We are now so close to the cameras rolling once again at Nunawading Studios for the third incarnation of Neighbours. It won’t be long before Harold’s will be serving up those Deconstructed Taco Salads and Lassiters will be losing yet another star from its rating.
Although filming is on the verge of resuming, we have so far only had confirmation of 8 regular characters and 3 guest characters who are returning. When the show ‘ended’ back in July, there were 25 regular cast members. That means there should be plenty more casting announcements to come, so who could we see living in Ramsay Street when the show returns?
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We know that both Stefan Dennis (Paul) and Rebekah Elmaloglou (Terese) are confirmed to return and the last time we saw them, they had reunited after a rocky patch in their marriage. Hopefully they will still be together and happily living on the street, but that would make for a very lonely house. So who could be living with them?
We also know that Melissa Bell is set to reprise her role as Lucy Robinson for a guest appearance, maybe we could see her bringing daughter Annie to live in Erinsborough. Age her up a few years – Soap Opera Rapid Ageing Syndrome (SORAS) is not a new phenomenon – so that she is old enough to be starting Erinsborough High, and you have the possibility for some good stories as Terese juggles running Lassiters, buying Power Capes and being a parent to Annie.
Annie being a part of the household also leaves the door open for the occasional return of her father, Chris Pappas. A whole generation of fans have fallen in love with food-obsessed Chris through the reruns of 2012 and 2013 on Amazon Freevee, so we would love to see him pop back.
We know that Tim Kano is returning as Leo, but considering his history with Terese, it is unlikely he will be back at 22. Let’s imagine that he will have the Penthouse with baby Abigail.
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In the 2022 finale we saw Mike Young agree to buy the former Ramsay House/Bren Den as a new base for him to live with daughter Sam and his new-found old flame, Jane Harris. Regardless of what happens with Mike (read my article on the future of Mike’s character HERE), Jane would be a lovely parental figure for Mike’s daughter, Sam.
Whilst it seems unlikely that Nicolette will return in a permanent capacity, there is always the option to lure Byron back from South Africa. No.24 has a pool, so there would be plenty of opportunities for shirtless scenes.
Some fans have also suggested that there is a third, previously unmentioned Stone sibling that could arrive in the new series. We also know that before the cancellation, Jane’s ex-husband, Vic Stone, was scheduled to appear, so I feel convinced we will revisit that story in 2023 as well.
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The Rodwells had barely had a chance to rebuild the missing kitchen wall of the former Robinson house when we said goodbye to Ramsay Street. The family was in the process of being introduced as the cancellation was announced. This meant there was some hasty rewriting, a planned son for the family was never introduced and the family’s stories were scaled back.
I would love to see them return for the new series so that we can get a chance to meet them properly. Wendy Rodwell was larger than life and her perky chime of “Yoohoo!” could be heard echoing around the street. Her character was divisive with fans, but that is normal when a new character is introduced. Wendy has the chance to become a new Julie Martin; nosey, interfering, but well-intentioned. In fact, when Julie Martin was reintroduced in the 1990s, fans really didn’t like her. Now she is seen as an iconic character from that era of the show.
We could also see the planned Rodwell son appear, and in true Ramsay Street style, no one would acknowledge that he was never mentioned before.
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Susan Kennedy. Mother. Wife, Teacher. Legend. Goddess. There wasn’t a dry eye around the globe as she delivered that moving monologue in the final scene of the 2022 finale. We can’t wait to see what the new series has in store for the Kennedys and we are certain that Karl and Susan will be back in No28.
It seems likely that Mackenzie, who has been confirmed as returning, will be living with them, and we would love to see the return of Holly Hoyland; they could match her to Mackenzie’s age, giving them a great pair of sibling-like characters for Karl and Susan to look after.
In addition, Kym Valentine’s video appearance at the recent Neighbours Celebration tour has led fans to wonder if this might be the time for Libby Kennedy to make a return to Erinsborough.
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Toadie Rebecchi doesn’t have the best luck with wives. Fingers crossed that he is still with Melanie and he gets a chance at his happily ever after. Lucinda Cowden hasn’t formally been announced as a returnee yet but, again, a cheeky video message during the Neighbours Celebration Tour made fans think we would be seeing her soon.
Of course, we have Nell and Hugo and they should be back too. But we know that 30 Ramsay Street has about 27 bedrooms, so there is certainly room for a few more. Will Toadie find some brand-new family members, or will we see the return of some Rebecchis from the past?
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The last time we visited Erinsborough, this was the home of the rainbow family, Aaron, David, Nicolette and baby Isla. It was revealed before the show’s original ending that Takaya Honda was planning on leaving at the end of 2022 anyway, so the chance of his return, at least in a regular capacity, is unlikely.
Watching his and Matty Wilson’s social media it appears that they are settled into their new lives, post-Neighbours. Matty has even moved away from Melbourne. I would love to see them back as guest characters occasionally, but the Brenaka Boys are unlikely to be a permanent part of the new series.
That also means it is unlikely we will see Nicolette on a permanent basis. Surely she wouldn’t let the boys leave with her darling baby…although this is Nicolette, so you can never be sure! This leaves 32 Ramsay Street available for something new.
Could we see a brand-new family in there, or maybe even a legacy family return? The show has form, as seen with the introduction of the Willises and Turners in 2013. Could 32 become the home of Toby Mangel, complete with wife and kids?
It has been a long while since we have seen a Ramsay back on the street (It took Roxy right until her final episode to acknowledge that indeed, she was a Ramsay). Henry and Bronwyn Ramsay left for a new life in New Zealand, but maybe their kids and even grandkids could arrive in Erinsborough to find out about their roots.
Whatever happens, new characters or old, I’m certain that there is still plenty more unmissable drama to come from that wonderful cul-de-sac.
Looking forward to neighbours starting back in September town. Looking forward to seeing all the UK