Sneak peak at cast's final days on Neighbours set as beloved Aussie soap wraps filming of last ever season

Daily Mail​

12 hours ago

Fans are preparing for the end of long-running Aussie soap opera Neighbours and now they've been given a glimpse into the final days of production.
A slew of photos were posted to Facebook and Instagram on Friday showing the cast during the last stretch of filming, along with a caption that pulled on long-time watchers' heartstrings.
'Today marks the final day of production on our beloved Neighbours,' it read.
'It's with a heavy heart that our incredible cast and crew wrap for the final time. As sad as this day may be, we can't wait for you to see the amazing storylines that are about to unfold over the coming six months.'
The caption ended: 'Together we have been, and always will be, the perfect blend.'
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In one of the images, veteran stars Stefan Dennis, Rebekah Elmaloglou, Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher stood alongside each other with pained smiles as they waved goodbye to an era.
Another showed the whole Neighbours cast dressed up warm as they posed on Ramsay Street for the last time during their final stint on set.
As four decades of Neighbours came to an end last week, Annie Jones and Stefan Dennis showed support for their fellow cast members in an emotional final day on set.
The actress, 55, first appeared on the beloved soap in 1986 as Jane Harris, aka Plain Jane Superbrain, and was on hand this week to offer a supportive shoulder.
She was seen with her arm around fellow cast members as they came together to mark the end of an era at Melbourne's Nunawading studios.
Annie chose to step away from the spotlight in 1989 to look after her late mother, Elizabeth, who battled Alzheimer's disease and passed away in 2016.
She later reprised her role in 2018 and has been a regular fixture on the show ever since.
Soap veteran Stefan, 66, who has played Paul Robinson on the series for four decades, was also seen on set for the final scenes of the concluding episode.
The actor, who was part of the original Neighbours cast when it debuted in 1985, left the show in 1992 but returned in 2004.
He clutched buckets of Chupa Chups lollipops for his castmates.
'I never thought a single show would give me the greatest adventures of my career, spanning 40 years,' Stefan said in a statement released by Prime Video.
'Without Neighbours, I would not have met the people, been to the places and lived the experiences of a lifetime.'
The final episode of Neighbours is set to air on December 11, and the news will undoubtedly be a devastating blow to fans across the globe who have seen the ongoing drama axed three times.
Just two years ago, fans were gearing up for what was then billed as the 'finale' before Amazon swooped in with a lifeline.
The impact of Neighbours is immeasurable and has produced household names like Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie.
As this chapter of the Ramsay Street story comes to a close, executive producer Jason Herbison described the soap as 'special', adding that it has been a 'privilege' to oversee the recent seasons.
The producer has been with the show intermittently since 1990 when he landed a storyliner position.
He told Metro: 'We have added 460 episodes to our legacy of over 9000 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.'
According to the publication, sets have already begun to be dismantled at the production base on the outskirts of Melbourne.
The studio site, which was sold to property redevelopers several years ago but is on a long lease to programme-makers Fremantle Media, is expected to be reused for other productions in the future.