There's a Ramsay Street reunion going on as residents past and present join Toadie's birthday celebrations!

The last time Channel 5 aired a special late-night episode of Neighbours in 2016, Lassiters Hotel exploded and long-time character Doug Willis and his grandson Josh Willis were killed-off.

But things could get just as explosive when another after-dark episode of Neighbours screens next month, this time featuring the return of infamous homewrecker, Izzy Hoyland (played by Natalie Bassingthwaighte). The crafty character hasn't been seen on screen since 2007, when she gate-crashed the wedding of Karl and Susan Kennedy (played by Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne) in London and gave birth to Karl's secret daughter, Holly!

“Izzy always knew how to make an entrance and this is no exception!" teased Natalie. "It was fabulous to be filming back at the studios where my career started and straight away I felt completely at home – and to reunite with Alan and Jackie again was a dream. Viewers can be assured Izzy is back with a vengeance, creating chaos. If you loved to hate her before, you will love to hate her even more.”

The special episode will centre around Toadie Rebecchi's (Ryan Maloney) very belated 21st birthday party and see many former Ramsay Street residents return for the celebrations including Stu Parker (Blair McDonough), Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby), Toadie's brother Stonefish (Anthony Engelman) and Sindi Watts (Marisa Warrington).

Plus ex-Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas will make his first appearance as Rafael Humphreys, a British tourist who has a score to settle, possibly with a Ramsay Street resident!

Channel 5’s Commissioning Editor of Factual Entertainment, Greg Barnett, teased: “If you’re a fan of Neighbours then you cannot afford to miss this special 10pm episode as for the first time ever, it will be a brand new hour of spectacular drama.

“Who gets run-over, who runs for their life and whose life ends up hanging by a thread? All will be revealed in this nail-biting episode.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj2O_Dd2T-M

Don't miss the special hour-long episode of Neighbours on February 12th at 10:00pm on Channel 5

Feisty Sheila plays dirty to gain power over Karl and be crowned head of the Liveability committee!

There are dirty tactics displayed this week when Sheila and Karl both go head to head in a bid to lead the Liveability committee.

When Karl and Susan return from their trip to Thailand the neighbours immediately clock that all is far from harmonious in the Kennedy camp.

Later on a ruffled Karl confesses to Shane that he committed a 'shameful act' while he and Susan were away and he's now in the doghouse with his wife. But what exactly did the doc do?

Sheila is quick to exploit the obvious tensions between the married couple when she and Karl later go head to head for the leadership of Sonya's Liveability initiative. Naughty Sheila! What tricks has the determined gran got up her sleeve?

The gloves are off! Sheila and Karl go head to head for leadership of the committee.

The gloves are off! Sheila and Karl go head to head for leadership of the committee.

When Karl and Sheila bicker over who is best for the job, Sonya decides the fairest way to decide on the leadership would be to have a public vote.

The friends and neighbours gather together to hear Karl and Sheila each say their piece.

However, Sheila is aware that things are rocky between Karl and Susan. When she challenges Karl as to why his wife isn't supporting him, a sheepish Karl is convinced everyone knows what he got up to in Thailand.

When Sheila bluffs and convinces him that she knows all the sordid details, a ruffled Karl announces he's withdrawing from the leadership bid!

Sheila is declared victorious, but what exactly DID Karl do in Thailand? Has he been unfaithful to Susan or is there a more innocent explanation? Watch Neighbours on Channel 5 from Monday 7 August.

Toadie heads to London in search of 'Dee' and Willow. After sleeping with 'Dee' he learns she's actually Andrea Somers. Back in Erinsborough, his wife Sonya goes into labour.

In London, Toadie is on a desperate mission to track down 'Dee' and Willow. He wants Willow, who he thinks is his daughter, to move back to Australia to live with him and Sonya. Having forgotten his phone charger, he's not getting any of his pregnant wife Sonya's frantic messages - and when they finally catch up with each other on Skype, a row soon breaks out. Angry Toadie thinks he's ended their call on his laptop, but he hasn't…

Also in London is Karl, but while he pounds the streets in search of his friend, Toadie is in his hotel room with Dee. As she declares her feelings for him, they sleep together, unaware that Sonya is watching on Skype. As her heart breaks Sonya reaches out to Steph - and goes into premature labour!

