As we rejoice over the imminent return of Kylie and Jason, here’s everything we know about who’s coming back to Ramsay Street ahead of the big finale.
We’re still in mourning over the sad news that Neighbours has been axed after 37 years – but the show certainly isn’t going off the air without a fanfare. A number of familiar faces have chosen to reprise their popular roles in the soap, sparking lots of speculation over many more returns.
So as Neighbours prepares for its final curtain, we’re taking a look at the characters heading home for the final time. We’ll be updating this list if and when the soap unveils any additional cast comebacks.
So join us as we lift the mood with this handy guide detailing all those confirmed to be back very soon.
Who is returning to Neighbours for soap’s ending?
1. Scott & Charlene Robinson (Jason Donovan & Kylie Minogue)
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Scott and Charlene, who married in an iconic ceremony way back in 1987, will be back in time for the final curtain. The couple departed the show separately within a year of each other but ultimately ended up staying together off-screen, settling down in Brisbane.
“Scott and Charlene are the ultimate Neighbours couple and it would not feel right to end the show without them
— Neighbours (@neighbours) May 1, 2022
We are thrilled that Jason and Kylie have come home to play a very special part in our series finale… pic.twitter.com/79yUwMkpFb
Stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan went on to have hugely successful pop careers, and the pair have remained friends. After inevitable speculation, there was much excitement when series producer Jason Herbison released a statement confirming that Minogue and Donovan are indeed popping back to commemorate the soap’s big finale, which is due to air in August.
Herbison said: “We are thrilled that Jason and Kylie have come home to play a very special part in our series finale. It has been an emotional experience for them, for us and I’m sure it will be for our viewers.” How are Scott and Charlene faring in life and love after all these years? We’re sure to find out!
2. Harold Bishop (Ian Smith)
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Harold was an integral presence on Neighbours for many years, known for his popular marriage to Madge (Anne Charleston). In his time on the show, Harold suffered a stroke which changed his personality, and was lost at sea only to return with amnesia years later! Smith left the show in 2009, but Harold did make a few cameos in the years since, and was last seen in 2015.
Today is our birthday - it's been 37 years since we first appeared on screen! ???? ????
— Neighbours (@NeighboursTV) March 18, 2022
We can't think of a better day to have a #Neighbours LEGEND return to Erinsborough! ???? pic.twitter.com/AWWPREtuEi
Actor Ian Smith was revealed to be back filming as a beloved former Ramsay Street resident in February, as co-star Alan Fletcher (Dr Karl Kennedy) confirmed the news on ITV’s This Morning. Neighbours’ official Twitter account later posted a clip featuring Smith standing outside Harold’s café, thrilling the soap’s fans. We can’t wait to see what Harold has to say after all this time!
3. Shane Ramsay (Peter O’Brien)
Shane was in the last scene way back in 1987 when he left to travel the country. This came after a dramatic couple of years on Neighbours, which saw Shane facing a charge of manslaughter and a serious injury derailing his Olympic dreams.
During his time on the soap, Shane also teamed up with Clive Gibbons (Geoff Paine) – so perhaps we’ll see a nostalgic reunion between the pals.
4. Pierce Greyson (Tim Robards)
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In 2020, actor Tim Robards quit his role as Pierce Greyson – but had to finish filming earlier than expected due to personal commitments. At the time, Pierce was married to Chloe Brennan (April-Rose Pengilly) and in the midst of a passionate affair with Dipi Rebecchi (Sharon Johal) – Neighbours recast the role for a short time so that the storyline could be wrapped up.
Don Hany took over as Pierce before the character eventually departed for Sydney – and Hany later reprised the role so Pierce could visit his son Hendrix (Benny Turland). But Neighbours will now welcome back original star Robards for a guest stint to be set in Sydney, which occurs in the wake of Hendrix receiving a shocking diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.
5. Lisa Rowsthorn (Jane Allsop)
Hendrix’s mum Lisa first debuted in 2020, and made her mark by asking Pierce to father another child with her by providing a sample – an awkward scenario to consider when he was still married to Chloe! Lisa also nearly entered into an agreement to have a baby for David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) and his husband Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson).
