Neighbours icon will be missing from final ever episodes, boss confirms

For the second time in just a few years, Neighbours is preparing for what looks set to be the beloved Australian soap's final ever episode – but one of the show's most iconic characters sadly won't be involved.

According to boss Jason Herbison, Toadie Rebecchi star Ryan Moloney – who departed the soap after 30 years earlier this year – was unavailable to reprise his role in the finale, which was filmed back in July.

"We asked Ryan [Moloney] to return as Toadie," he explained in an interview with TV Week. "He was unavailable sadly, but he does of course get a mention."

Although Toadie will be absent, a number of familiar faces from the show's past are expected to appear as soap draws to a close.

Some of the characters confirmed to return to Ramsay Street for one last hurrah include Shane Ramsay (Peter O'Brien), Melanie Pearson (Lucinda Cowden), Jimmy Williams (Darcy Tadich), Ned Willis (Ben Hall) and Roxy Canning (Zima Anderson) – and there could be an extra surprise or two in store, too.

Herbison also teased that the episode will include "a few Easter eggs for the fans" and explained why he felt the need to end the show in a very different way from the previous finale in 2022, before the show had been rescued by Amazon.

"I couldn’t end it the same way as I did last time," he said. "I knew we were losing the Nunawading Studios and backlot imminently, which was different to the last time.

"With so much love for the show I felt I should craft an ending that would give the show a chance to come back in different ways that didn’t rely on the studios. This is what the finale sets out to do."

It was confirmed back in February that the soap was to be axed again after Amazon opted against renewing it beyond their original 460-episode commission, with the final episode set to air on Thursday 11th December.

When filming concluded in July, Herbison said: "Neighbours is a special show and it's been a privilege to make the recent seasons for our loyal viewers around the world. We have added 460 episodes to our legacy of over 9,000 episodes, something we all feel proud of.

"Once again, we will be resting the residents of Ramsay Street on a hopeful note, with some tantalising possibilities for a future chapter."

Read more:

• Neighbours spoilers reveal finale story as nine old characters return to Ramsay Street
• Neighbours wraps after 40 years - as boss drops hint of "hopeful" future
• Neighbours star teases Terese and Paul's future and 40th anniversary cast comebacks
• Neighbours star reveals whether they think axed soap can be saved again

Neighbours is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

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