Neighbours facing axe from Channel 5 after almost four decades on screen
06.02.2022 - 13:29
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Neighbours is reportedly on the brink of being axed from UK television.
Bosses of the popular Australian soap, which first aired in the UK on BBC One in 1986, are said to be in drastic talks with Channel 5 over the show's future.
Due to 'budget issues' the Aussie show will reportedly be taken off our screens in August this year.
Neighbours was set to celebrate its 37 year-long stint this year, and bosses are now hopeful they can make the show go out with a bang by bringing back its most iconic actors.
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Over the years the long-running show has featured huge stars including singers Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, and Hollywood actors Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie and Liam Hemsworth.
Bosses are reportedly hoping to convince Kylie Minogue to return to the show for a very special ending after almost four decades, reports the Mirror.
It is believed Fremantle Australia have been in talks with Channel 5 for 'weeks' in a bid to keep the show on air in the UK.
But reportedly there has yet to be a deal made, with fans now fearing the much-loved show, which takes place on fictional cul-de-sac Ramsay Street, could come to an end.
"The cast and crew in Melbourne haven’t been told about the decision. They will be devastated. Neighbours is an institution people grew up with," a source told The Sun.
It is reported that there is a gap in revenue of millions of pounds from what the show makes in advertising and what it costs to produce.
"Channel 5 pay Fremantle Australia many millions of pounds every year and, sadly, there’s a shortfall of about £5 million in what it brings back in through advertising," a source