Guy Pearce set for surprise Neighbours revival return as Mike Young

And now, the actor has confirmed that he will reappear in the long-running soap out of respect for Neighbours.

Speaking on the Good Weekend Talks podcast, Pearce spoke about the fact that in the anticipated series finale, we saw how he bought a house on Ramsay Street with his former love interest Jane Harris, played by Annie Jones.

He said: “Annie and I called each other, ‘What do we do now, because we’re living in the street?’” Pearce said. “And she said, ‘Well I’m alright because I’m on the show anyway, but what are you going to do?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ So we’re in the process of working it out.

“Obviously, if I’m going to extricate myself from the show, I want to do it respectfully. I wasn’t just gonna go, ‘Well, bad luck. You had your chance, that was it,’ you know. So there may be a little appearance or two, shall we say.”

Read more:

• Neighbours newcomer Mischa Barton had 'never seen soap' before joining
• Neighbours confirms return of Lucinda Armstrong-Hall as Holly Hoyland

Neighbours was saved by Amazon Freevee last year when the soap was originally set to stop airing and Pearce returned as Mike Young for the purported final episode, catching up with old friends and seeing to some unfinished business. The finale, of course, attracted a staggering amount of viewers – 1.2 million in Australia and 3 million in the UK.

Pearce has gone on to find fame in Hollywood and in multiple films and TV shows, appearing in LA Confidential, Momento, and most recently in the ITVX drama A Spy Among Friends.

One of many big names who made a high-profile return for the farewell episode, Pearce previously poked fun at the finale, saying that it was an "expensive exercise". He made the comments during a tribute to the show at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards.

He said: "It’s hard to watch, isn’t it? Knowing we’ll never see another episode ever again. A painful reminder the things we love can be snatched away, never to return … unless Amazon comes in to save the day and makes our finale look like a rather expensive exercise."

He added: "I don’t want to say [it was a] waste of time. But still, I’m sure that Margot will be happy."

As for in what capacity or when we can expect to see Pearce back in Erinsborough, it remains unknown at this point – but we'll just have to keep an eye out in the reboot.

Neighbours returns on Amazon Freevee this autumn. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.