Aussie TV legend Ian Smith farewells Neighbours amid terminal diagnosis

One of Australian television’s most recognisable faces will bid farewell to viewers tomorrow as he privately faces his toughest battle yet.

Ramsay Street mainstay Harold Bishop will bid farewell to Neighbours tomorrow, as actor Ian Smith deals with a terminal health diagnosis.

Monday’s episode of the long-running soap, which was axed in 2022, resurrected the following year and will finish up once more at the end of 2025, will act as a farewell to the character Smith has played since 1987.

Smith, 86, revealed in December last year that he had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

“I found out a few months back that I have cancer … they expect me to die,” he told Ten News First at the time.

Smith, who lost his wife Gail in 2019 to cancer, is undergoing immunotherapy in a bid to prolong his life as he faces a rare and aggressive form of the disease.

“I’ve really put my hand up to be a guinea pig,” he said.

Harold and Madge circa 1988 …

… and in 2000.

“I don’t want to die and I want to stay alive with quality for as long as I can,’’ he said.

“I wake up every morning hoping there’s no pain because I know that’s the beginning of the bad part. I’ve seen so many deaths. I’ve seen some good ones and I’ve seen bad ones. I’m hoping I’ll go the nice way.”

Smith’s final few episodes of Neighbours have included an on-screen reunion with actress Anne Charleston, 82, who played Harold’s wife Madge across many years of the show.

Given her character had died on Neighbours back in 2001, Charleston returned to the show playing a new role, as a woman named Agnes who strikes up a connection with Harold.

Network 10 issued a heartfelt statement in December when Bishop made his diagnosis public, praising his contributions to a show that, when he says goodbye, will be on episode number 9,924.

Ian Smith (centre) will farewell Ramsay Street, with former TV wife Anne Charleston (left of Smith) there to see him off.

“A cherished member of the Neighbours family, Ian has been the heart and soul of the show since he first arrived on Ramsay Street in 1987,” a Network 10 spokesperson said.

“Ian has brought joy, laughter and inspiration to audiences all around the world for decades.

“Along with the cast and crew and all his fans from around the world, we will support Ian in any way we can during this difficult time.”

Two years after Neighbours was resurrected by streaming giant Amazon, it was confirmed in February that the show had once again been axed, with production set to finish in July ahead of the final-ever episodes airing in December.

The resurrected version of the show, an Amazon/Ten co-production, has run for more than 400 episodes and meant the series was on-air for its 40th anniversary last month.

But in a statement confirming the show was ending again, Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison appeared to hint it might still find new life elsewhere.

“Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years,” he said.

“We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future.”