Iconic Neighbours actor Ian Smith has shared that he has been diagnosed with a “very aggressive, non-fixable cancer.”
Speaking with Australia’s 10 News First host, Angela Bishop, Smith shared that he received the diagnosis a few months back and that doctors expect him to die.
86-year-old Smith has been appearing in Neighbours intermittently since 1987, originally introduced as an unlikely love interest for Madge Mitchell. Of course, Harold and Madge ended up rekindling their high school flame and eventually married, Harold making his departure from the show by disappearing from a beach in 1991, leaving only his glasses behind.
Smith’s most recent returns were in 2022 where Harold was pivotal to the wrapping up of storylines in preparation for the show’s finale episode, coming back again the following year when the show was rebooted by Amazon.
Originally a guest return, Harold became a recurring character, moving into the Eirini Rising Retirement Experience, and returned to the opening credits earlier this year.
Following Smith’s announcement, Neighbours confirmed plans for Harold’s departure from the show.
“The way the residents of Ramsay Street feel about Harold is how we all feel about Ian – we couldn’t love him more than we do,” said Jason Herbison, Executive Producer. “Despite the challenges he was facing with his health, he wanted to give Harold a proper send-off. It was a very emotional moment on set as we paid tribute to him and the incredible contribution he has made to the show.”
The show also confirmed that his former on-screen wife, Anne Charleston, will be returning as Madge Bishop as part of Harold’s exit story. Despite Madge’s character being killed off in 2001, she has appeared on the show twice since. In 2015 Madge appeared at Harold’s hospital bedside following a car accident and she also appeared in the imagination of Susan Kennedy along with other departed characters as part of the show’s 2022 finale.
No details have been released about the form of Anne’s return or the date for the scenes to air.
From us at Ramsay Street UK, we share love and our warmest thoughts with Ian, his family and friends and all the cast, crew and creatives at Neighbours.