Neighbours legend Ian Smith has opened up about his epic return to the show.
It was confirmed last month that Harold Bishop will be heading back to Ramsay Street after 15 years away from Erinsborough. Actor Ian originally starred between 1987 and 1991, returning after a five-year break in 1996 until his departure in 2009. Since then, Harold has made several guest appearances including in the Australian soap’s 2022 finale.
When Neighbours was revived on Amazon Freevee last year, Ian joined his castmates once more, but after a health scare, Harold set off on an adventure away from Erinsborough. However, the fan favourite will return in upcoming scenes and Ian has revealed exactly what brings Harold back.
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Speaking to Daily Star and other press, Ian explained: “Because he’s missing his one and only love, his Madge. Erinsborough is where his love memories are and if thats as close he’s going to get to his girl, that’s where he wants to be. Love is the answer.”
(Image: Fremantle)
Ian went on to share his own personal reasons for wanting to come back to the show. He added: “In June I turn 86 and I have retired. I thought I’d prepared myself quite well but l was finding myself stranded, I even found myself trying to cook. Then I got this telephone call saying would I like to come back to the show and I almost kissed them over the phone, I really did. I just said ‘yes’
“I said I couldn’t do it full-time but I said bits and bobs and they agreed with that so I am one of the most fortunate elderly actors who’s being kept off the street and still loves what he’s doing.” The cast has changed over the years with a long list of younger stars joining the line-up.
(Image: Channel 5)
Opening up about his colleagues, Ian said: “The younger members of the cast keep me young. They don’t exclude me from their conversations and they ask me my opinion and this doesn’t happen very often in this day in age but these guys do. They also come to me if they want a hand. They’re magnificent and I couldn’t be happier working with them. They are wonderful.”
Ian also revealed he almost missed out on the iconic role he’s played on and off for almost four decades and exactly how the character of Harold was born. He said: “I modelled him on three people I love and it would have been like a slap on the face to those people if he hadn’t worked. He nearly didn’t work because I came straight of Prisoner and I was supposed to go into another show as script editor, as I was in Prisoner, and it was the second week viewing Neighbours and it wasn’t working.
(Image: X)
“The show I was supposed to be going into fell over so I thought ‘my gosh’, so then I searched around and found my three people and one thing you know when what you’re doing is working is if the camera crew laugh, and this one day I came in and the camera crew laughed so I thought I must have done something so I asked them ‘What did I do? Why did you laugh?’ and they told me so I kept going and thats how Harold came about really.”
Neighbours continues on Amazon Freevee every Monday to Thursday from 7am
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
