Totty Of The Week

Name: Dean Geyer
Famous For: Finishing third on Australian Idol 2006
Currently: Plays Ty Harper on Neighbours

Blair To Leave Neighbours

Neighbours star Natalie Blair has confirmed that she will film her final scenes for the Aussie soap in September.

The 24-year-old actress has decided to leave Ramsay Street after five years of playing Carmella Cammeniti.

"I made the decision in December when I was doing a pantomime in the UK, but I cannot believe it is actually happening now," Natalie told the Herald Sun.

She added, "...Ideally, I would love to go to America. My heart is set on going to New York because I would love to keep training in musical theatre and developing my skills."

Hot Model Joins Neighbours

Neighbours producers have announced that Imogen Bailey has joined the cast of the Aussie soap.

The gorgeous model, has signed up to play Miranda Parker's younger sister Nicola West. She has already started filming.

Bailey told Adelaide Now, "Acting is a passion of mine. It has been a slow burn. I have done bits and pieces over the years. When my agent called and said I had the role, I thought he was joking.''

"I had a sexy image and I am proud of my modelling and what I was able to do with my image. But I am getting to a point in my life where I am trying to shed that [image] a little bit.''

Bailey has also appeared on Celebrity Survivor and Celebrity Big Brother in Australia.
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Andrewartha In Neighbours Return

Janet Andrewartha has confirmed that she will be returning to Neighbours for a month.

The actress, who played Lyn Scully for seven years in the Aussie soap, has told The Perfect Blend that she has begun a month's worth of filming, which will see her shoot scenes with Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Carla Bonner (Stephanie Hoyland) and Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy).

Andrewartha left the show following her short-lived onscreen marriage to Paul Robinson in 2006.

Lyn left Erinsborough on her honeymoon and eventually settled down with her mother Valda Sheergold in Shelley Bay rather than returning to Ramsay Street.
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Neighbours On Five: Promo

Get ready because Ramsay Street has a new home! Starting 11th Februray, Neighbours will be shown on Five at 5:30. This means that Five news will be on at 5:00 from 11th Feb. I can't remember the BBC ever promoting the top Aussie soap, but this promo from Five is fun.

Weakest Link To Replace Neighbours

Anne Robinson's quiz show The Weakest Link will replace Neighbours when the Australian soap is dropped from the BBC One schedule, reports BBC.

The change means children's shows, such as Blue Peter and NewsRound, will be shown at an earlier time in the afternoon.

The long-running soap will move to Five from 11 February after the BBC pulled out of bidding for the show last year.

Delta Goodrem Engaged To Brian McFadden

Singer and former Neighbours actress Delta Goodrem has agreed to marry ex-Westlife singer Brian McFadden, reports Daily Mail.

The couple formally announced their engagement after reports claimed Goodrem had rejected the singer's proposal, saying she was "too young" to settle down.

However, in a statement, the two have denied the report, confirming that they are in fact planning to get married.

The statement reads: "The couple were hoping to keep the news private however they feel it is important to now confirm the exciting news."

Brian and Delta met when recording a duet together while he was still married to drug-addict Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona, with whom he has two children.

They began dating shortly after Brian's marriage to Kerry fell apart, about 4 years ago.

'Harold' Quits Neighbours

Veteran Neighbours star Ian Smith has quit the Australian soap.

The actor has played Harold Bishop on and off since 1997 but is now retiring from his 30-year showbiz career.

He will film his final scenes this month but has agreed to return for a number of special appearances next year.

Smith originally left Neighbours in 1991. He returned five years later when his character was seen suffering from amnesia.

One Neighbours insider called him "the heart and soul" of the programme, saying: "Ian really set the tone of the show, both on the set and behind the scenes."

They added: "…He will be very missed but at least he'll be back to say 'hi' next year."

Smith's exit is a further blow for the soap, which has failed to attract more viewers despite a much-hyped re-launch earlier this year.
Source: Digital Spy

Another Neighbours Star To Leave

It was reported that Eliza Taylor-Cotter (Janae Timmins) and Ben Lawson (Frazer Yeats) decided to quit the Aussie soap.

But the Neighbours official website reveals that Natalie Saleeba (Rosetta Cammeniti) is leaving too. No!! She is my favourite Neighbour!

Who's Going And Staying In Neighbours

Get ready to say bye to Nell Feeney (Janelle Timmins) and Sianoa Smit-McPhee (Bree Timmins) as they were both axed from the Aussie soap.

But now two Neighbours stars have announced that they are quitting.

According to the Sunday Herald Sun, Eliza Taylor-Cotter (Janae Timmins) and Ben Lawson (Frazer Yeats) have both decided that they want to travel overseas.

Meanwhile, Natalie Blair, who plays Carmella Cammeniti, and Dan O'Connor (Ned Parker) have both had their contracts renewed for another year, reports DigitalSpy.

Totty Of The Week

Name: Ben Lawson
Famous For: Playing Frazer Yeats in Neighbours

Neighbours Will Move To Five

Australian soap Neighbours will move to Five after the BBC pulled out of bidding for the show. Five will begin showing the soap in 2008.

"Neighbours will be a greatly prized part of our schedule and suitably cherished by us," said Five's managing editor of content.

Fremantle Media, which owns the rights to the soap wanted £300m over eight years from the BBC. But the Beeb turned down that request.

Both Fremantle and Five are owned by the RTL Group media company.

Five poached rival Australian soap Home and Away from ITV in 2000. It is expected that Five will show both soaps back-to-back as part of an 'Aussie hour.'
Source: BBC

BBC Pull Out Of Neighbours Bidding

The BBC has pulled out of a bidding war for Aussie soap Neighbours.

During the BBC's One O'Clock News, BBC One controller Peter Fincham said that the Beeb had been asked to pay "roughly three times" what it had previously paid, amounting to £300 million over eight years.

The soap has appeared on BBC One since 1986, but the BBC said the new offer for the show was an "an unrealistic price demand."

Neighbours currently pulls around 3 million viewers for its 1.35pm lunchtime showing and around 2.6 million for its 5.35pm repeat.

ITV and Five are understood to be in talks about acquiring the soap.

Fincham said it was too early to discuss what would replace the programme on the BBC.

I'm sure Neighbours distributor will get more money from Five or ITV, but at the same time they won't get the figures they did on the BBC.
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Neighbours @ MTV Australia Video Music Awards 2007

Natalie Blair, Dan O'Connor & Eliza Taylor-Cotter
Stephanie MacIntosh
Natalie Bassingwaithe

BBC Prepared To Pull The Plug On Neighbours

'Neighbours' could be moving home in the UK. According to reports both ITV and Five are interested in acquiring popular Aussie soap .

The BBC currently pays £25,000 per episode. It is currently negotiating a deal with distributor Fremantle. The Beeb has called Fremantle's demands "unrealistic and greedy," after its offer of about £70,000 per episode was rejected.

BBC director of acquisitions George McGhee told Broadcast: "If a deal is not reached in the very, very near future, we will withdraw the money and move it elsewhere. We quite possibly will [move it by the end of this week]."

That's right Neighbours could be dropped by the BBC very very soon! Neighbours has been a regular fixture for the BBC's daytime schedule and consistently performs well.

Little Britain In Neighbours

Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams are to appear in an episode of Neighbours, the official website has confirmed.

The comedy duo will appear as their characters Lou and Andy in a special scene. Their appearance will be screened in Australia in three months time, but UK viewers will have to wait until September. It is thought that the duo will shoot their scene in the 'Scarlet Bar.'