Neighbours has confirmed that Ian Smith will be returning to the show to reprise the iconic role of Harold Bishop.
Taking to social media this morning (April 8th) the show said:
“After fifteen years of living away, the legendary Harold Bishop is returning to Erinsborough. We are thrilled to welcome Ian Smith back to the show and the opening titles, where he belongs.”
When Neighbours was resurrected by Amazon last year, Ian’s return was announced as a recurring guest, meaning he would be regularly popping back into the show, although not a regular cast member. We last saw Harold late last year when he returned to the street, fearful for his health. With Harold – and everyone around him – concerned over his memory loss, it was new doctor Remi Varga Murphy who discovered that Harold’s symptoms were caused by medication he was taking.
With a new lease of life, Harold set off on a Train journey around Australia.
With the actor turning 86 years old in June, it is likely that Harold will still appear in a reduced number of episodes, but with Terese’s Eirini Rising retirement experience opening soon, he can live just a footstep away and pop back in to give advice when the unmissable drama on Ramsay Street all gets a bit too much.
Ian originated the role of Harold in 1987 and stayed until 1991. He returned to the show in 1996 and stayed on as a regular until 2009. Since then he has made multiple guest returns including a stint in 2022 as a pivotal part of the story that lead to the show’s “finale” episode.
As well as acting on the Neighbours, Smith also wrote a number of episodes in the 80s and 90s. He is also well known for his recurring role of Ted Douglas on Prisoner, where he also worked as a producer and script writer.
No date is set for Harold’s return just yet, but with Terese’s grand opening of Eirini Rising imminent, we are sure it won’t be too long. As soon as we have more information we will share it here on Ramsay Street UK.