Neighbours star added to anniversary tour after exit news
"I am just a little bit excited."
Neighbours star Lucinda Cowden has joined the soap's 40th-anniversary tour following the news of her exit.
The actor, who has played Melanie Pearson since 1987, will appear on several UK stages in February to celebrate the milestone event.
She will be joined by Terese Willis actor Rebekah Elmaloglou, Leo Tanaka star Tim Kano, and Majella Davis, who plays Krista Sinclair. The final cast announcements will be confirmed next week.
Cowden shared the exciting news in a video, which was shared on the soap's official Instagram account on Tuesday (October 29).
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"Guess who's coming to the UK next year? It's me," she said. "I am just a little bit excited that I have been included in the incredible cast that is coming over for the Neighbours 40th anniversary tour.
"We're heading over in February, we're going to be touring all over the place, giving you a taste of life down under and telling stories you've never heard before, and giving you a whole other reason to celebrate this amazing show of ours."
Neighbours – The 40th Anniversary Tour will visit six cities in the UK, starting in Birmingham on February 3. After stopping in Newcastle, Glasgow, London and Cardiff, the show will finish in Manchester on February 18.
The tour, which is being moderated by Sky News presenter Leah Boleto, will feature "surprises, never-before-heard stories, and all the inside scoop on what life is really like in Erinsborough".
The news follows the announcement of Cowden's departure from the soap, which she described as a "bitter old pill to swallow".
While appearing on the NeighBens fan podcast earlier this week, the actor confirmed that it hadn't been her choice to leave, and explained that she has known about Melanie's impending departure since December 2023.
She went on to reveal that her final scenes involve Melanie's friends and neighbours throwing her a going-away party. Cowden has since "been back just really briefly, just for a couple of episodes".
"Hopefully they're going to keep Mel in the world and she can pop in and out occasionally," she added. "Or more often than occasionally – regularly!"
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