# UK Soap and Drama Discussion > Neighbours > Spoilers >  Neighbours 35th Anniversary Spoilers 2020

## Pantherboy

Neighbours confirms 9 returnees for 35th Anniversary. Digital Spy article:


*Neighbours confirms nine returnees for 35th anniversary celebrations
"Itâs all very special and the storyline is awesome."*

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...anie-mcintosh/

March 2020 will mark the 35th anniversary of iconic Australian soap Neighbours, and you just know that the show is going to do something special for the occasion.

Although March is still a while away, it has already been confirmed that a whole host of Neighbours legends will be returning to Ramsay Street.

The list includes (deep breath): Stephanie McIntosh (Sky Mangel), Bruce Samazan (Mark Gottlieb), Melissa Bell (Lucy Robinson), Olympia Valance (Paige Smith) and Paul Keane (Des Clarke).

Andrew Morley (Jack Callahan), Annie Jones (Jane Harris), Damien Bodie (Dylan Timmins) and Scott McGregor (Mark Brennan) will also be making a return. 

Yep, that's nine icons coming back to the show for the major milestone. And if that weren't enough, Denise Van Outen will be adding to the celebrations when her character Prue Wallace returns on-air in March in scenes she filmed earlier this year.

In a statement (via TV Tonight), McIntosh said: "I am thrilled to be back on Ramsay Street, at my old stomping ground to celebrate such a great milestone, it truly is a lovely honour to be invited back.

"I canât wait for fans of the show to see what Sky has been up to and to have the opportunity to reconnect with her, as will I! 

"Itâs all very special and the storyline is awesome, remaining true and authentic to who Sky has been and is!"

Bell added: "I love what I do, Iâm still very passionate about acting and itâs great to see the character evolving â like we all do in life. 

"I have returned a number of times now, Iâm probably the most consistent character to reappear which is quite an honour!

"I was really interested in seeing how the character has grown and Iâm also in a different space in my own personal life, so I was really excited to be invited back. 

"I donât want to give anything away but I absolutely love the storyline, itâs brilliant."

While the producers are keeping quiet about the storylines planned, they have promised there will be romance, reminiscing, reprisals, scores settled, long-time secrets revealed, as well lots of laughs amongst all the drama. 

Executive Producer of Neighbours, Jason Herbison, said: âNeighbours has a reputation for going big with our anniversary milestones and the 35th will be no exception. 

"Weâre thrilled to be joined by an honour-roll of returnees, chosen to represent a cross section of past eras of the show. 

"Together weâre in the midst of filming our most ambitious storylines ever and I canât wait for viewers to see what we have in store.â

*Neighbours airs every weekday at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).*



And some related stories:


*Melissa Bell, Stephanie McIntosh for Neighbours 35th anniversary*

https://tvtonight.com.au/2019/11/mel...niversary.html


*Bruce Samazan talks his Neighbours return and beloved character Mark Gottlieb
He's not the only star making a surprise comeback!*

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebri...n-return-60448
*

Olympia Valance, Stephanie McIntosh and more return to Ramsay Street for Neighbours' 35th Anniversary
Erinsborough's never been so busy...*

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebri...iversary-60453

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ChrisRF (30-11-2019), mcleanclan (03-02-2020), Ruffed_lemur (25-11-2019)

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## Pantherboy

Also in 2020, Deborra-Lee Furness (aka Mrs Hugh Jackman), will be directing an adoption based storyline in Neighbours. *News.com.au* article:


*Deborra-Lee Furness on her surprising return to Australian TV screens
Sheâs an Australian entertainment veteran who has found success overseas â but now sheâs making a surprising return to our TV screens.*

https://www.news.com.au/entertainmen...db48ad9956e713

"EXCLUSIVE

Everybody needs a neighbour like Deborra-Lee Furness (aka Mrs Hugh Jackman).

Sheâs understanding, funny, self-deprecating, is fiercely protective of her family and friends, and has made a career out of fighting injustice. Sheâs pretty much the perfect blend.

