Neighbours star signs up for The Block in shock show swap

From Ramsay Street to Gisborne South, a Neighbours star is making a shock TV channel swap and getting ready to build on her career on The Block.

On The Block everybody needs good ‘neighbours’ and one of the soon to wrap soap’s most talked about stars of recent years is set to make a shock leap from drama to reality TV.

Sharon Johal is understood to be among the yet to be revealed cast of the new season of The Block.

The show was due to start filming on Wednesday but after a contestant tested positive to Covid the go date was pushed back a week.

While other contestants were cooling their heels waiting for the new commencement of filming date to roll around, and one contestant was in isolation while recovering from Covid, Johal was a vision in dramatic shimmering silver at the Glamour On The Grid party at Albert Park on Wednesday night.

She returned to the track on Thursday, looking comfy in a slouchy tangerine pyjama style ensemble at the Mercedes Ladies Lunch.

Ankur Dogra and Sharon Johal at the Glamour On The Grid Party at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. Picture: Fiona Hamilton Photography

Johal is tipped to be joined on The Block by her husband Ankur Dogra.

Late last year she filmed a role on the international TV series Shantaram.

In April last year Johal was among several former Neighbours cast who spoke out alleging they had experienced cultural insensitivity and casual racism on the set.

Johal, who played Dipi Rebecchi on the show, claimed she experienced “direct, indirect and casual racism” during the four years she played her character.

Fremantle, the company which produces Neighbours, launched an investigation off the back of the concerns and claims, which has now been completed but the findings have not been made public.

The investigation was quietly concluded before Christmas and recommendations from the report have already been incorporated into the show’s production.

Neighbours is filmed in Melbourne at studios in Nunawading.

Neighbours will wrap production for the final time after 37 years on June 10.