Neighbours may be a daytime family soap, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t had its own fair share of off-screen scandals, with some of the show’s biggest stars being caught in serious drama backstage.
Several of the Aussie show’s biggest cast members have fallen foul of the dark side to fame, leaving the set under a dark cloud.
As Neighbours approaches its final run of episodes, it has certainly been caught up in some unforgettable drama both in front of the camera and behind it.
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Here we look at some of the show’s biggest off-scandals which stole the spotlight from the dramatic storylines going on in iconic Erinsborough.
Stripper scandal
Scott McGregor was caught in an off-screen showdown as he was glassed by Gold Coast stripper, who attacked the actor for being rude to her.
The actor was left with a cut lip at Hollywood Showgirls in April 2019, and the incident was reported to police and taken to court.
Danielle Lee told the court that she had lost her job as a result, and claimed the Aussie star abused her with language such as “f*** off you dirty s**g.
Magistrate Mark Howden ordered Ms Lee to pay $80 for Mr McGregor’s medical costs and released her on a $1,000 good behaviour bond.
He ruled while Scott did abuse and insult the stripper, her reaction was disproportionate and no conviction was recorded.
Racism row
When Shareena Clanton quit the soap after being cast as a ‘second’ Sheila Canning she publicly vowed to “never work” on the show again after experiencing “multiple racist traumas.”
The Wentworth actress told the Guardian Australia an “unhealthy level of silent complicity” when it comes to “sexist, misogynistic, crass and crude” remarks between cast and crew.
The star also compared the “the kind of comments” she overheard on set saying they”would absolutely [result in] instant dismissal” in other shows.
She explained: “Somehow people just continued to get a gentle word spoken to them, or have a polite side word between [the perpetrator] and the person who was offended by what was being said.”
However, the actor in question was eventually removed from the set in order to attend training before returning to the soap.
The actress even called someone out for their use of a racial slur – but ended up getting in trouble herself.
Shareena added: “A staff member then turned to me and told me that I needed to take it somewhere else, because I was making other people uncomfortable.”
Legal row
Craig McLachlan, who played Henry Ramsay on the soap from 1987 to 1989, has hit out at the soap for not inviting him to appear in the final episode.
The actor was cleared of indecent assault charges two years ago, but has blamed “cancel culture” as the reason why he has been snubbed from the soap that made him famous.
His spokesperson said to The Sun: “Henry’s dead mother is being reincarnated for the final episode – but cancel culture won’t allow her son Henry to appear or even be acknowledged.
“What Craig and his partner [Vanessa Scammell] have endured over the past four-and-a-half years – only to come out the other side and be confronted by, among other things, the attempted permanent erasing of his part in Neighbours history – is devastating,’ they continued.
“Craig was not invited to take part in the closing episode or indeed to contribute in any way to the end of Neighbours.”
He was found not guilty of indecently assaulting actors on The Rocky Horror Show in 2014, with Melbourne Magistrate Belinda Wallington finding McLachlan not guilty of all charges.
McLachlan then sued the ABC, Sydney Morning Herald and Neighbours actor Christie Whelan Browne for defamation in relation to publishing claims he’d kissed and groped actresses without permission in the Rocky Horror stage production, Neighbours, City Homicide, and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
He dropped the defamation suit in May 2022 on the day 11 women were due to give evidence, citing the toll on his mental health and family as the reason behind his decision.
Brutal dumping
(Image: AFP)
To say Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan were an iconic couple in the 80s and 90s would be an understatement.
The pair were loved around their globe thanks to their roles as star crossed lovers Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson.
Their wedding became the most watched episode of Neighbours of all time, with almost 20 million eager viewers tuning in to watch the nuptials.
In teal life the pair had begun dating in 1986 much to the delight of their bulging fan base, however Kylie was about to break Jason’s heart.
Three years into their relationship she brutally dumped him to embark upon a romance with INXS rocker Michael Hutchence.
(Image: Instagram/ @kylieminogue)
Jason previously that he was totally devastated by their shock split. He told the Mirror in 2016: “It was an extremely painful parting of the ways and, without a doubt, I took a long time to recover from it. Years, definitely.
“It was bad enough that she’d run off with anybody but she happened to run into the arms of the greatest rock god of the period, the very guy who I secretly wanted to be.
“That was a pretty big punch to take.”
Jason ultimately ended up happily married to Angela Malloch, with whom he shares three children, Jemma, Zac, and Molly.
Kylie meanwhile had an array of high-profile romances over the years, eventually settling down with GQ boss Paul Solomons.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
