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Kylie, Jason, Ian, Anne ‘reunite’ 33 years on from Neighbours.

Neighbours icons join in a group radio interview, with Kylie asked if she would ever return to Ramsay Street?

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Neighbours icons Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Ian Smith and Anne Charleston have ‘reunited’ for the first time in some 33 years in a BBC Radio.

The four took part in a (belated) 35th Anniversary interview with UK host Scott Mills.

All of them reminisced about the show’s success especially in the UK where fan frenzy hit a peak in the 1980s.

Kylie Minogue said, “For the two and a half years, I was there, it’s like I lived a few lives. (For Jason and I) it was kind of like teenage years compounded. We went through a lot with Harold, Madge and the other characters. So it was an incredible ride.

“We were happy to have a job. I’d signed onto the dole when I finished school because I knew I wanted to act but wasn’t sure if I’d get a job. So (I was) really happy to be there. Then once Neighbours turned that corner and became a successful show, and then even more so became this huge show in the U, I think of us being in that green room. Everyone had their little pigeon holes. Your scripts would be there, maybe some fan mail, which we would read and we’d respond to. And we would hear about the show being successful in the UK. Then it was on twice a day and it was very hard to compute.

“Now you can kind of connect with the world on your phone, but it was really hard to get a sense of ‘What does that mean?'”

Minogue was also pressed on whether she would consider a return to Ramsay Street as Charlene?

Coyly she eventually replied, “Maybe I could do a walkthrough in the background, like walking a dog along a beach or something! I don’t know, obviously we get asked this from time to time and I just think (Charlene) still lives, in a way, in that period and I wouldn’t want to take the shine off that.

“If you do see someone with lots of curly hair walking a dog, deep in the background of a shot, just imagine maybe it’s Charlene!”

You can hear the full reunion at the end of Scott Mill’s interview.

9 Responses

  1. Cannot say I’ve ever been a Neighbour’s fan but the BBC radio show was a great listen, some of that music was hilarious, but the interviews and Scott Mill’s presentation was a lot of fun. Great to hear a British perspective on a long running series.

  2. If Kylie wouldn’t return for her on-screen son’s wedding, then she’s likely never coming back. I couldn’t help but see that as a cynical attempt to gradually lure Kylie back on to the show (and I don’t think that the producers care very much for Donovan returning unless Kylie is with him), and I can’t help but suspect that the son was dumped once they realised their efforts were in vain (even though I believe that the actor would have liked to stay on the show).

    She seems happy enough to talk about it and appear in retrospective specials. Maybe ask her again in another 20 years (and only if she has retired from performing by then).

      1. With Neighbours having survived over a decade being mere secondary channel fodder in its country of origin, I can’t see it going anywhere so long as the producers are seeing overseas dollars pouring in.

        20 years ago, I never would have expected The Simpsons to make 20 seasons, let alone 34 (for which it was renewed), yet here we are.

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