Home and Away SAVED as Channel 5 bosses reveal future after Neighbours axe
CHANNEL 5 bosses have confirmed their commitment to Home and Away following the news that Neighbours is getting the chop.
Both Australian soap operas currently air on the channel, and with the Ramsay Street show getting axed fans of its Summer bay counterpart naturally feared it might follow suit.
But bosses wanted to reassure everyone that it was just Neighbours that is going and it will continue to air its close antipodean cousin.
A Channel 5 spokesman said: “Home and Away has broadcast on Channel 5 since 2000, and it has a longstanding and continuing home on the channel.
“It will continue to air on Channel 5 on weekdays at 1:15pm and on 5STAR at 6pm, with a first look on 5STAR every weekday at 6:30pm.”
Fans have taken to social media to express their disbelief that Neighbours was going, with a hardcore of fans even starting a petition in a bid to stop it happening.
A spokesman for the channel said this week: “It has been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we’d like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.
“We’d also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.
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“We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers.”
Neighbours still gets over 800,000 viewers at lunchtime and over 500,000 in the evening - whereas Home and Away’s single showing a day gets around 450,000 viewers.
