Three million viewers tuned in to say goodbye to Ramsay Street as Neighbors came to a close after almost four decades of constant drama.
The Australian soap’s final episode aired on Friday night in the UK on Channel 5, with stars including Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie making one last appearance on the show that made them famous.
Marking the end of an era, the double-episode special attracted a peak audience of 3 million as the show drew to a close, according to overnight figures.
It attracted an average audience of 2.5 million and Channel 5 said Friday night viewing figures were the highest since it began airing the beloved show in 2008.
Alongside Minogue, the finale also saw the return of three singers who had chart success after leaving Erinsborough. Delta Goodrem, who played Nina Tucker; Natalie Imbruglia, who was Beth Brennan, and Holly Valance, who played Felicity Scully, appeared in Friday night’s episode.
Mike Young, played by Guy Pearce, returned to Ramsay Street to rekindle his relationship with his former love interest Jane Harris, played by Annie Jones. The pair shared a video reflecting on the reunion after the episode aired, with Jones saying: “It’s a little weird, isn’t it?”
Pearce agreed, describing the meeting as “kind of surreal.” “It’s lovely to work together again. I mean we’ve stayed friends over the years and it’s kind of surreal and also very familiar and in a way like yesterday.” He added that he thought fans “might be having a quiet smile to themselves” to see the couple get their happy ending together at last.
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Ben Frow, chief content officer at Paramount UK, said: “I suspect there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience when Neighbors bowed last night.
“We wanted to give it a proper and respectful end and I hope that our night dedicated to the Neighbors has achieved that.
“Last night really was the end of an era. The response from the viewers on the night was very moving and even if they wanted it to be, the end didn’t have to come.”
He added that he hoped the fans would enjoy the final. “We celebrate Neighbors’ successful 37 years at the top – I’m sure it will remain in people’s hearts and television memories for a long time,” Frow said.