Neighbours' Jackie Woodburne opens up on cancellation: 'It will leave a massive gap'
The Susan Kennedy star spoke about the "overwhelming" fan support.
The news that Neighbours was to be cancelled caused shockwaves in the TV world when it was announced earlier this month, with fans of the Australian soap having since launched several campaigns to save the show.
And now Ramsey Street legend Jackie Woodburne – who has played Susan Kennedy in more than 3,000 episodes since debuting in 1994 – has spoken out about the news in an interview with morning talk show Studio 10.
Woodburne spoke about the outpouring of support from the soap's fans since the news broke, calling the response "overwhelming".
"It doesn't matter how aware you are of the fans that watch the show and how much they enjoy it; but this week, it's like a floodgate has opened and I've received the most beautiful messages from people," she said.
"People are really going to miss the show and it's going to leave a massive gap in the landscape of not just Australian television but internationally and specifically in the UK as well."
And she added: "It's the end of an era, it's the loss of an icon and we will never ever see a show like Neighbours again."
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The soap was axed by Channel 5 after the broadcaster decided to shift more focus to its own original drama, leaving the series without a UK production partner and therefore unable to continue.
A spokesperson for Channel 5 told RadioTimes.com 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.”
Australian broadcaster Network 10 had remained hopeful that production company Fremantle could find a new partner to help the show continue – but unfortunately, no one has come forward so far.
Neighbours airs on weekdays on Channel 5. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