But not content with spending the last decade lobbying government after government for change in adoption legislation via her charity, Adopt Change, Furness is now set to use one of Australiaâs longest-running soaps as a platform to raise public awareness of the horrific state of adoption in the country.

Oh, and in case you didnât get it, the âneighboursâ bit in our intro was a hint.

âIâm going to direct a block of Neighbours in which theyâll be highlighting adoption through some of the regular characters,â Furness tells news.com.au exclusively. âAnd Iâm thrilled. Weâll likely have more impact through a soap opera that people engage with, plus as an artist, itâs a great way for me to tell stories and to get the message out.â

The details remain TBC at this point and are very much still in the initial planning stages, plus â as Furness freely admits â sheâs not great with the minutiae.

âIâm a big picture person â Iâm not good with details,â she says. âBut Iâm having a powwow tomorrow with the team in Australia to work out the nuances of how weâll tell the reality of whatâs involved in adoption, before flying down in March to shoot. Iâll be there for a month all up.â...â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â  ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦."

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ChrisRF (19-02-2020), Perdita (25-11-2019), Ruffed_lemur (25-11-2019)

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## Pantherboy

Digital Spy article:


*Neighbours star Stefan Dennis drops hints about "explosive" 35th anniversary storyline
"Dramatic, suspenseful, twisty."*

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...stefan-dennis/

Neighbours star Stefan Dennis has teased the upcoming 35th anniversary storyline, calling it "one of the most dramatic, suspenseful, twisty, and explosive" in the show's history.

To mark the occasion, the Australian soap is bringing back several familiar faces, and Dennis â who plays Paul Robinson â told Digital Spy that viewers should be very excited to see what's in store come March 2020.

"I'm really not allowed to say anything," he said. "The only thing I can tell you is, it's probably one of the most dramatic, suspenseful, twisty, and explosive storylines that there has been on Neighbours.

"And I know that we always say that when a big storyline is coming up â but hang on to your hats and your seats for this one."

The stars returning to Ramsay Street so far include Stephanie McIntosh, Bruce Samazan, Melissa Bell, Olympia Valance, Paul Keane, Andrew Morley, Annie Jones, Damien Bodie, and Scott McGregor. 

"I'm working with Annie Jones (who plays Jane Harris) at the moment, and it's just a delight," Dennis shared, saying that he's excited for everybody returning.

"Probably one of the people I'm most looking forward to coming back is Paul Keane (Des Clarke). He's a dear friend. We lost contact for a long time. We sort of regained it a few years ago, it's just fantastic.

"Bruce Samazan (Mark Gottlieb), he was a regular character on the show but that was during the 12 years that I was away. So I never actually worked with Bruce. But I'm working with him now and he's fantastic.

"And somebody else I'm really excited about coming back is Stephanie McIntosh, who plays Skye. I haven't seen Steph since she went to America."

When asked if there's anybody else who he would love to see back, Dennis said that Mark Little is one former star he often has in mind.

"I've always said that I'd love to see Joe Mangel back," he said. "I always love Mark Little and his character. He's one who I always say I'd love to see come back."

Neighbours airs weekdays at 12.50pm and 6pm on Channel 5 (UK) and 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).

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ChrisRF (19-02-2020), Ruffed_lemur (29-11-2019)

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## Pantherboy

Firstly, Merry Christmas everyone (from a very hot & smokey Sydney!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzhd3eUyO8


Digital Spy article:

*Neighbours lines up special one-night live event for 35th anniversary
Christmas has come early in Erinsborough!*

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...ht-live-event/

Christmas has come early for Neighbours fans, as the popular Aussie soap is planning a very special live event to celebrate its upcoming 35th anniversary.

Switching festive preparations for birthday party plans, Maple Tree Entertainment and Fremantle Media have announced they will be bringing some of Ramsay Street's most beloved residents to London for Neighbours: Live in Conversation.

To mark 35 years since the iconic soap first hit our screens, the event will bring together a host of special guests â including cast members past and present â to look back at the incredible history of the show.

And who knows, perhaps even the likes of Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue will be there. We can but hope.

The one-off celebration will give Neighbours fans the chance to share their favourite on-screen moments with stars and fellow viewers alike, and they'll even be given a sneak peek into the future of Erinsborough, too.