Lisa departed when she learned she was already pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s baby. Lisa will be back on-screen in a guest capacity, in order to support Hendrix as his tough new storyline continues.
6. Paige Smith (Olympia Valance)
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The most recent cast return to be announced, star Olympia will be reprising her role for Neighbours finale. Her character Paige was first seen in 2014 as the long-lost daughter of Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall). She also had an on-off relationship with Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor).
Initially departing Ramsay Street with son Gabriel, Paige made a temporary return in 2020, where she reunited with Mark and they married. Returning to Adelaide, Paige was revealed to be pregnant off-screen and she and Mark had a baby boy, Freddie.
Speaking about her return to the show, Olympia said: “Neighbours has always felt like home to me. It was my first acting job, and it taught me so much. There is a reason why everyone refers to Neighbours as the best training ground in the TV.”
7. Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall)
It’s now been announced Paige’s mother Lauren will also be back in time for Neighbours’ send-off. Fans will recall that when Lauren departed Erinsborough, she had recently married Brad and the pair moved away together in 2017. But Lauren made a number of returns since then, most notably when Paige fell ill amid giving birth to son Gabe and was later back for her grandson’s naming day.
Now she’s confirmed to be present for the big goodbye, but is she back alone? Is she simply accompanying Paige, or will both women be joined by their spouses? We’ll have to wait and see!
8. Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson)
It was an Honour to play Joel Samuels one last time! To give my thanks to #Neighbours cast, crew & loyal fans. Little did I know when I started there at 17, it would be the platform for a lifetime of Adventure. Was great to have Joel & Toadfish reunited ????????????✅???????? pic.twitter.com/UeA00bHeNm
— Daniel MacPherson (@DanMacPherson) May 7, 2022
MacPherson has been very vocal about his excitement in playing Joel one more time – a role he last played in 2002. Posting on Twitter, he said: “It was an Honour to play Joel Samuels one last time! To give my thanks to #Neighbours cast, crew & loyal fans. Little did I know when I started there at 17, it would be the platform for a lifetime of Adventure. Was great to have Joel & Toadfish reunited.”
9. Joe Mangel (Mark Little)
Joe was last seen in 2005 when he left for Western Australia to be with son Toby. His legacy on Neighbours goes back to 1988, and he still has connections on Ramsay Street in the form of niece Jane Harris (Annie Jones) and ex-wife Melanie Pearson (Lucinda Cowden). Will Joe’s return extend to further comebacks for his extended clan?
10. Des Clarke (Paul Keane)
One of the twelve original characters crafted by Neighbours creator Reg Watson, Des’s first stint ran from 1985 until 1990. He has returned several times in line with the show’s milestone 30 and 35 anniversaries, so it’s fitting that actor Keane will be back for the soap’s big send-off.
Des was last seen in 2021, where he met up with Jane Harris to discuss the breakdown of their short-lived marriage after a spontaneous ceremony the year before.
11. Mal Kennedy (Benjamin McNair)
Karl and Susan’s eldest child, Mal, has also made a habit of reappearing over the years. The last time we saw him onscreen was 2014, when he announced that he was about to become a father. He later returned to London as his wife gave birth to their daughter. Mal will be seen with his parents for the first time in almost a decade, and hopefully we’ll find out what kind of man he is now!
12. Callum Rebecchi (Morgan Baker)
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Callum is the adopted son of Toadie, but when his biological mum Sonya (Eve Morey) arrived to find her son, she fell in love with Toadie and after the inevitable drama, the clan were as tight-knit as could be. Fans were devastated when Sonya passed away from cancer in 2019, and although Callum was living away from Erinsborough he was reunited with his parents before he mother died.
Toadie, Nell and Hugo later joined Callum as he returned to California for work, where he has remained ever since. But happily, Callum will be making his way home to be with his loved ones once more.
13. Angie Rebecchi (Lesley Baker)
The mum of Toadie, straight-talking Angie has come and gone from Ramsay Street several times, always on hand if her relatives need her. The last occasion saw Angie return for Sonya’s memorial, and three years on she’s due to pop back for her last ever flying visit.
