Alan Fletcher is "very sad" that 'Neighbours' is coming to an end.
Alan Fletcher is full of gratitude
The 65-year-old actor has played GP Karl Kennedy on the Australian soap for almost 30 years and admitted that he is "full of gratitude" and feels "very lucky" that he got to play the role for so long.
He said: "'Neighbours' has given me so much and brought so much joy to a lot of people over the years, and that’s a very rewarding aspect of my career. I’m a very lucky person that I got to do it. I’m very sad, of course, that the journey is over, but I’m also full of gratitude that I got to go on this journey."
The soap opera has been on screens since 1985 but will air its final episode on Friday (29.07.22) and Alan teased that the episode will be full of "nice little twists and turns."
He told Metro.co.uk: “There will be some nice little twists and turns in there to intrigue the audience. It wouldn’t be ‘Neighbours’ without that! But there is also going to be a celebratory mood around the show. There will be a few tears in a few living rooms when it airs on July 29.”
The final episode is set to feature guest appearances from pop stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan as well as Hollywood actress Margot Robbie – all of whom first found fame on the soap - and Alan admitted it was "great" to have Natalie Bassingthwaighte back on set after her character Izzy Hoyland had a relationship with Karl back in the early 2000s.
He said: “Natalie Bassingthwaighte is one of my great pals, so having her come back [has been great]. Izzy is one of the most delightful and mischievous characters we’ve ever had on ‘Neighbours’, and the fact that she comes back with [Karl's son] Malcom, it’s joyous!"
Back in February, Channel 5 confirmed they were axing the show.
A spokesperson said at the time: "'Neighbours' will no longer air on Channel 5 beyond this summer.
"It’s been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we’d like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.
"We’d also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.
"We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers."
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