The next day, Toadie is filled with regret and guilt at his betrayal. As 'Dee' gets ready to leave, Toadie clocks her passport and finally finds out she's not 'Dee' she's actually Andrea Somers… As the cheating lawyer's world implodes there's worse to come in London, and for Sonya in Erinsborough…

Toadie heads to London in search of 'Dee' and Willow…

Toadie heads to London in search of 'Dee' and Willow…

But the smile is soon wiped off his face as his world implodes - and he discovers 'Dee' is actually Andrea Somers!

Sonya catches up with Toadie on Skype. But a row kicks off. Toadie thinks he's ended the call…

… but he hasn't. Sonya is watching as 'Dee' arrives at his hotel room and passion strikes.

Karl, meanwhile, is in London too. He's come in search of Toadie to tell him his pregnant wife Sonya needs him to come home.

Karl pounds the streets in search of AWOL lawyer Toadie.

Karl has no idea that back in Toadie's hotel room, the lawyer and his so-called ex 'Dee' are getting passionate.

Sonya is heartbroken by Toadie's betrayal and turns to Steph for support.

Steph is horrified as Sonya tells her Toadie has slept with 'Dee'.

As Steph tries to reassure Sonya, who's pregnant, there's worse to come…

Sonya's nightmare ramps up a gear as she goes into labour… while in London, unaware of his wife's plight, Toadie's world falls apart… Will the Rebecchis survive the major marriage crisis?Watch Neighbours on C5 from Monday 20 March.

In a first for fans, Neighbours is continuing to broadcast over the Christmas period, in a series of 25 1-2 minute special webisodes

Neighbours fans who are missing a fix of their favourite Aussie soap over Christmas can rest easy – the show will continue with a series of daily 1-2 minute webisodes on its UK Facebook page.

For the first time ever, viewers will be able to follow Neighbours storylines during the Christmas break, with an extra special treat on Christmas Day when Sheila Canning (Collette Mann) – Ramsay Street’s very own matriarch – will address the Nation.

In a first ever for Neighbours, fans will get to experience a Ramsay Street Christmas, as well as five bespoke storylines that will broadcast on Facebook.

Twenty-five 1-2 minute-long episodes, featuring some of the show’s favourite characters, will play out every weekday from Monday, December 5th to Friday January 7th.

Neighbours returns to Channel 5 on January 9th.

Neighbours’ Senior Social & Digital Producer, Ric Forster said: “Following the popularity of our Xanthe ♥ Ben soap bubble earlier in the year, we thought it would be fun to try something new. These new episodes give Neighbours fans a special Christmas treat so that they never miss their favourite daily drama while the show takes its festive break on Channel 5.”

The Christmas Break Storylines include:

Better the Devil You Know (5-9 December 2016) Ben and Xanthe are on the rocks after her mum, Brooke, scammed Ben’s grandfather, but after Susan helps him realise it’s worth trying to fix things, Ben heads to the Canning’s place in Frankston to make amends with Xanthe…

Especially For You (12-16 December 2016) She had her heart broken by Kyle, but now Amy is ready to move on. Taking a beachside vacation, Amy meets a cute guy, Hunter, and surprises even herself when she introduces herself as the care-free and bubbly ‘Leonie’...

What Do I Have To Do? (19-23 December 2016) Karl’s promised a stressed-out Susan that he’ll do this year’s Christmas cooking; the only problem is he’s forgotten to buy half the ingredients. With all the shops closed, Karl hurries around to his neighbours, but no one can lend him a turkey. As a last resort he goes to Robinsons motel, where Paul’s offering cheap Christmas dinners to his guests. He’s happy to help Karl out – but at a price – and blackmails Karl into doing a humiliating task...

On a Night Like This (26-30 December 2016) Tyler and Piper finally consummate their relationship, but are still forced to keep their affair secret... Will they see in the New Year together?