14. Yashvi Rebecchi (Olivia Junkeer)
Yashvi relocated last July, wanting to join parents Dipi (Sharon Johal) and Shane (Nicholas Coghlan) for a fresh start in Sydney. She was able to transfer to the police department there, and hasn’t been seen since. But happily, we’ll get one last glimpse of Vi before Neighbours draws to a close.
With her cousin and grandmother also returning, it’ll be a great family reunion for Ramsay Street veteran Toadie (Ryan Moloney)! Yashvi will also be able to catch up with friends, from those also making their way home to those who still live in Erinsborough.
15. Andrew Robinson (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Elle Robinson (Pippa Black)
Stars Smith and Black join the massive list of those reprising their roles for the iconic soap’s last hurrah. Andrew was last seen in 2013, when he and girlfriend Natasha exited to travel around Europe. His sister Elle, meanwhile, originally left Erinsborough in 2009 to follow her dreams in New York. Elle made an appearance in 2019 when dad Paul (Stefan Dennis) found out she was connected to a plot by his ex-wives.
16. Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte)
Karl Kennedy actor Alan Fletcher previously teased a return from someone in his alter ego’s “sordid past”. Enter Izzy, who he had an affair with in 2003, breaking poor Susan’s heart. Izzy was last seen fairly recently, as she popped back to Erinborough in 2018, during which time she stole Karl’s sperm in an effort to get pregnant with his baby!
Only in soapland, folks!
17. Chris Pappas (James Mason)
Chris was the first regular gay character to be prominent in Neighbours when he arrived in 2010. His sexuality storyline was based on the experiences of the shows writers. In his time on the show, Chris dealt with coming out as well as homophobia, and before he departed for New York in 2015, he fathered a child with Lucy Robinson (Melissa Bell), who recently popped back herself.
Like many of his fellow ex co-stars, actor Mason will be back for the soap’s finale in August.
18. Elly Conway (Jodi Gordon)
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We haven’t seen Elly since the summer of 2020, when she and baby daughter Aster departed for a new life with Aster’s father Shaun Watkins (Brad Moller). The pair moved to Switzerland together, and as fas as we know, have been happy and settled ever since.
But with aunt and uncle Susan and Karl Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher) still around in Ramsay Street, as well as on-off love interest Chloe Brennan (April-Rose Pengilly), and plenty of friends in between, it’s fitting that we’ll see Elly before we bid farewell.
19. Amy Williams (Zoe Cramond)
Back in 2020, Amy moved to New York to be with son Jimmy. Brother Leo (Tim Kano) was also living there at the time, although he is currently back living in Erinsborough. Amy will have plenty more reunions on the way in the form of her other siblings, dad Paul and uncle Glen (Richard Huggett).
20. Lucas Fitzgerald (Scott Major)
Lucas has made a number of comebacks since his original exit back in 2013, and was last seen only last year when he returned to check up on the garage he still owns. He was then forced to fire Bea Nilsson (Bonnie Anderson) after she stole a file from the car of Sheila Canning #2 (Shareena Clanton). Star Major will be back once again, in time to reunite with his friends for the big finale.
21. Kyle and Roxy Canning (Chris Milligan and Zima Anderson)
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In a heartwarming happy ever after, Kyle and Roxy found out they were expecting a baby after a false start with ITV following Kyle’s cancer battle. They decided to move to Roxy’s hometown Darwin just a few weeks ago, where we later learned they now had a puppy which they named Levi!
We’ve already been treated to a glimpse of Roxy as she advised cousin Ned to make a fresh start. But she and Kyle will soon be back as a duo, which will no doubt delight their loved ones. We can’t wait to see how the pair are coping with all the new changes in their lives!
22. Ned Willis (Ben Hall)
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Viewers will know that Ned’s exit has only just aired in the UK, but it won’t be the last we see of him. Ned headed to Sydney after his split with Amy (Jacinta Stapleton) and fling with Harlow (Jemma Donovan).
At least we’ll get to see how Ned’s new life is faring before Neighbours’ final act – has he reunited with the also returning Yashvi?
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Neighbours usually airs on Channel 5 on Weekdays at 1:45pm. A repeat of the episode also airs later in the day at 5:30pm. Visit our dedicated Neighbours page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide.
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