Neighbours revival officially returns to production – with classic character returning

And the new on-set picture shows it's smiles all round for the photographed cast members, which include Annie Jones, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis and Rebekah Elmaloglou.

Eagle-eyed fans will also be able to spot newly announced returning cast member Lucinda Cowden, who will be reprising her role as Melanie Pearson in the series.

News of her return to the series came a day before production started on Sunday 16th April, when the official Neighbours account tweeted: "We're so excited to announce that Lucinda Cowden will be reprising her role as Melanie Pearson in new episodes of Neighbours later this year.

"We can't wait to welcome her back (and maybe her pig collection too). Even Madame Zolga couldn't have predicted this one!"

Of course, it's been a rocky time for Neighbours fans as many have been waiting for news of the official go-ahead after the long-running series was cancelled in 2022 after 37 years on screen. The surprise renewal news came in November 2022 when Amazon Freevee announced that it would be picking up the Australian series for a revival.

Earlier last month, fan favourite characters of the soap took to the stage at London Palladium in the final night of Neighbours – The Celebration Tour.

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There, they announced when production was slated to commence with executive producer Jason Herbison saying: "It feels very real now. It’s a hive of activity at the studio. We’re busy writing the next chapter of Neighbours, bringing to life again the show’s much-loved characters as well as new residents.

"It’s exciting to see the sets being prepped, ready to start filming on Monday 17th April, which will be a huge day for everyone involved."

Off the back of Susan Kennedy being crowned RadioTimes.com's Soap Champion, star Jackie Woodburne teased what fans can expect from the new series.

Speaking with RadioTimes.com, Woodburne said that the cast themselves don't know "everybody that's coming back yet" and also added that she has "complete faith" that Herbison will "come up with something wonderful" for the new storylines.

Woodburne said: "I think the ending that we did for the show was perfect. I think those last few episodes hit the right note all the way. They paid tribute to the fans, they paid tribute to all the actors that have come through the show, all the technicians, all the writers. To me, it was perfect.

"We're kicking off with a whole new version of the show, so it will be huge. I can't even begin to imagine what the stories will be, but they’ll be huge."

Woodburne also revealed that she'd like to see the return of Lynette 'Lyn' Scully, who appeared in Erinsborough multiple times from 1999 to 2019. She said: "I have to say, Janet Andrewartha, who plays Lyn Scully, is a dear friend of mine and I would love to see her come back just because I like hanging out with Janet, so that would be good fun. And she was a great character."

Other cast members who will be series regulars in the next chapter of Neighbours include Tim Kano, Georgie Stone and Annie Jones, with Amazon also having announced that veterans Ian Smith, Melissa Bell and April Rose Pengilly will have guest roles, as well as Harold Bishop, Lucy Robinson and Chloe Brennan respectively.

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.

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