Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher farewell Neighbours… again!
FREMANTLE

When Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne were told Neighbours had been cancelled, the news hit with a force they immediately recognised. It was the same hollow ache they had felt back in March 2022, when the iconic soap faced its first cancellation. This time, they knew what was coming, but that didn’t soften the blow.

“The first breakup is always the hardest – that’s true heartbreak,” Jackie, 69, tells TV WEEK. “This time we’ve had a bit of time to get our heads around it. But the loss is the same – we’re going to lose this incredible place where people can join the industry.”

With castmates Stefan Dennis and Rebekah Elmaloglou. (Credit: FREMANTLE)
The revival by Amazon Freevee, in partnership with the production company Fremantle, had given Ramsay Street a remarkable second life; but, after two more years on air, the shifting landscape of broadcast television has finally caught up with the series.

“The fact that so much advertising is now spread over so many different platforms makes it very hard for free-to-air networks to survive and to make a product,” Alan, 68, explains.

The industry is different now: fragmented audiences, new content models and fierce competition for attention mean that even beloved long-running shows must fight to stay afloat. And, if all that weren’t enough, a new technological shift looms.

“What we think have been big changes over the last 40 years will be dwarfed by what AI is going to do to entertainment product,” Alan warns. “It’s something the industry and all the workers in it are going to have to be very vigilant about… Because it’s a runaway train that could run everybody over.”

For Alan and Jackie – known to generations of Australians as Dr Karl and Susan Kennedy for the last 31 years – the thought of saying goodbye again is layered with emotion.

Their on-screen marriage has survived affairs, illnesses, amnesia, blended families, career crises and decades of cul-de-sac drama. They have become the emotional spine of the series and its dependable heartbeat all in one.

“We were both very emotional saying goodbye to the crew,” Jackie says. “We’ve seen people grow up, get married, have children, get divorced, get remarried… We’ve had cast and crew who have passed away. We see each other through the best and the worst of life – and that’s a privilege that only happens when you get to play a character for this long.”

Neighbours has been a launching pad – one that has produced some of Australia’s biggest global stars. Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, the three Hemsworth brothers, Guy Pearce, Delta Goodrem to name just a few. The loss of a high-calibre training ground worries the pair for future actors.
Not yet a celebrity wedding! Donna (Margot Robbie) ties the knot with Ringo. (Credit: FREMANTLE)
“We’re going to lose this incredible place where people can join the industry and learn their trade,” Jackie says. “It’s a place they can discover and hone their talents. That’s an immeasurable loss.”

For Jackie and Alan, mentoring new talent was a great joy of the job.

“When these young actors join us, they’re quite green and inexperienced,” Jackie says. “Then they have those moments when they discover they can do something as an actor that they didn’t know they could do.

“The joy and confidence that brings them is so exciting for us to watch – and you feel like this place matters.”
Pre-fame Russell Crowe had a small role in 1987. (Credit: FREMANTLE)
When Neighbours ends, the promise of nurturing young talent must continue somewhere. Alan hopes that long-time friendly rival Home and Away will keep that particular torch burning.

“I’ve heard from directors who’ve worked on both shows that the spirit at Home and Away is very close to what goes on at Neighbours,” he says.

“All hail to them, and long may they last.”

Alan and Jackie have together weathered huge storylines – and some deeply personal moments behind the scenes, including the cancer diagnosis of fan favourite Ian Smith, who played Harold Bishop.

“When Ian left, it was like losing a big chunk of the family,” Jackie says. “He was a huge thread of the show from the very beginning.”

Filming their final scenes at the Kennedy house – the heart of Ramsay Street – brought the pair a bittersweet sense of déjà vu.

“I think the fans will love the ending because it is about hope,” Jackie says. “Filming those scenes on the street, we were all reminded of the last time we were there. So it was kind of a double-barrel emotional shotgun that day, because we were remembering the first time we farewelled the show.”

While they ready themselves to close the door on Erinsborough, new chapters await. Alan’s music career continues to grow, with his work as a guitarist and singer–songwriter thriving.
Susan and Karl have survived 31 years of marital drama. (Credit: FREMANTLE)
“I love playing music and I love performing live,” he says. “Music gives me the opportunity to express my thoughts about life through my songs. I’ll keep playing until someone cuts my hands off!”

Jackie has already moved into a new project: Imposter, a four-part drama with Dannii Minogue, that she feels “very lucky” to be part of. But their hearts are with the fans who must now say their own goodbyes.

“There are a lot of people who tell us how much Neighbours means so much to them,” Alan says. “And there’s a component of our audience who, for whatever reason, have limited mobility and rely on TV for their solace and entertainment. Neighbours is a very big part of their lives.”
Just one big family of friends… and neighbours! (Credit: FREMANTLE)
And so, as Ramsay Street fades to black once more, Alan and Jackie leave viewers with the gentle promise that, no matter where life takes them, or where the industry moves next, they really do ‘thank you just for being a neighbour.’

In Neighbours final week you can watch it on 10 at 4pm on Monday and Tuesday and a spectacular double episode finale at 8.40pm on Thursday.