Legendary Australian soap Neighbours will going off the air in the UK after Channel 5 confirmed it had sensationally pulled out of a TV deal late on Saturday night.
It will be the first time that the show, which is famous for kick-starting the careers of popstars Kylie Monogue and Jason Donovan, will be off our television screens since it was brought to the UK in October 1986.
The schedule shake-up comes as the broadcaster claims the savings will help them concentrate on producing more homegrown UK drama.
Reports earlier on Saturday that Channel 5 were looking to ditch the programme have begun huge speculation over the future of the show, with fans now nervously hoping it will still be around to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025.
(Image: PA)
In a statement to Sky News, Channel 5 said: “Neighbours will no longer air on Channel 5 beyond this summer.
“It has been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we’d like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.
“We’d also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.
The statement added that while Channel 5 recognised that there would be “disappointment about this decision”, it had become necessary as their “current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers.”
It comes after Channel 5 bosses reportedly spent “weeks” in talks with Fremantle Australia producers to keep the soap on air, but failed to come up with a deal despite it regularly drawing in UK audiences of 1.2million people daily.
(Image: Neighbours)
According to The Sun, the Ramsay Street soap allegedly costs too much to film compared to the advertising revenue it brings in during breaks.
Speaking to the publication, a source claimed: “Channel 5 pay Fremantle Australia many millions of pounds every year and, sadly, there’s a shortfall of about £5million in what it brings back in through advertising.
“There’s a lot of disbelief and sadness among those who know it’s ending.”
Neighbours and Home and Away news site Backtothebay reported on Sunday morning that FremantleMedia had wanted Channel 5 to pay three times the usual fee for the show, leading the UK broadcaster to back out.
Since it began airing on both sides of the world in the 1980s, Neighbours has often been considerably more popular with viewers in the UK than in its home nation of Australia.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
