Neighbours: TV soap will be axed as Channel 5 increases investment in UK drama

Neighbours will be axed after nearly four decades, with Channel 5 saying it will instead increase investment in original UK drama.

In a statement supplied to Sky News, Channel 5 said: “Neighbours will no longer air on Channel 5 beyond this summer.

“It has 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.”

It comes after reports that Channel 5, Fremantle, and Australian broadcaster Channel 10 have been trying to reach a deal to secure the show’s future.

The soap has been reliant on Channel 5’s funding in recent years and it reportedly pulls in an audience of more than one million viewers in the UK across the two daily showings.

Neighbours, which began its depiction of the lives of Ramsay Street residents in 1985, is shown on a digital channel in Australia to a much smaller audience.

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