It seems ‘Neighbours’ fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief, with fresh reports that the show will be staying on UK screens after all.
Last month, it was suggested that the long-running Australian soap’s future on British television could be in jeopardy after more than 30 years on the air, following claims that the production company were struggling to reach a deal with Channel 5, who broadcast ‘Neighbours’.
Fortunately, The Mirror has now suggested that a deal has been reached, meaning ‘Neighbours’ isn’t going anywhere for at least another four years.
Phew!
Insiders at the time claimed that Viacom, the American owners of Channel 5, were dragging their heels over signing up ‘Neighbours’ once again, with a source claiming there was a lack of understanding over “the cultural importance of the show in the UK”.
In response to reports that it could be disappearing from our screens, ‘Neighbours’ fans set up a petition to try and save the soap, which bagged almost 10,000 signatories in just 24 hours.
Even Adele got in on the action, lambasting the possibility of not being able to watch the show in Britain during a live show in New Zealand, having visited the fictional Ramsey Street set just days prior.
For more than 20 years, ‘Neighbours’ was a key part of BBC One’s daytime schedule, but when the broadcaster decided not to keep ‘Neighbours’ due to the amount they were being asked to pay to keep it, it moved to Channel 5 in 2008.
The soap has been responsible for launching the careers of several big-name Australian entertainers, including Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Natalie Imbruglia, Jason Donovan and Natalie Bassingthwaite, who topped the UK singles chart as the lead singer of Rogue Traders.