Neighbours fans were left a little disappointed when Kylie Minogue said so little in the final episode last week - but now a boss of the show has revealed the real reason behind her short lines.
The pop icon had such limited dialogue during her sensational return to the show that made her a household name and Neighbours boss Jason Herbison has spoken out following Friday's finale of the much-loved soap. It came after the internet went wild with theories pondering why Kylie hardly spoke during her cameo - including one that suggested she was paid per word, writes The Mirror.
The I Should Be So Lucky hitmaker returned to Ramsay Street alongside former co-star Jason Donovan for the iconic Australian soap's finale which aired on Friday night in an hour-long special after 37 years on screens. Kylie, 54, played Charlene Robinson between 1986 and 1988 and was the main character in one of the most-viewed weddings in soap history.
A staggering 19.8 million UK viewers tuned in to watch Charlene tie the knot with Scott Robinson, played by Jason, in November 1988. Fans had been eagerly awaiting their return to the soap, but were stunned to watch Kylie utter less than five audible words in her final outing as mechanic Charlene.
After the finale aired, one person wrote on Twitter: "Was Kylie's fee per word too high or did she not have much time to rehearse? She barely spoke!" Many agreed and shared similar sentiments - with some suggesting Kylie is "far too famous to learn lines".
However, Neighbours boss Jason has revealed Kylie's lack of lines was actually due to the fact the singer and her co-star Jason only planned to make a "small appearance" on the show, as they didn’t want to "overshadow" the current cast members. "We also filmed their scenes before I’d written the episode, so whatever we filmed had to fit in with that," TV boss Jason has explained.
"I hate to see Kylie copping any criticism – she was nothing short of amazing on the day." Kylie and Jason's cameo on Ramsay Street may have been short and sweet, but fans still loved the trip down memory lane.
As the two comeback stars arrived on the street in the final episode, Especially for You - their duet as Kylie and Jason - was heard playing on the radio. And when they stopped and pulled up, they remarked on all the for sale signs on the houses. Declaring their home, Scott leaned in to kiss Charlene on the head in a sweet moment.
"Wow wow wow," Scott said as they stepped out of the car, "This is crazy. We made it eh?" Charlene then declared: "Home sweet home." Charlene's only other audible word in the cameo appearance was when she exclaimed "Harold!" after seeing fan favourite Harold Bishop.
"While Kylie didn't say any lines.... I mean, I don't really care, I still loved it and her and Jason on screen together," one fan mused after the show aired on Channel 5 on Friday. Neighbours has been a hugely popular show in the UK since its inception in 1985 but it was confirmed earlier this year that the soap would come to an end this summer.
This was due to Channel 5 was dropping the show from its line-up to "focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama", despite the programme being the fourth-most watched soap in the UK. The Australian soap bid farewell to its viewers last week with a whole host of former stars - including Margot Robbie and Holly Valance - making a cameo in the final episode.
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