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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Kyle O'Sullivan

Where Neighbours cast are now - Hollywood megastar brothers and brutal co-star dumping

Neighbours is facing the chop - and fans across the globe have been left in floods of tears.

The much-loved Australian soap has been on our screens for nearly 40 years, proving to be more popular in our own shores than it is Down Under, formerly on the BBC and then Channel 5.

However, Channel 5 have announced they won't be airing more trips to Erinsborough to see Doctor Karl, Susan and Toadie when their contract ends in August 2022 - leaving the soap with a bleak future unless another UK broadcaster is secured.

Over the last four decades, a host of household names have started off their careers on Neighbours before going off to be A-list stars.

From pop sensations to acting royalty, big names such as Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie and the Hemsworth brothers all had roles in the soap opera.

Neighbours has also become well known for its celebrity cameos - with David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Lily Allen, Dave Bautista, The Pet Shop Boys, Emma Bunton and most recently Amanda Holden shooting scenes.

The current Neighbours legends holding up the famous Ramsay Street sign (Handout)

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Bosses are reportedly approaching a number of former cast members, including pop sensation Kylie Minogue, to make a special return for the final ever episodes.

It's believed there is a gap in revenue of millions of pounds from what the show makes in advertising and what it costs to produce, so unless a miracle happens then it will be getting axed.

A spokesperson for Channel 5 said: "Neighbours will no longer air on Channel 5 beyond this summer. It’s been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we’d like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.

"We’d also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.

"We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers."

So with Neighbours sadly heading towards its conclusion, here's a look at what happened to some of its famous former cast members.

Kylie Minogue - Charlene Mitchell

Before making it big in the music industry, Kylie Minogue was popping up on Neighbours.

The Spinning Around singer played schoolgirl turned garage mechanic Charlene Mitchell from 1986 until 1988.

The 1987 on-screen wedding between Charlene and Scott Robison (Jason Doovan) was watched by a staggering 19.6 million people and is still hailed as the most iconic TV nuptials ever.

They both launched music careers, singing together in the hit classic Especially For You in 1988, but their relationship spilled over into real life.

For three years, the young couple were very much in love but as their careers exploded it meant they were often apart as they both travelled the world to promote their music.

After getting three consecutive Australian number one singles, Kylie decided to leave Neighbours to focus on her music career.

The I Should Be So Lucky songstress has a Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards and became the first female artist to have a chart-topping album in the UK for five consecutive decades.

After years of struggling to find love, it seems Kylie has finally found happiness with GQ boss Paul Solomons.

The Aussie star gushed about her man, saying: "Who says you can't be soppy and romantic in later life? Particularly when you find such a good and true love."

Jason Donovan - Scott Robinson

Scott and Charlene's 1997 wedding attracted 18 million viewers in Britain (AFP)
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan pictured together on the set of Neighbours in 1990 (Getty Images)

Aussie heartthrob Jason Donovan joined Neighbours in 1986 as a replacement for the original Scott Robinson actor.

After three years in the soap, Jason decided to leave to pursue a pop career - achieving four UK number one singles and selling over 3 million records in the UK.

Jason admits it's still too painful to speak to Kylie about their break-up, even though they remain friends, after she rang him to say she had met and fallen in love with a bad boy of rock, INXS frontman Michael Hutchence.

"It was an extremely painful parting of the ways and, without a doubt, I took a long time to recover from it. Years, definitely," he told the Mirror in 2016.

"It was bad enough that she'd run off with anybody but she happened to run into the arms of the greatest rock god of the period, the very guy who I secretly wanted to be. That was a pretty big punch to take."

While appearing on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Jason confessed that his own jealousy of her solo success likely contributed to his split from Kylie.

Jason went on to marry Angela Malloch, with whom he shares children Jemma, Zac, and Molly, and has become a massive musicals stars - appearing most prominently in the lead role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the early 90s.

Last year, Jason competed in Dancing on Ice but was forced to withdraw from the competition in week 6 due to a back injury.

Margot Robbie - Donna Freedman

At the age of just 17, Margot Robbie moved to Melbourne and repeatedly contacted the Neighbours casting director to ask for a meeting.

Margot thought she had blown the audition and went to Canada for a five-week snowboarding holiday, but two days later got a call to say she needed to return after succeeding.

Originally meant to be a guest stint, the actress stayed as Donna Freedman from 2008 until 2011 and bosses battled to extend her stay.

Explaining why she was going, Margot said : "I want to go to America; it's always been my goal to work in Hollywood. It's the one stage in my life where I have absolutely nothing holding me down."

Since then her career rise has been incredible, playing Leonardo DiCaprio's wife Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street and Harley Quinn in three DC superhero movies.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress is married to British filmmaker Tom Ackerley and they now live in California.

