LGBTQ+ favourite soap Neighbours axed for second time after 40 years
Neighbours has been cancelled – again. (Amazon Freevee)
Australian soap opera Neighbours has been axed for the second time in less than three years, this time by streaming giant Amazon.
In a statement, Neighbours producer Jason Herbison confirmed that the series, which is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, would continue to air until December this year, but would then be “resting” and out of production.
“We are sad to announce that Neighbours will be resting from December 2025. New episodes from the 40th anniversary season will continue to air on Prime Video and Ten four times a week until the end of the year, with all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love,” the statement reads.
Herbison said that the Neighbours team were “very proud” of the show’s success on Amazon, where it began airing in September 2023 after previously being cancelling in the summer of 2022.
Since its launch, the soap has found a new fandom in the United States, and even scored its first ever Daytime Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Daytime Series in 2024.
We are sad to announce that Neighbours will be resting from December 2025. New episodes from the 40th anniversary season will continue to air on Prime Video and Ten four times a week until the end of the year, with all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love. pic.twitter.com/Jo7Bc6Wovl
— Neighbours (@neighbours) February 21, 2025
“Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years including often appearing as one of the Top 10 titles in the UK.
“We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future,” Herbison’s statement rounded off, leaving the future of the show potentially open.
A huge campaign to save the soap was launched back in 2022 after it was announced that British TV channel Channel 5 had withdrawn its support for financial reasons, and production company Fremantle had been unable to find a suitable replacement.
The huge amount of social media noise about the show’s cancellation at the time prompted Amazon to purchase the production rights for Freevee, the company’s video-on-demand streaming service which is no longer in use.
We are sad to announce that Neighbours will be resting from December 2025. New episodes from the 40th anniversary season will continue to air on Prime Video and Ten four times a week until the end of the year, with all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love. pic.twitter.com/Jo7Bc6Wovl
— Neighbours (@neighbours) February 21, 2025
I’m a new fan of #neighbours who had never even heard of it before it was picked up by Amazon. Since then I have watched countless hours of old seasons. And I’m so glad to have experienced a slice of this absolutely delightful show and fandom…I’m heartbroken #saveneighbours
— Stacey (@Stacaxox) February 20, 2025
Before its original cancellation, Neighbours had retained, on average, more than one million viewers per episode, and maintained a staunch fanbase online.
The soap is responsible for launching the international, Hollywood careers of stars including Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Russel Crowe, and all three Hemsworth brothers.
Over the years, its drawn a sizeable LGBTQ+ following, and featured a variety of groundbreaking LGBTQ+ characters and plotlines.
The Amazon reboot featured the introduction of the queer Varga-Murphy family, as well as the return of popular queer couple Chloe (April Rose Pengilly) and Elly (Jodi Anasta).
Transgender actor and activist Georgie Stone also joined the cast in 2019 as the soap’s first transgender character Mackenzie Hargreaves. She left the show in 2024.
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