TV LEGEND QUITS ICONIC NEIGHBOURS ROLE AS TOADIE AFTER 30 YEARS

Neighbours icon Ryan Moloney, who has played Toadie Rebecchi in the Australian soap since 1995, has announced his departure.

The actor, 44, has been a regular fixture on Ramsay Street for decades, and will continue to play a part behind-the-scenes as he takes on a new role as director.

Family-man Jarrod (or Toadfish to his pals) first arrived as a troublesome teen at Erinsborough High, always involved in a get-rich quick scheme or plotting against the school – much to the dislike of teacher Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), who would later play a maternal role in his life.

The loud-mouthed Rebecchi family soon moved into Ramsay Street, defining the next big era of Neighbours that followed the serial’s golden years in the late 80s.

Announcing his departure this morning (27th June), Ryan said: ‘After 30 years playing Toadie, I will be leaving Ramsay Street.  I can’t tell you what is happening to the character – maybe I could be the next Jim Robinson. Or maybe I’ll be the next Harold Bishop and keep popping back over the years.’

He continued: ‘Although I won’t be bringing you our fantastic storylines from in front of the camera, I will be bringing them to you from the other side, behind the camera

‘I’ve just started director training and have just finished filming my first episode as director – so I really hope that you enjoy that.’

One of his biggest stories came in 2003 when he accidentally drove off a cliff on his wedding day to Dee Bliss (Madeleine West). Presumed dead for best part of the fifteen years that followed, Dee then turned up on his doorstep and announced she was alive – with their teenage daughter in tow.

By this point he’d settled with third wife Sonya (Eve Morey), adopted her son Callum (Morgan Baker) and fathered their daughter Nell (then Scarlett Anderson).

However, a bigger twist would soon follow when it was revealed ‘Dee’ was actually her estranged identical twin sister Andrea who was plotting to scam him out of thousands.

Despite discovering Andrea’s true identity, he went onto conceive son Hugo with her, and when she returned – baby in tow – her wicked mother Heather (Kerry Armstrong) plotted to kill Sonya.

Just how Toad will depart remains to be seen, but we do know his on-screen departure at the end of the year will coincide with Ryan’s upcoming UK nationwide tour – Toad on the Road.

During a chat to publicise the events, he exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’ll have to be honest the British fanbase is our largest, so in terms of getting other jobs the UK is a wonderful place for me to work,’

‘I’m kind of hoping that I can get a bit more work and do a bit more drama and a bit more television over there in time to come.’ 

When asked at the time how he will depart the show, he joked: ‘he dies actually’. 

‘Oh I wasn’t meant to say that was I?’ 

This really is the end of an era on thirty years of unmissable drama.

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