Exclusive: Neighbours’ first gay marriage makes history — and they’ll have kids soon
Matt Wilson, Magda Szubanski and Takaya Honda (Neighbours)
Neighbours is airing its first ever gay wedding, after 33 years on our screens.
Aaron Brennan and David Tanaka will tie the knot on the Australian soap in an episode airing in the UK on Monday, with the help of celebrity officiant Magda Szubanski of Australian comedy Kath & Kim, who has been a prominent activist in the fight towards marriage equality.
And it looks like the newlyweds will soon be adding children to their new family.
Matt Wilson and Takaya Honda play Aaron Brennan and David Tanaka (Channel 5)
Aaron and David’s relationship has already broken numerous barriers, including an adorably messy proposal in May when the two men planned to pop the question on the same day.
And according to executive producer Jason Herbison, viewers should expect to see the newlyweds as dads, and soon.
When asked by PinkNews if Aaron and David — or #Daaron, as they’re known to fans — would be having kids, he said: “Definitely.”
Jason Herbison (Channel 5)
“We’d love to explore that chapter with them, and we definitely want to explore it in the near future,” said Herbison.
“There are a few different ways we can go, and yes, I’d definitely say watch this space.”
Takaya Honda, who plays David on the show, was similarly enthusiastic, telling PinkNews: “I’d love there to be the pitter-patter of tiny feet for #Daaron.”
“But we’re just getting married now, so we’ve got to take it one step at a time,” he added, laughing.
Takaya Honda said: “I’d love there to be the pitter-patter of tiny feet for #Daaron!” (Channel 5)
“But no, I’d love to show that part of the community as well – to take #Daaron and make it into #DaaronFamily.
“That’d be a lot of fun, and involve a lot of storylines I haven’t really experienced up until now. I love kids, so if that came along I wouldn’t shy away from it or be scared of it. I’d definitely embrace it.”
For Matt Wilson, the actor behind Aaron, his character’s wedding is a storyline he’s been pushing since well before Australia’s Parliament legalised same-sex marriage in December, following an overwhelming win for the ‘Yes’ side in the country’s postal vote.
And he revealed to PinkNews that he and Honda have been pushing the idea of their characters having kids “for a while, and the writing department seem to be quite receptive.”
Matt Wilson (Channel 5)
“It’s yet to happen, but fingers crossed,” said Wilson.
But as Honda said, the wedding is the primary concern at the moment, and Wilson said that to be part of such a momentous occasion for Australia television was “special.
“This is the biggest moment of my career, this wedding. This is the absolute peak so far,” he added.
There has been an outpouring of support for the couple, as well as a huge number of fans who have said that David and Aaron’s relationship has helped them or a friend or family member to come out.
Wilson said that his friends and family were “very proud” of him for being part of this landmark moment (Channel 5)
Wilson said that his friends and family were “very proud” of him for being part of this landmark moment, even choosing to focus their attentions on David and Aaron’s special day over the most famous wedding to take place this year.
“When we were filming, it was in the same timeframe as the royal wedding,” he revealed, “and nobody around me cared about the royal wedding; they cared about our wedding!
“So hopefully it’s the same when it goes to air. I usually can’t watch my scenes, but I’ve told myself I’ll watch this wedding, because it’s the biggest moment of my entire career.”
Honda, who was one of the judges for Mr Gay Pride Australia earlier this year, agreed, saying: “It’s pretty special.”
Honda said: “I can’t even put into words how proud and fortunate I feel to be able to be a part of it” (Channel 5)
“Being part of a first for anything really can’t be taken away from you, and it is historic. I can’t even put into words how proud and fortunate I feel to be able to be a part of it,” Honda added.
“It’s an absolute honour to be a part of, and the size of it isn’t lost to me at all. Both Matty and I feel the significance of this moment.”
The storyline reflects one of the most divisive periods in Australian history. Australia was embroiled in a fractious and sometimes violent postal vote over marriage equality last year.
Szubanski, who was in the heat of the fight, said that “it’s hard to convey how inconceivable [same-sex marriage] was to people of my generation.”
“It’s hard to convey how inconceivable [same-sex marriage] was to people of my generation” (Cole Bennetts/Getty)
“It is just extraordinary to see something happen, when everything in the world has been telling you it’s impossible as far back as the 1970s, when my friends and I were all starting to realise our sexuality,” she said.
“As much as the survey was brutal, the support of straight allies was also incredible.
“People were angry that the Parliament hadn’t got this through, and so many people were saying: ‘Of course I’ll vote for you. I’m deeply ashamed that I even have to.’ The fact that we’ve got to that point, that’s great.”
But, she said, there was a price.
“We were thrown to the wolves” (James Alcock/Getty)
“We were thrown to the wolves,” she recalled. “There were no regulations, they didn’t fight clean, and it was scary.”
Szubanski added that the vote “divided some families. It really got that ferocious. It was a political experiment, and I don’t think you should ever, ever do that with a vulnerable minority.”
The actress and activist had no hesitation in taking on the role of the celebrant in the wedding, because “Neighbours still has a real presence, and that level of acceptance, that it’s no biggie that there’s a same-sex marriage on Neighbours, will give a lot of assurance to people who feel like they’re hanging on by their fingernails.”
She said it was “massive.”
“Just having the right to participate in what is acknowledged as a huge communal, national rite of passage on such a mainstream show is huge,” she said.
David kisses Aaron (Channel 5)
“It’s bloody Neighbours! It’s an iconic show and it’s a moment in history.”
Herbison called the postal referendum “a very cruel and unnecessary public vote” which he said affected “many people on the show.”
“It’s an awful thing when a country gives that licence to its population to hate,” he said.
Despite the terrifying question of whether the Australian people would give a minority of the population equal rights, Neighbours‘ executive producer said that David and Aaron’s fate was never in doubt.
“We always would have married them anyway, it just would’ve been the difference between a wedding or a ceremony,” he revealed. “It was always our intention that they got married.”
David and Aaron during their historic proposal (Channel 5)
When it came to the rhetoric which came out of the ‘No’ side – which included the nonsensical branding of the issue as “transgender marriage” – Wilson said it was “evil,” while Honda said that the postal vote made him more determined to do his role justice.
“The plebiscite inspired me to work harder, because I’m a bit of a righteous person, so when I see inequalities… that affects and upsets me,” he said.
“It gave an even greater feeling of importance to playing David and being part of this relationship, because we are in a position where we can change people’s opinions.”
And if you haven’t seen the wedding yet, get ready for some waterworks, with Szubanski warning: “Get some tissues ready – I got quite teary while the boys were saying their vows.”
Neighbours airs weekdays on Channel 5 in the UK.