The event, which will be held at the London Adelphi Theatre in March next year, will also offer the audience never-before-heard tales from the soap, as well as the opportunity to ask some of their fan-favourite characters their own burning questions.

Tickets for Neighbours: Live in Conversation on Sunday, March 15 will go on sale tomorrow (December 20). For information and bookings, click here.

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ChrisRF (19-02-2020), Mirjam (20-12-2019), Perdita (22-12-2019), Ruffed_lemur (23-12-2019)

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## Mirjam

Merry Xmas to you too from a mild but windy Scotland!

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Pantherboy (20-12-2019)

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## Pantherboy

> Merry Xmas to you too from a mild but windy Scotland!


Thanks Mirjam (my in-laws were from Scotland & have many family members over there).

It is going to be a horrific Saturday here, with a 'catastrophic fire warning' issued for the Greater Sydney Region. It is forecast to be 47 degrees Celsius here in the outer western suburb of Penrith (we even get a mention in this news article):

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...cid=spartanntp

Checkout these photos - almost 3 million hectares have been burnt out in NSW since September:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...orse-ever.html

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## Mirjam

> Thanks Mirjam (my in-laws were from Scotland & have many family members over there).
> 
> It is going to be a horrific Saturday here, with a 'catastrophic fire warning' issued for the Greater Sydney Region. It is forecast to be 47 degrees Celsius here in the outer western suburb of Penrith (we even get a mention in this news article):
> 
> https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...cid=spartanntp
> 
> Checkout these photos - almost 3 million hectares have been burnt out in NSW since September:
> 
> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...orse-ever.html


I'm so sorry to hear the news about the devastating bush fires and that they are destroying your country, please stay safe and I am hoping you will get rain soon! 

Mother Nature can be so beautiful but so cruel at the same time  :Sad:  it's breaking my heart seeing the photos and I feel for all your fellow country men and women who have lost all in these fires

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Pantherboy (21-12-2019)

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## Perdita

> Firstly, Merry Christmas everyone (from a very hot & smokey Sydney!).
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzhd3eUyO8
> 
> 
> Digital Spy article:
> 
> *Neighbours lines up special one-night live event for 35th anniversary
> Christmas has come early in Erinsborough!*
> ...


I have many friends in Australia, very worried about those in Sydney and NWS and now Adelaide too where some have been evacuated.  So far friends in Victoria are not affected by the fires and hopefully that will stay that way.  Praying that the fires can get under control soon and that you and your family and friends and everyone else will be safe.  xo  Merry Christmas  :Smile:

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Mirjam (22-12-2019), Pantherboy (22-12-2019)

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## lizann

if only scott and charlene would make a return

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kaz21 (22-12-2019)

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## Ruffed_lemur

> Firstly, Merry Christmas everyone (from a very hot & smokey Sydney!).
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzhd3eUyO8
> 
> 
> Digital Spy article:
> 
> *Neighbours lines up special one-night live event for 35th anniversary
> Christmas has come early in Erinsborough!*
> ...


Hope all is well for you over there.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! x

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Pantherboy (23-12-2019)

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## Pantherboy

Digital Spy article. Time for Channel 5 to catch up with Australia again??


Neighbours fans launch campaign for Channel 5 to catch up with Australia again
"We need to catch up with the Aussies again."

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...-up-australia/

Neighbours fans in the UK have launched a new campaign for episodes to catch up with Australia after Channel 5 fell behind earlier this year.

Currently, episodes are broadcast in the UK three weeks after airing Down Under, meaning fans have to endure rather a long wait.

The change came back in March amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with UK broadcasters reducing the amount of weekly soap episodes to keep a steady pace and episodes in stock until filming could resume safely.

However, Neighbours' Australian episodes kept at the same pace as usual in the country, meaning their broadcast has fallen somewhat out of sync in the UK.

A new hashtag called #NeighboursCatchUp has now emerged among UK fans urging Channel 5 to catch up with Australia again.

