Guy Pearce shares nod to Kate Winslet in his Neighbours return plot

 Winslet's most famous character has made it to Ramsay Street.

Guy Pearce has let Neighbours fans in on a little behind-the-scenes secret about his return storyline on the show.

The Memento actor, who played Mike Young on the Aussie soap between 1986 and 1989, will reprise the role for Neighbours' big finale and now he's teased that he's managed to sneak a nod to his friend and huge Neighbours fan  Kate Winslet into his return plot.

"Kate Winslet is a big fan of [Neighbours]," Pearce said on Australian breakfast show Studio 10. "She's literally wetting herself that I'm back on the show. She was besotted with Mike back in the day."

 Neighbours stars bid goodbye at the British Soap Awards

He continued: "So when I told her I was coming back to do the show, she said: 'Right, I have to be there, I'm coming back.'"

While Winslet couldn't be on set for the filming of the final episode, Pearce made sure that his Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown co-star made it to Ramsay Street anyway.

The Australian actor added that his return plot will see Mike and his daughter move back to Erinsborough from Perth, and Pearce shared that he and the soap's producers discussed the possibility of naming the mother of Mike's child after Kate.

"I went, 'That's a little personal in my life, so maybe let's not call her Kate,'" Pearce recalled saying, referring to his 18-year marriage to Kate Mestitz, which ended in 2015.

"So she's called Rose, which was Kate's character on Titanic. So Winslet is kind of here in spirit."

 Neighbours farewell tour announces official details and venues

Neighbours is gearing up to air its last-ever episode in August, putting an end to its 37-year-long stint.

Earlier this year, the soap was cancelled after Channel 5 dropped it from its schedule, while attempts to secure alternative funding weren't successful despite a fan-run campaign.

Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 6pm on Channel 5 and streams on My5. In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 6.30pm on 10 Peach and streams on 10 Play.