Step Back In Time (2-5 January 2017) Toadie’s past seems to be coming back to haunt him as it looks like presumed-dead ex-wife Dee has been spotted in Colac. He enlists the help of his brother, Stonie, to investigate the sighting on his behalf.  Perhaps Dee is not dead after all?

Uh-oh! Here comes trouble… Sarah Beaumont is back in town!

They’ve been on, they’ve been off… and then they’ve been on again, but could Ramsay Street’s much-loved couple Karl and Susan Kennedy be heading for another split?

Back in 1997, Sarah was working as a receptionist at Karl’s surgery when the pair developed for feelings for each other. Although Karl managed to resist temptation, while helping Sarah to become a nurse, things came to a head when he comforted her over a break-up and the pair kissed.

When Toadie found out about the kiss, he told his best-mate Billy, the Kennedy’s youngest son, who then told his mum Susan. Devastated, she slapped her cheating husband across the face and ordered him to move out of their home. The couple later reunited, however, but after Susan slipped on some milk and lost her memory, she couldn’t remember who Karl was so she divorced him!

After a brief return in 2013, Sarah, played by Nicola Charles, is to return to Ramsay Street once more. In the coming months, viewers will see her arrive in Erinsborough – but has she come back to rekindle things with Karl or does she have another agenda?

"They say life imitates art, but for me art is imitating life. I've had some huge and sometimes terrifying mountains to climb in my personal life during the last 10 years. Now I'm using all those experiences to help Sarah climb hers," said Nicola.

English-born Sarah joined Neighbours’ as a regular cast member in 1996, and has secured her place in the soap’s history as one of its most controversial characters…

“Sarah Beaumont is a wonderful character that doesn’t need an introduction, viewers wait with bated breath for her next move and the latest installment will surprise everyone," said Jason Herbison, Executive Producer of Neighbours. “It's always a pleasure to welcome Nicola back to Ramsay Street,”

You can see Nicola’s return in Neighbours on Channel 5 from 5 April.

Neighbours star Ryan Moloney tells Soaplife why Toadie gets his kit off…

Do you remember the first episode of Neighbours?

"I was far too young! To be honest, I didn’t watch the show when I was a kid. I only started once I knew I’d got the part of Toadie."

And what’s Toadie’s role in the special 30th birthday episodes?

"Massive embarrassment! He tries to schmooze a potential client who turns out to be a naturist. So Toadie decides to join the guy for a naturist lunch."

So you’re naked?

"Pretty naked, yes. Obviously, certain parts of me are covered up. I’m surrounded by crew who really don’t want to see, well, you know…"

We do! Was it fun to film?

"Absolutely hilarious – especially when Dr Karl comes in looking for a spreadsheet that just happens to be stuck to Toadie’s bum! The doc ends up getting naked, too, and that’s really something to behold!"

What would you like to happen to Toadie in the future?

"Off the top of my head, I’d like him to win the lottery so he could start driving some fabulous cars around the neighbourhood. And maybe he could get his own plane!"

You’re a qualified pilot, aren’t you?

"I am. I completed my commercial licence in October and now fly whenever I can. When you’re a pilot, you have to fly a certain amount of hours."

Can you fly a passenger jet?

"(Laughs) No. I’d love to, but I’m not qualified to do that – yet. I just fly small aircraft."

Would you like to stay in Ramsay Street another 20 years?

"I don’t know about that but I’m very happy there for the foreseeable future."

Neighbours' 30th anniversary week kicks off on Monday, March 16

Neighbours star Alan Fletcher has said he’d be up for representing Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 57-year-old actor – famous for playing Dr Karl Kennedy in the soap – is frontman of band Waiting Room which regularly tours the UK.

Alan told Radio 5 Live, he thought the recent announcement that Australia is to join Eurovision is the 'most exciting thing ever'.

Alan Fletcher (Fiona Hanson/PA Archive/Press Association Images)

Asked if he would take part, Alan said: “I’d be there with bells on. I think I’d probably have to wear a wig and grow a beard. But I’d be happy to do anything. The sequin suits: I can see it all now.”

The soap star added that Aussies are massive Eurovision fans and flock to the contest every year.

