'Toadie' says Neighbours needs more diversity

'Toadie' says Neighbours needs more diversity
'Toadie' says Neighbours needs more diversity

The actor who plays long running Neighbours favourite Toadfish Rebecchi has called for more ethnic diversity in the soap. Ryan Moloney, 29, spoke out after the press criticised the show for not being multicultural enough. He said: "If people have an opinion, they have an opinion for a reason - in terms of Neighbours being more multicultural, yes absolutely we could definitely go further with that - it would be fantastic to do that. "Having said that, you've got to remember that Neighbours is a beast that deals in generalisations. We do it in broad brushstrokes. So if Australia is more white then there's going to be a more-white representation amongst the cast. Now being that Australia is far more multicultural, absolutely... make the show more multicultural." The actor also claimed that the soap’s plots were toned down for families watching the show together. "I actually think the writers write a bit young for our kids. I think they could be a bit older and handle a bit more. "Neighbours is definitely pushing the clean living and innocence of children. But I think that's a great thing. These days kids are getting older a lot quicker so it's nice to have something that's trying to not do that." Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop

Patrick McLennan

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.