Neighbours fans fear soap will be axed AGAIN as star admits cast ‘don’t know’ if show will be renewed
NEIGHBOURS fans are fearing for the beloved soap’s future after a new update.
Amazon Freevee revived Neighbours last year, after the long-running soap originally ended in 2022.
However, Freevee’s closure means viewers will have to watch elsewhere.
Neighbours will be transferring permanently to a new home on Prime Video.
Lucinda Cowden, who plays Melanie Pearson, also addressed the show’s future.
It comes as the actress is bowing out from her role in Ramsay Street.
Speaking to Metro, the actress claimed the show’s cast “still don’t know whether they’re being renewed”.
She added: “Who knows the way it will go? Who knows if it will continue to be made after April? At this moment we don’t know any of those things.
“It’s a different kind of world, you don’t get those long contracts now so that’s going to be the same for the actors, crews and shows. A short-term scenario.”
The soap is now more than half way through its original 400 episodes order.
It is not yet known whether Neighbours will be recommissioned beyond this.
Taking to X, a concerned fan wrote: “Jane and Vic on a location shoot in the countryside? Has the show been axed again?”
Another penned: “Pray #Neighbours gets renewed soon.”
A third added: “#Neighbours will stop filming in early 2025 to fulfil two years of episodes unless Amazon’s original contract is renewed.
“Whilst Neighbours hovers around the No.1, 2, & 3 spots on UK Amazon, there’s an exodus of core cast members.
“We may have to #SaveNeighbours again.
Two years ago, fans were devastated to see the show end – with the original finale airing on Channel 5.
The high profile event saw Margot Robbie, Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue and Natalie Imbruglia all return.
Neighbours stars who made it big
The long-running Aussie soap has launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Here are some of the Neighbours alums who went on to make it big after starring on the soap...
Kylie Minogue
- Before she hit the big time with her music career, Kylie shot to fame playing Charlene Mitchell on Neighbours. Shortly after her arrival, Kylie began an on and off-screen romance with co-star Jason Donovan, who played Scott Robinson, which gained the couple an army of adoring fans.
Jason Donovan
- After his stint as Scott, singer and actor Jason became an international popstar and had his pick acting of roles. He moved to the U.K., married, had children and has since starred in over a dozen West End show, most notably Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat.
Alan Dale
- New Zealand born actor Alan was one of Neighbours 12 original cast members having made his debut as Jim Robinson on the soap’s first episode on 18 March 1985. As the head of the Robinson clan, widower Jim lived at Number 26 Ramsay Street with his children Paul, Julie, Scott and Lucy, and was a real anchor in the community. He stayed with the show for eight years, before his character was killed off in dramatic scenes aired in 1993 but which still reverberate through the soap to this day.
Margot Robbie
- Way before she was Barbie or Harley Quinn, Margot was best known as Ramsay Street resident Donna Freedman. Her notable storylines included her marriage to Ringo Brown and becoming a young widow following his tragic death. After three years she bid farewell to the soap and Australia with a plan to make a name for herself in Hollywood which she did when she bagged the role of Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Jesse Spencer
- Jesse rocked up on Ramsay street in 1994 with the rest of the Kennedy clan. He stayed for five years, literally growing up in front of the camera, but in 2000 felt it was time to spread his wings and head for Hollywood. It was certainly a smart move as he went on to bag leading roles in popular shows like House and Chicago Fire.
Russell Crowe
- New Zealand-native Russell had a brief arc on Neighbours, appearing in four episodes of the soap 1987 as Kenny Larkin, the former cellmate of Street resident Henry Ramsay. The role obviously got him noticed though because he quickly went on to become a fully-fledged Hollywood A-lister, winning the Best Actor Oscar for his standout performance as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.
By November that year, it was reported Amazon Freevee had stepped in to revive the beloved soap.
This also included streaming rights to thousands of episodes from the previous seasons.
In a statement to Variety, an Amazon spokesperson said: “To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding.”