Neighbours FINALLY reveals return date — plus a new family for Ramsay Street

Neighbours cast Tim Kano, Annie Jones, Georgie Stone & Rebekah Elmaloglou standing in a line, smiling.
Neighbours' return date has finally been revealed. (Image credit: NEIGHBOURS FremantleMedia Australia Pty Limited)

Neighbours fans have been waitng patiently for news on when the Australian soap will return to our screens ever since it was announced the show had been picked up by Amazon Freevee after being axed by Channel 5 last year. 

And now the wait is finally over, becasue a return date has been announced along with an introduction to a brand new family who will be moving into Ramsay Street. 

As well as many of the former cast returning to their roles in the soap, Neighbours will also be welcoming some other new faces to Erinsborough, including US star Micha Barton.

But it was announced today, Thursday, June 22, that not only will the show officially be returning in September 2023, but also that we will be welcoming the Varga-Murphy family to the street.

The new additions include mums, Remi and Cara, and teenage sons, JJ and Dex — and Neighbours insiders have revealed that as always one of the newcomers is hiding a secret... 

"Despite their different outlooks on life, mothers Cara and Remi are a united front when parenting their teenage sons, JJ and Dex. The household is full of love and playful energy, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect fireworks. 

"Someone in the family has an ulterior motive for being in Erinsborough... and it’ll have explosive ramifications for their neighbours."

Alan Fletcher, Micha Barton and Jackie Woodburne on the Neighbours set

Micha Barton has also joined the soap for a guest stint, and of course Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne are back as the iconic Karl and Susan Kennedy.  (Image credit: Amazon Freevee)

Sara West (Don’t Tell, Bad Girl, Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, Dead Lucky), who plays Cara Varga-Murphy, said: “Cara has a bold, impassioned love for her family and I love that her intentions have, so far, always been good. 

"I hope having the Varga-Murphys on telly will help better reflect the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community that I'm proud to be a part of and I can't wait to share the family with you!”

Naomi Rukavina (Run Rabbit Run, Wentworth Prison, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), who plays Remi Varga-Murphy, said “As a stalwart of Australian drama television, Neighbours is on the front foot of showcasing diverse and real representations of Australian families. 

"The joys, sadness and madness of Neighbours has been a great adventure thus far and the Varga-Murphy family have already formed a special bond off screen and on. I can't wait to share it with the world.”

From L-R: Marley Williams (‘Dex Varga-Murphy’), Sara West (‘Cara Varga-Murphy’), Riley Bryant (JJ Varga-Murphy’), Naomi Rukavina (‘Remi Varga-Murphy’) in Neighbours

From Left to right: Marley Williams as Dex, Sara West as Cara, Riley Bryant as JJ and Naomi Rukavina as Remi. (Image credit: Amazon Freevee)

Jason Herbison, Neighbours’ Executive Producer, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Varga-Murphy family to Ramsay Street and the amazing cast portraying them. It feels fitting that the new season will herald the arrival of a new household, with many new stories to tell.”

We already know a little about the new family... with Remi, who is a serious and studious doctor, offering the calming presence during a storm. She’s passionate about her family, career and helping others. But it’s her wife and kids that help her see life isn’t always clear-cut and sometimes rules need to be broken.

Meanwhile, Cara’s a down-to-earth, fun-loving ‘tradie’. Not only is she handy with a hammer and drill, she’s also fierce, loyal and protective when it comes to her family. Cara’s the cheese to Remi’s chalk, but it’s their differences that make their marriage work.

Get a first-look at the all-new chapter of Neighbours coming to Amazon Freevee this September — available for free in the UK and U.S. The series will also stream on Prime Video in Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.