And Alan is a pro at cheesy crooning – check out this little number.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMeRu-0q8E8&feature=oembed

The 60th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna, Austria on Saturday, May 23.

The Australian entry will be fast-tracked to the grand final, alongside the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Austria.

Meanwhile, the BBC has announced plans for a special Eurovision Song Contest concert in London on March 31 to mark the show’s 60th anniversary.

Will the hospital doc survive after accidentally drinking some contaminated water in Neighbours?

Karl and Susan Kennedy have now been residents of Ramsay Street for 20 years! As their anniversary is celebrated on screen with a nostalgic storyline involving the return of their oldest son, Mal, we look back with star Jackie Woodburne (Susan) on her two decades in Neighbours...

Congratulations for your 20th anniversary in Ramsay Street!

"It’s a lovely storyline. Karl and Susan's son, Mal, comes back. He wants Karl and Susan to go and live in London with him. Dr Karl is quite keen on the idea, Susan is more reluctant. So they go through this wonderful trip down memory lane. People remind them of reasons to stay…or go. So there are some flashbacks. It was astonishing to see the episode and look back at 20 years of our lives!"

Can you remember your first day on set in 1994? Had you met the rest of the Kennedy clan before?

"Alan Fletcher (Karl) and I had met. He was in a show called Cop Shop in the early 80s and I did a guest stint as his sister. So when I found out he would be playing my husband I was thrilled. We hadn’t met Benji McNair (Mal), Kym Valentine (Libby) or Jesse Spencer (Billy) before. But when I went home at the end of the day after filming I just thought, ‘Wow, that chemistry really clicked.’"

Did you celebrate your anniversary on set?

"Alan and I turned up to work on the day with gifts for each other. He gave me red roses and French champagne and I gave him a vintage bottle of wine from 1994, the year we began on Neighbours."

What have been your favourite storylines over the years?

"The Susan/Karl/Izzy love triangle. Natalie Bassingthwaighte  was so great as Izzy. You really got why Karl loved Izzy. To split Karl and Susan up it had to make sense he would love someone else. Izzy wasn’t just the homewrecker. She had her own life as a character."

Would you like to see the whole Kennedy family reunited?

"Wouldn’t that be good? I think Jesse Spencer might be a bit busy in Hollywood. He does 14-16 hours sometimes on set on Chicago Fire. But I’m sure he’d be up for it. He did the 20th anniversary. He went and found a costume in a charity shop, wrote some dialogue and got a mate to film it for him!"

How's it going with Karl and Susan's current houseguest, Nate?

"I love having other people in the house. Fletch and I both do. The more in the house the better! The more noise, the more kids, the more bedlam, that’s when we love it. So to get somebody else in is great. Hopefully we will meet Nate’s mum down the track. Meyne Wyatt, who plays Nate is the first indigenous actor we’ve had on the show and I’ve really enjoyed working with him. He’s a real talent and one to watch out for."

Would you ever join the cast of a UK soap?

"I’d love to! I’d love to work in the UK. I think you make really good TV here. The women characters are really interesting. They are not just someone’s mum or nan. They are powerful people with important jobs. Sometimes they are flawed and broken, and not glamorous. I think that is really interesting. I’d love to spend more time in London."

NEIGHBOURS, 1.45pm and 5.30pm, weekdays on Channel 5.

Watch the video chat, above, with Jackie Woodburne as she discusses the rumours surrounding the 30th anniversary of Neighbours!

Paula Abdul is making a guest appearance on Neighbours in July.

The US pop star and former US X Factor judge drops into Ramsay Street in connection with a romantic storyline with Dr Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) who reveals he's had a long-time crush on her.

Dr Karl and Paula Abdul? Viewers will have to wait and see if his fantasy comes true, or if he and wife Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) make it to their 20th wedding anniversary...

Paula said: “I remember watching Neighbours when I was in England in the 1980s. I thought it was a lot of fun and for it to still be popular after nearly 30 years is an amazing achievement.

“Everyone was so nice and I will admit, Dr Karl was very charming. I had a really lovely time.”

Paula makes her Neighbours debut on Channel 5 on Friday, July 4.