Neighbours announces exit of three stars
Neighbours stars Jordan Smith, Ben Barber and Kaiya Jones have revealed they are leaving the soap. The trio, who play Andrew Robinson, Rhys Lawson and Sophie Ramsay respectively, will depart screens in 2013, reported Australia's TV Week magazine. A spokesperson confirmed the news on Neighbours' official Twitter page, with the message: "Yes they are [leaving]. We'll miss those guys!" Kaiya, who joined Neighbours as Sophie in May 2009, told fans: "I'm both sad but excited :D Hope you get to see me on your tv screens again soon. :)" Jordan - who lives with fellow co-star Chris Milligan (Kyle Canning) - made his debut appearance as Andrew in December 2009, while Ben was cast in the role of Rhys in May 2011. Their exits are the latest cast changes on Ramsay Street, which included Jordy Lucas filming her final scenes as Andrew's ex-girlfriend Summer Hoyland, and Valentina Novakovic, who is bowing out as Natasha 'Tash' Williams, who also previously dated Andrew. Gemma Pranita (Jade Mitchell) also waved farewell to Neighbours in August.
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.