel is watching!
Nell Mangel (Vivean Gray) was the judgemental, cantankerous grandmother of Jane Harris (Annie Jones). Decades after she first appeared in Neighbours, Jane brought a painting of her nan to hang pride of place at the Tanaka-Brennans’ residence, where Jane has been living. And when her son Byron Stone (Joe Klocek) revealed he had been working as an escort, that recreated image of Mrs Mangel fell off the wall at the exact moment of the bombshell!
Viewers hailed this as TV gold, with the formidable character managing to find a way to express her disapproval through the mischievous minds of the Neighbours team.
3. Paul and Shane recall past nonsense
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As Paul caught up with old pal Shane Ramsay (Peter O’Brien), the latter saw a photo of some fellow Ramsays that happened to connect both men. Looking at the image of Kate, Sophie and Harry, Shane and Paul mulled over the fact that the trio’s mother Jill was the product of an affair between Paul’s mother Anne and Shane’s dad Max.
The duo concluded that “it didn’t make any sense!” before making the same sentiment over Paul’s shocking discovery that he had fathered Leo (Tim Kano) and David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) with Kim Taylor (Jenny Young). Viewers appreciated this reference to two major retcons in the Neighbours universe.
4. Remembering Lisa Elliot
As they presented Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) with the new memory book for Ramsay Street, Levi Canning (Richie Morris) read him a list of names – all characters who had apparently remembered him fondly while making their own contributions. But when Levi read out the name ‘Lisa Elliot’, Harold simply replied: “Who?”
Brutal! But fans could identify with his reaction, as poor Lisa (Kate Straub) wasn’t considered a very memorable character in their eyes either! Featuring in the show back in 1997, teacher Lisa was called out for not actually reading her students’ work before she marked it.
5. The Sarah Beaumont factor
As Mal Kennedy (Benjamin McNair) talked to Toadie about his relationship with his dad Karl’s (Alan Fletcher) ex-lover Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), he pointed out that his family had weathered awkward storms like this before.
Mal followed this up with an example for those who may not remember, explaining that his dad had also had an affair with Mal’s sister-in-law Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles). And with Izzy also the mother to Karl’s daughter Holly, we’re actually surprised it’s taken his wife Susan (Jackie Woodburne) this long to wreak revenge!
6. Tribute to Bouncer
Shane was showing Izzy his two new cars when he revealed that one of them was called ‘Bouncer’. As she questioned this decision, Shane told her that it was in tribute to a mate’s dog. Bouncer featured in Neighbours until 1993; and the creature was once the focus of an episode from his own perspective in dream form!
7. Love locks for Sky and Lana
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As Kiri Durant (Gemma Bird Matheson) contemplated taking a chance on love with Nicolette Stone (Charlotte Chimes), she wandered around looking at the love locks nearby. The camera then panned on one which bared the names Sky and Lana. Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh) first embarked on a tentative romance with Lana Crawford (Bridget Neval) in 2004, but it didn’t last.
Then in 2020, the pair were reunited to coincide with Lassiter’s big wedding event. A number of other couples got married, including Sky and Lana. Seeing their names on the love lock was a great tribute to one of Neighbours’ most memorable couples.
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Neighbours’ final episode premieres on Friday 29th July at 9pm, followed by Neighbours: What Happened Next? at 10:05pm and Neighbours: The Stars’ Greatest Hits at 11:30pm on Channel 5. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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