"Right @channel5_tv Give us some #Neighbours joy and get us back to speed with our Aussie buddies. There?s no Covid in Erinsborough so we don?t need to socially distance with the Kennedys!" one fan tweeted.

Another added: "I'm lonely here in Melbourne lockdown- I miss my English/Irish/Scot/Welsh pals because they're three weeks behind the #Neighbours AU broadcast schedule! What is this; 2015? Sync us back up please, @channel5_tv @NeighboursTV! We're the perfect audience blend."

"Please please please @[email protected]_tv as a loyal British viewer since the start of the Kennedy era we need to catch up with the Aussies again," a third tweeted. "I've not watched online and it's very hard to avoid spoilers. I love @neighbours so let's catch up #neighbourscatchup."

Neighbours airs on Channel 5 in the UK and on 10 Peach in Australia.

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## Danners9

It felt like a strange move at the time. Production didn't really suffer. They took a break but they do every year anyway, but there hasn't been any interruption in the broadcast. If there was, sure, I could see why Channel 5 would reduce its schedule, but it should have been led by production in Australia with C5 to follow. 

C5 would have to find shows to slot in, probably at short notice, but to take the decision by themselves is odd. At no point did it seem like Neighbours had to slow down or be postponed in Australia, and cast members even said there were enough episodes already in the can to see them through for a while.

Now they have the awkward task of catching up, as predicted.

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kaz21 (27-08-2020)

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## kaz21

It was silly of ch 5 to take a break, untill they knew, what Aus was doing.

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## Ruffed_lemur

I don't mind about not catching up.  At least it's on.  Anyway, there was recent talk about filming stopping again due to a virus flare-up.

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## Pantherboy

Nowtolove.com.au article  as Neighbours celebrates 35 years in the UK.



Delta Goodrem shares iconic throwback moments to celebrates 35 years of Neighbours in the UK
Nina Tucker is back!

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebri...iversary-68863

Our iconic Aussie Delta Goodrem has had such a stellar career we almost forgot she starred as Nina Tucker on Neighbours.

The soap is celebrating 35 years in the United Kingdom, which has seen the small down under program become a British staple.

To celebrate the huge milestone Delta took to her Instagram to post a slew of throwback moments, and she looks so fresh-faced.

Watch Delta sing Born To Try on Neighbours below.

In the first video, Delta is singing her most popular song, Born To Try, which she released in 2002 and subsequently performed on the show.

She also posted a cast photoshoot, an in-character portrait, a scene from the hairdressers, a video of her acting and a more recent picture with her former castmates.

Delta took part in a reunion hosted by BBC Radio which featured iconic actors like Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Ian Smith, and Anne Charleston.

The singer accompanied her post with a caption detailing how grateful she is for the opportunity to reflect on her past role.

Watch Delta as Nina in the video below.

"Neighbours♥️💕 where it all began. I am so excited to be joining @realscottmills on @bbcradio2 🇬🇧 today for the Ramsay Street reunion in celebration of the show being on air for 35 YEARS in the UK!!! wow. Honoured to be on the show with the best of the best xxx," she wrote.

In the broadcast, speaking with host Scott Mills, Delta recalled her days on the soap fondly, she said,"


It was a beautiful start to a wonderful journey with that show and that song [Born To Try]."

Of course, Delta's comment section erupted in the spirit of nostalgia.

Big Brother VIP star Ellie Gonsalves revealed, "Bruv this was the moment I fell in love with you.. and still love you all these years later haha ❤️," and Renee Bargh wrote, "👏👏."

One fan relished in their memories by commenting, "Omg this brings back so so many memories," and another penned the sweet message, "Loved you then, love you now 😝♥️."

In anticipation of the anniversary broadcast, Kylie Minogue spoke about reuniting with her cast and revealed they weren't so well-behaved back in the day.

"It's been a while, it's been way, way too long," said Kylie.

"It was a big decision to leave Ramsey Street. I've been getting very nostalgic myself and for the likes of Jason and myself, Guy Pearce, Annie Jones, the kind of the naughty kids of the bunch, it was such an incredible training ground to work with people like Anne and Ian and so many other incredible actors."

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MellBee (31-08-2021)

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