Australian cleaning soap opera icon Ian Smith, who has performed Harold Bishop on Neighbours for over 5 a long time, has revealed he has terminal most cancers and will likely be leaving the present for good.
Talking to Australia’s 10 Information First, Smith confirmed he had filmed his closing scenes on the long-running cleaning soap following his prognosis of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma, a uncommon type of lung most cancers.
“I came upon just a few months again that I’ve most cancers. I’ve a really aggressive, non-fixable most cancers. They anticipate me to die,” Smith shared. The cameras additionally adopted Smith throughout his closing day on set, the place he stated, “It isn’t simply my final day in Neighbours, it’s my final day of labor.”
Smith joined Neighbours in 1987 and has appeared on the cleaning soap on and off for over 50 years. The beloved drama, which now airs on Amazon Freevee, has launched the careers of a few of Hollywood’s greatest stars, together with Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe, and Liam Hemsworth, plus singers Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, and Natalie Imbruglia.
In his interview with 10 Information First, Smith revealed he has had chemotherapy and immunotherapy. “I don’t wish to die,” he acknowledged. “I wish to keep alive with high quality so long as I can. If they will do this, I’m very pleased. However I get up each morning hoping there’s no ache as a result of I do know that’s the start of the unhealthy half.”
Kylie Minogue, Craig McLachlan, Anne Charleston, Ian Smith on Neighbours; Community Ten / Courtesy: Everett Assortment
Smith misplaced his spouse of fifty years, Gail, to most cancers in 2019 and defined how that has made coping with his personal most cancers prognosis simpler.
“That basically… I feel if that hadn’t occurred, I’d be quite a bit worse off now,” he shared. “My life completed then. She was probably the most great, stunning particular person.”
He continued, “We’re all dying, however whenever you discover out particularly whenever you’re going to die, you turn into a really completely different particular person. I’ve seen so many deaths. On the age of 85, you see so many. I’ve seen some good ones, and I’ve seen unhealthy ones. The unhealthy have been few. Quickly, I’m going to be one of many few who die from pleomorphic [and] I’m hoping I’ll go the great manner.”
Harold waves goodbye to Ramsay Road. We’re sharing the unhappy information that Ian Smith will quickly be stepping away from the beloved function of Harold Bishop. Ian first performed Harold in 1987 and it’s been an enormous privilege to welcome him again to the present through the years. pic.twitter.com/gftz0qklZw
— Neighbours (@neighbours) December 2, 2024
On Monday, December 2, the official Neighbours X account confirmed Smith’s exit from the cleaning soap, writing, “Harold waves goodbye to Ramsay Road. We’re sharing the unhappy information that Ian Smith will quickly be stepping away from the beloved function of Harold Bishop. Ian first performed Harold in 1987 and it’s been an enormous privilege to welcome him again to the present through the years.”
In an announcement, the present’s govt producer Jason Herbison stated, “The way in which the residents of Ramsay Road really feel about Harold is how all of us really feel about Ian – we couldn’t love him greater than we do.”
He added, “Regardless of the challenges he was going through along with his well being, he needed to provide Harold a correct send-off. It was a really emotional second on set as we paid tribute to him and the unimaginable contribution he has made to the present.”
Neighbours, streaming, freevee