The much-loved cafe owner left Erinsborough over a decade ago for what was thought to be the last ever time after actor Ian Smith retired, with final scenes that were fitting of a legend of Harold’s calibre.
Ian would go on to reprise his signature role on a few occasions over the subsequent decade, before being summoned back for what was thought to be the final time ever when Neighbours was axed two years ago.
But with the show’s revival courtesy of Amazon Freevee proving a huge success, Harold is being welcomed back once again – and this time, it’s in a more regular capacity, with the character included in the opening titles for the first time in over 10 years.
‘I thought I’d planned my retirement quite well but it’s the story of most men who retire,’ actor Ian, 85, told Metro.co.uk in an exclusive chat, as he reveals why he decided to return to Neighbours.
‘I had everything worked out, I had my fly fishing rods out, I had my metal detector ready to go, I had my e-bike strapped to the back of my car. But you can’t do those three things for the rest of your life, can you? So, I ended up being a bit edgy.
‘Then I was asked if I’d care to come back into the show. I was excited! I said yes – but not fulltime. I don’t know if they asked me fulltime to be honest. But I said: “Bits and bobs, would that do it?” and they said: “Yes, indeed!” so I’m a very lucky old actor at 85 I still get to work.’
The soap legend admitted that returning in a more regular capacity ‘took a bit of getting used to’, but credited the ‘intense niceness’ of his fellow cast and crew members in allowing him ample time to find Harold again.
‘If you don’t use that part of your brain, it gets rusty,’ he said. ‘And I was struggling with words, I have to be honest. But after a couple of weeks – bang – I was able to do it. For the first few weeks it was just Ian Smith trying to remember words but after that Harold happened!’
Harold was last seen on our screens last year – shortly after Neighbours’ return to screens – when he and Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) headed off on a trip around Australia.
Upcoming scenes will see him stage a return as part of a new storyline, which sees Harold with his very own studio apartment at Terese Willis’ (Rebekah Elmaloglou) retirement experience, Eirini Rising, which is finally up and running after months of planning, which Ian admits is a very relevant and ‘real’ storyline for him at 85.
‘I’ve always said there’s a place for a show like this as long as there is a newspaper,’ he said. ‘Because the show does reflect life, doesn’t it? There are as many stories there for Harold as there ever were. Harold comes back and lives in an age resort – and it’s so real.
‘At my age I have thought that I’d better start looking for somewhere to go if I can’t look after myself, but I’m far from that yet, I think. I’ve hired a housekeeper and a gardener so I can stay where I’ve been for so many years!’
News of Harold’s return has been very well-received by fans, who are eager to see him back where he belongs and Ian told me that he couldn’t be happier to hear such positive things about his upcoming comeback.
How to watch Neighbours on Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is a free ad-supported streaming service which offers a wide range of movies and TV programmes for just about anyone.
It is very easy to use and can be accessed on a web browser via the official Amazon website, or on a mobile device, smart TV or games console via either the Prime Video or Freevee apps – some services carry both, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Android TVs, Apple TVs and Google TVs also have the Freevee app, so if you possess any of these devices you’ll be able to stream Neighbours to your heart’s content.
Simply head to Amazon.co.uk if you’re in the UK or Amazon.com for US users and create your free account. Once you’re registered, simply type in Neighbours and voila, let the binge-watching commence!
More information here.
‘You do worry [about such things] – us actors are perfectly pleasant people if we’re the centre of attention!,’ he laughed, ‘but if we hear something like that then we know what we’re doing is working and so you want to go back and do it again – and maybe do it a good bit better.
And there will be plenty of opportunity for Ian to get reacquainted with Harold once again now that Neighbours is thriving at its new home on Amazon Freevee, with the revival series having been met with acclaim from fans and critics alike.
The long-running soap was axed by broadcaster Channel 5 two years ago, citing a hunger from audiences for ‘original UK drama’, but Amazon’s free ad-supported service came to the rescue, reviving Neighbours. And the rest, as they say, is history!
He said: ‘It has to finish sometime, but when the ending was planned two years ago, we were all looking at each other thinking: “Well, yes maybe it does have to end sometime, but not yet!”
‘It was still putting smiles on faces and making people worry about their favourite characters, so I think that was a good enough excuse to keep it going. You should have seen the faces here when we heard it was coming back! [laughs] It was beautiful. It was lovely.
‘It’s good to be alive for those moments. You’re creating memories again.
‘Even now, I tell you – it’s not been that long and we’re saying to each other: “Remember when they told us the show was coming back?” Of course we remember – half of us stood there and cried, the rest of them giggled like idiots!’
