The Neighbours finale on Friday left thousands of fans in floods of tears as the Australian soap came to an end after 37 years.
Come Monday afternoon, Michelle Ainsworth, who has seen every single episode, of which there are almost 9,000, is beside herself.
The 48-year-old, from Rotherham, planned to walk her dogs this afternoon during the time it should have usually aired on Channel 5 to stop herself from moping around the house, she says.
Michelle believes the TV show helped shape her life and compares the loss after its axing to a bereavement.
"It's heartbreaking. I've gotten up this morning and it's like... 'Neighbours isn't on today. What do I do now?'" Michelle tells The Mirror .
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"Knowing it's gone... it is like a loss, like a bereavement - something is missing from my life.
"I've watched the finale twice and I can't get through it without balling my eyes out and I don't usually cry - I'm hard as nails.
"It's only a TV show so why such a visceral reaction? I can't explain it."
Neighbours first aired in 1985 and was around for almost four decades.
It followed the lives of those living and working in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough and it is where a handful of Hollywood actors found fame.
Michelle, who is a full-time mum to nine-year-old daughter Lacey, began watching the show when she was 11 - and would record it whilst she was at school.
She says it has helped her deal with problems such as breakups while also opening her mind and educating her on the latest societal issues, such as transgender equality.
Watching the show has also made her a better mum, she adds.
"It was part of my life. It was my 24 minutes of joy a day where you just forgot about everything else," Michelle reflects.
"Watching that show helped you put things into perspective."
Citing the recent storyline played by transgender actress Georgie Stone, who joined in 2019 as Mackenzie Hargreaves, Michelle says conversations about transgender and non-binary people with her daughter were prompted as a direct result of watching the show together.
"Neighbours covered topics at a level that is acceptable for all ages... to show things like transgender in such a compassionate way...," Michelle begins.
"It's helped me to see you don't operate by being mean. Show people kindness - that's the way to go.
"There is too much hate in the world but things like that are really important. It helped the whole world to come to a point of understanding."
Michelle, whose favourite character of Ramsay Street was Mike Young, played by Guy Pearce, says she was gobsmacked by Channel 5's decision to stop airing the show.
As a result, she has chosen to boycott the broadcaster.
"I'm not watching Channel 5 again," Michelle vows.
"I appreciate it was expensive to make and you could tell the production values had changed.
"But to all of a sudden just say bye bye on it... I think Channel 5 has done a complete disservice."
Channel 5 announced it was putting an end to airing the much-loved soap to "focus on increasing investment in original UK drama" - despite the programme being the fourth-most watched soap in the country.
Producers behind Neighbours said that after losing the slot on Channel 5, they were unable to find a replacement broadcaster.
"Following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK and despite an extensive search for alternative funding, we simply have no option but to rest the show," the official Twitter account said.
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"To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team."
They added: "We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours."
The finale episode of Neighbours on Channel 5 on July 29 attracted an average audience of 2.5 million, the broadcaster said, and had a peak audience of 3.0 million as the show drew to a close.
Channel 5 said this was the highest outing for the popular show on the channel since it moved over in 2008.
Mum-of-one Michelle admits that while she is under no illusions that her favourite soap could return, she is still coming to terms with it no longer being on her screen and still needs to adjust the recording schedule on her TV.
"I'm absolutely gutted," she adds. "I have no idea what will fill that hole."
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