Neighbours confirms it will show Australian TV’s first ever same-sex wedding
Neighbours is set to hold Australian TV’s first ever same-sex wedding.
On May 18, the country’s longest-running drama, which has been on our screens for 33 years, featured a gay proposal when long-term partners Aaron Brennan and David Tanaka both popped the question to each other.
The adorable scene concluded with the pair happy and engaged – and it seems like they intend to tie the knot within just a few months.
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The show has confirmed that Aaron and David’s marriage ceremony will take place on September 3.
It will be officiated by actress and LGBT activist Magda Szubanski, who emotionally spoke out after the Australian same-sex marriage postal vote, saying that some queer people “did not survive” the survey.
For Takaya Honda, who plays David, the wedding was the end of a story which signifies how far Australia has come.
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He said: “It is an absolute privilege to be a part of what is and will be a historic moment in Australian television.
“There have been so many parts of David’s story that have given me a great sense of pride and which have been an absolute honour to portray; from discovering Paul was his dad, to his coming out, to now marrying the man of his dreams in what will be the first legal gay wedding on a drama.”
Matt Wilson, who plays Aaron, said this plotline was a huge moment for him.
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“We are both ecstatic to be part of this huge moment in Australian television and it stands alone as the highlight of my career,” he said.
“This storyline means a lot to me, to my friends and to all the fans we hear from on a daily basis here and in the UK who love Aaron and David.”
Speaking before the proposal was televised, Wilson said it was a step he had wanted the show to make ever since Australia’s Parliament legalised same-sex marriage in December, following an overwhelming win for the ‘Yes’ side in the country’s postal vote.
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“The general consensus from everyone in my groups is that Australia is so far behind and it was almost embarrassing,” Wilson said.
“So the fact that it happened and Aaron and David are at that stage in their relationship where they are going to get married, we may be the first gay couple to get married on Australian television since it’s become legal.”
And Wilson said that as far as he was concerned, it was about time.
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“I keep saying to them, we have got to get this done, if Home And Away comes and does it before us, if some other show does it before us, we’re stuffed,” he said.
“We’ve got to win the race.
“No matter what, it’s going to be special but being the first ones to do it, that just makes it even bigger.”
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Jason Herbison, executive producer of Neighbours, said: “This is a story that we have been working on for a long time, and during that time, our country was trapped in a divisive referendum.
“Would our story about love and equality even be legal by the time it aired?
“Thankfully love won and we’re very excited for viewers to see this iconic moment come to life on screen.”
See the gorgeous proposal here:
