FINAL GOODBYE TO A NEIGHBOURS LEGEND
Veteran Neighbours star Ian Smith is waving goodbye to Ramsay Street.
86-year-old actor, who portrays Harold Bishop in the Australian soap opera, has announced his departure from the show on Monday, after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
In the eagerly awaited installment, Smith’s beloved onscreen persona, a role he’s played since 1987, will bid farewell.
Over the recent installments, there’s been a reunion between him and actress Anne Charleston, aged 82, who portrayed his wife Madge earlier in the series, but her character was written off when she passed away on screen.
Charleston has reappeared on Neighbours, stepping into a new character – Agnes. This newcomer develops an intriguing relationship with Harold, who is played by Smith.
Starting now, Smith’s last appearance on Neighbors will signify the completion of its 9,925th episode, a long-running soap opera that was cancelled earlier this year and is set to conclude permanently by the end of 2025.
Ian announced in December he has pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer.
During an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, Ian shared that he had been given a surprising chance at life, as doctors earlier predicted his death by March of this year.
In a candid moment, Ian shared that he’s been diagnosed with cancer, and while it seems inevitable that his time may be limited, he appears to be beating the statistics, which is heartening.
Ian added that he still had at least one more thing to tick off his bucket list.
Right now, I’ve got my heart set on acquiring a brand-new vehicle – not the typical last-minute purchase for someone who’s due to depart in March!
I am absolutely committed to owning an electric vehicle before my time is up. In fact, I recently had a conversation with a salesperson and jokingly asked, “Now, could you possibly manage to deliver it to me before I pass away?” Needless to say, he was taken aback! I added, “Let’s lighten the mood for a moment.
Ian received news he would outlive his original prognosis just before Christmas.
‘I took the second chance and I had to say to myself, “What are you going to do with it?” he said.
‘I’m still not sure I’ve worked out the answer to that but I’m certainly not going to mope around.’
Back in January, I was over the moon when I heard from Ian himself that his malignant growth was diminishing following three rounds of treatments – a blend of immunotherapy and chemotherapy! It’s like watching my favorite superhero fighting off the villain, one round at a time!
As a lifestyle expert, I recently underwent a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan, and the findings indicated a substantial shift in my metabolic activity, along with a noticeable reduction in my tumor size.
From facing the imminent risk of passing away in March, it seems I might have a little more time left…and beyond that, only time will tell.
There’s no chance of it becoming a cure, but I’ve been given a year or possibly even two years. Incredible, isn’t it? Truly remarkable.
Ian stepped down from his popular role on Neighbours last year amid his terminal cancer battle.
6 years ago, The Herald Sun ranked the top Australian TV characters from the past 60 years, and Harold Bishop placed 12th on this list, sandwiched between Sharon Strzelecki from Kath & Kim and Bobby Simpson from Home And Away.
In an interview with Daily Mail Australia back in 2017, Ian shared that he wasn’t aware of the prestigious recognition at the time, but he hoped Harold’s legacy would foster strong and healthy family ties instead.
‘I’m a little proud of myself,’ a surprised Ian admitted.
‘He’s a silly old fart but there’s something in Harold that everyone likes.
People often remark to me that I resemble their grandfather or father.
If I manage to manipulate this so that I could say, “Go give your father a hug,” – I’ve never actually hugged my father. The closest I came was giving him a kiss, which happened just 10 minutes following his death.
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2025-04-13 10:04