Neighbours star quits show to reunite with her daughter

Neighbours star Jodi Gordon, 34, has announced that she’s quitting the long-running soap after four years to reunite with her young daughter.

The model-turned-actor shares Aleeia, five, with her ex-husband Braith Anasta and has split her time between Neighbour’s Melbourne studio and her Sydney home in order to play character Elly Conway.

The Logie award-winner took to Instagram on Wednesday to share news of her departure and pay tribute to her on-set ‘family’.

“Farewell my Neighbours Family!!” she captioned a series of happy snaps from her time on the iconic TV series.

“It’s been an incredible 4 years with you guys, everyone from crew to production, cleaners to chefs to cast ... you make this show what it is and I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of it for so long!” she continued.

“I remember a few years after I finished Home & Away I had a strong desire to be part of a show like that again, you gave me this opportunity with Neighbours playing the role of Elly Conway/Brennan/Kelly (Lol) it came at exactly the right time for me. How lucky am I to have spent time at Ramsey Street and Summer Bay,” she added.

Jodi - who also played Martha Mackenzie on Home and Away from 2005 to 2010 - then revealed the main reason she’s stepping away from the popular program: to be with her ‘beautiful’ girl.

“Now it’s time for me to move on to the next adventure. More importantly in the interim it’s time for me to move back to Sydney to be with my beautiful daughter, Aleeia. So excited!” she wrote.

“Thank you for the past 4 years neighbours, it’s been amazing! Your love and care certainly helped to make a better day ..... xxx” she concluded.

Aleeia is the former Myer ambassador’s only child with ex-Sydney Roosters captain Braith, who were married in 2012.

The couple welcomed their daughter - who Jodi calls her ‘Earlier in January, Jodi “My bestie forever’ - in March 2014 and split a year later.

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