'Neighbours' is celebrating its 8,500th episode today (14.12.20).
Stefan Dennis
The long-running Australian soap - which airs on Channel 5 in the UK - will air the milestone edition on Monday afternoon at 1pm, and Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson) feels "very privileged" to still be part of the show.
He's quoted by The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column as saying: "It is extraordinary. I took the role in 1985 thinking it would be for maybe six months at the most.
"This milestone is particularly special because of the year the world has experience, so I feel very privileged."
Ryan Moloney (Jarrod 'Toadie' Rebecchi) admitted the cast and crew are delighted to have been able to continue working this year.
He added: "In March, we celebrated the 35th anniversary. Now we celebrating the 8,500th episode at the end of lockdown in Melbourne, where we film.
“We’ve bookended the pandemic with mile-stones. I think we’ve all been celebrating in our own quiet way every day over the last eight months - being able to continue working and doing what we love during Covid.”
Back in March, the 40-year-old actor - who has been a resident of Ramsay Street for 27 years - admitted he felt "very old".
He said: "It's just incredible. The anniversaries just seem to roll into each other. With each one you think, 'Well how lucky are we to get this far' - and then bingo, another one creeps up on us. I'm just rapt.
"I've been on it for 27 years. Now that makes me feel very old."
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