Chris Hemsworth - Jamie Kane

Chris Hemsworth only appeared in one episode of Neighbours back in 2002 - but how can we not include the Hollywood icon?

The Thor star, who is now among the highest-paid actors in the world, worked with Steph Scully at a garage.

But it ended badly when she ratted her out because she didn't call the police when her ex-boyfriend robbed them.

Chris only got the chance to be in one episode but interestingly moved to rival Australian soap Home and Away in which he starred for more than 150 episodes.

Since 2011, Chris has been putting on a blonde wig and pretending to be an Asgardian Prince in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He has also appeared in The Cabin in the Woods, Rush, Snow White and the Hunstman and Men in Black: International.

Liam Hemsworth - Josh Taylor

It really is a family show as Chris' brother Liam Hemsworth played a recurring character from 2007 to 2008.

Liam played Bridget Parker's paraplegic friend Josh after she was paralysed down one side of her body following a car crash.

However, after going on some dates she decided she was really in love with someone else.

It must be a curse as Liam found the same thing happening to his character in The Hunger Games.

Liam is best known for playing Gale Hawthorne in the film series, who got friendzoned by Jennifer Lawrence's character Catniss.

The actor has also appeared in Independence Day: Resurgence, The Last Song and made guest appearances in Home and Away.

Holly Valance

Holly Valance was cast as Felicity Scully in 1999 and stayed for three years.

Better known as Flick, her character was Holly's first major TV role and she was only 15 when she auditioned.

Of her departure, she said "I've learnt so much. I kept telling myself I wasn't going to cry, it's so sad to be leaving. I've made such good friends and learnt so much. When I started, I didn't know a thing."

She did reprise her role for the show's 20th anniversary special but has since moved into the music industry - producing bangers such as Kiss Kiss and Down Boy.

Although she had done a bit of acting, appearing in Prison Break, Taken and Strictly Come Dancing in 2011.

Russell Crowe - Kenny Larkin

Are you not entertained?

Before he became a Gladiator, Russell Crowe had a guest spot on Neighbours as dodgy ex-con Kenny Larkin in 1987.

The Hollywood A-lister appeared in four episodes as a bloke who was up to no good at all, nicking money and ruining Henry Mitchell's gardening business.

His antics got him banned from Lassiter's and he was never seen again.

But we definitely did see Russell again as he won an Academy Award for playing Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator in 200.

He has also appeared in The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander, Cinderella Man, Robin Hood and Man of Steel.

Natalie Imbruglia - Beth Brennan

Natalie Imbruglia said her life changed overnight when she was cast as Beth Brennan in the soap.

Between 1992 and 1994 she played the builder's apprentice who jilted partner Brad Willis on their wedding day after discovering his affair with Lauren Carpenter.

Natalie became disappointed with her character's scripts and asked to be written out, but thought her exit was unrealistic.

In 1998, Imbruglia stated that after leaving Neighbours she spent twelve months feeling "bitter and twisted" about the creative differences she experienced with the show's production.

The singer had a chart-topper with her cover of Torn and has combined album sales of 3 million worldwide.

Although she is mostly known for her music career these days, Imbruglia keeps her hand in with the acting and has appeared in a handful of movies including Underdogs and Johnny English.

Guy Pearce - Mike Young

English actor Guy Pearce started out his career playing Mike Young in Neighbours from 1986 until 1989.

His family had relocated to Australia when was was three-years-old and he began filming after his last year 12 exam.

"I experienced hysteria at a pretty high pitch with that show," he once said.

"I'm not embarrassed by having done it now, not at all. It was an amazing experience, an amazing opportunity. And I was only 18."

Pearce decided to leave in 1989 because producers did not want him to play Errol Flynn in a biopic film.

Since then he has appeared in The Hurt Locker, Memento, Prometheus, Iron Man 3 and The Time Machine.

Alan Dale - Jim Robison

Alan Dale has been in pretty much everything so it should come as no surprise the New Zealander was in Neighbours.

The former male model, car salesman and milkman moved to Australia in the late 70s and bagged a role as Jim Robinson in 1985.

Alan appeared on the show from the first episode and stayed for eight years before his character was killed off in 1993.

He left on 'bad terms' and claimed the production company 'didn't put any value on any of the people appearing in the show' - but he did return in 2018 and 2019.

Initially he struggled while being 'typecast' as Jim Robinson, mainly just doing voice overs, but revived his career when he relocated to the US in 2000.

Since then he has appeared in The O.C., Ugly Betty, Lost, The West Wing, The X-Files and Entourage.

He has also had minor film roles in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

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