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29 July 2022

Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan reunite on Neighbours one last time

The pair return to Ramsay Street for an "amazing, surreal, and emotional" experience.

By Alastair James

Words; Emily Maskell; pictures: Twitter/@NeighboursTV

After nearly four decades, Neighbours bid farewell with a double-episode finale that saw Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan reunite on Ramsay Street.

Long-time fans were overjoyed as loose threads were tied up in a neat bow and characters got the happy ending they deserved.

Similarly, singers Kylie and Jason, who starred as couple Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell in the show in the 1980s, were all smiles as they talked about the, as Kylie puts it, “amazing, surreal, and emotional,” experience of being on set for the last time.

In the video posted to Neighbours‘ socials after the episode aired (29 July), Kylie shares that they are working with “the director we worked with back in the ’80s. A few familiar faces. Same houses, same street”.

Both Kylie and Jason agree that the beloved show has made its cultural stamp on the world of TV.

“This show has given us, the cast, producers, writers, directors, the country, the way it has portrayed Australians around the world has changed a lot of things for a lot of people – now it’s time to scream about it,” Jason adds.

When asked whether they thought they’d ever return to their characters Scott and Charlene, Jason explain the episodes were more of a “homage, rather than a big moment and Kylie’s right in the sense of because the show’s finishing we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”

“Trying to recreate the past is very difficult,” he continued. “This is giving a nod to those characters and what the street has done for us.”

Kylie added on to Jason’s note that she “didn’t really see it happening” but now they said their official goodbye to the series, “it feels good.”

“We’re connected anyway, but he sent me this really nice email and he put it so beautifully and eloquently and so heartfelt which made sense to me about this being a moment for us to acknowledge and say thanks to the fans,” she continued. 

After a number of years of being away, Jason says one thing that hasn’t changed is the “denim, it’s got better,” while Kylie adds: “The curls are just as big, and mousse is back!”

Reflecting on her Neighbours time and what the show means to her, Kylie explains “it’s a feeling, it’s historical, it was such a part of learning our craft and growing up.” 

As well as Kylie and Jason, a number of other stars returned to Ramsay Street: Oscar-nominated Margot Robbie made a cameo while Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance also made appearances.

In the UK, the Neighbours finale, after 37 years, attracted an average audience of 2.5 million viewers, the highest since the soap moved to Channel 5 in 2008, the BBC reports.

Ben Frow, director of programming at Channel 5, said: “I suspect there wasn’t a dry eye from the viewers as Neighbours bowed out on a high last night.

“Last night truly is the end of an era. The response from viewers overnight has been very moving and, even if they were wished the ending didn’t have to come,” Frow added. 

The Attitude September/October issue is available to download and order in print now and will be on newsstands from Thursday 4 August.

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