Soap fans have bid a heartfelt goodbye to one of TV’s most cherished characters, who has made his fifth and final exit from our screens. Ian Smith, star of Neighbours, first graced Erinsborough in January 1987 as the lovable Harold Bishop.
Over the past four decades, he has been at the heart of numerous significant storylines, many featuring his on-screen wife Madge, portrayed by Anne Charleston, reports the Mirror. Now 86, Ian was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in December 2024.
Long-time viewers may remember Harold’s first departure from Ramsay Street in 1991, only for him to return five years later, becoming one of the longest-standing characters in the history of the series. Harold exited again in 2009 due to a cancer storyline, a circumstance that now carries a sad irony. Ian reprised the role in 2011, with Harold marrying Carolyn Johnstone (played by Paula Duncan), but this comeback was brief.
He returned once more in 2015 to participate in Neighbours’ 30th-anniversary celebrations, where he had a reunion with Madge, albeit her ghost. After popping up briefly in 2023 and then departing, the beloved Harold Bishop returned to the streets of Erinsborough as a full-time cast member in May 2024 following Amazon Freevee’s acquiring of the show’s rights.
The character’s final appearance on British screens came on Monday (April 14), closing a significant chapter for fans. In a touching scene shared on Neighbours’ Facebook page, Ian addressed his friends and family, including Madge’s actress Anne playing a new role as Agnes Adair: “Interesting is one word, privileged is better. Almost 40 years ago I arrived in this street – I came in search of lost love and not only did I find her, I made the best possible friends a man could have really.
“There have been good times and incredibly sad times too, but here we are. Even in my darkest hours, thank you. I was never alone. This has been more than a street for me, and you’ve been more than Neighbours. My life has been enriched by knowing each and everyone of you. You will all always be in my heart.”
