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Neighbours stars throughout the years: Where are they now?

Many a student, not just in Australia but in the UK as well, rushed home from school or Uni to get their daily fix on what the residents of Ramsay Street on Neighbours were up to.

Neighbours stars who have become huge international celebrities. Photo: Instagram
Neighbours stars who have become huge international celebrities. Photo: Instagram

And just like in the opening titles of the show, many of the stars of teen soap Neighbours became our good friends so when they left the show it felt like we'd lost our bestie.

Luckily, many went on to bigger, and better things and we haven't had to miss them too much. Here are our top seven:

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Liam Hemsworth played Josh Taylor (2007 - 2008)

Liam Hemsworth Instagram photos
Liam Hemsworth may have started on Neighbours but he's now a Hollywood heartthrob - with the cast of The Hunger Games; the cast of Isn't It Romantic; living the good life in Byron Bay; and with former wife Miley Cyrus. Photo: instagram/@liamhemsworth

Following in brother's Luke and Chris's footsteps in acting, Liam Hemsworth may have started his career with a guest role in Home and Away but it was as paraplegic athlete Josh Taylor in Neighbours that he really made his mark.

His big break in Hollywood almost didn't materialise after losing the role of Thor to his older brother Chris but the same week he found out he was to play the lead role in the Nicholas Sparks film The Last Song opposite his future wife Miley Cyrus.

It was The Hunger Games that finally catapulted him into the big leagues in 2011. From there he has starred in movies including The Dressmaker with Kate Winslet, Isn't It Romantic with fellow Aussie Rebel Wilson and Independence Day: Resurgence. He is currently starring in the TV series Most Dangerous Game.

Despite dating on and off for 10 years, things didn't work out between him and Miley and they divorced after a year of marriage. He is now dating model Gabriella Brooks.

Margot Robbie played Donna Freedman (2008 - 2011)

Margot Robbie Instagram photos
Margot Robbie may have started on Neighbours but now she's Hollywood royalty. With hubby Tom Ackerley; and as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. Photo: instagram/@margotrobbie

Margot Robbie has got an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations, Forbes said she was one of the highest-paid actresses in 2019 and she was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people – that's a lot different from growing up on a family farm in the Queensland hinterland.

Her role as Donna in Neighbours was supposed to be a guest role but her talent shone through and they made her a cast member. So it's understandable that it wasn't long before greater things were beckoning.

Margot's first big role was in the time-jumping movie About Time but it was in The Wolf of Wall Street opposite Leonardo DiCaprio that she really broke through and gained critical acclaim.

Since then she has played the iconic Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, disgraced Olympic ice-skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya and actress Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, just to name a few of her Hollywood roles.

Margot is happily married to British director and producer Tom Ackerley and the couple live in Venice Beach, California.

Jason Donovan played Scott Robinson (1986 - 1989)

Jason Donovan Instagram photos
Jason Donovan as Scott marrying Charlene in Neighbours; pursuing his music dreams; and with wife Angela recently. Photo: instagram/@jdonofficial

In the 80s and 90s, Jason Donovan was every teen girl's dream after playing Scott Robinson in the Aussie soap and then launching a pop career. While he briefly dated co-star Kylie Minogue (let's face it we all wanted them to be a real-life couple), the romance was not meant to be and Jason went on to become famous in the UK by making his mark on the Westend stage.

However, success brought problems for Jason and he has admitted to battling with drugs at one stage. "I guess it was a rebellious thing against the image of me," Jason told the Belfast Telegraph.

"But if you ask me why I took it (cocaine), it was because I enjoyed it," he says, though he added: "Cocaine is evil," and he has long since been clean of any drugs.

The dad of three, Jemma, Zac and Molly, has been with wife Angela since 2000 and they married in 2008.

Kylie Minogue played Charlene Robinson (1986 - 1988)

Kylie Minogue on Neighbours
Kylie launching her new wine; at the start of her recording career; and her very first episode on Neighbours. Photo: instagram/@kylieminogue

How can you discuss Neighbours without talking about Kylie Minogue? All the girls wanted to be Charlene, the character that she played, and all the boys wanted to be with her. But the Aussie soap couldn't contain her star power and it wasn't long before she was seeking international audiences both as a singer and as an actress.

Her pop career was launched by British impresario producers Stock, Aiken and Waterman with early hits such as I Should Be So Lucky, The Loco-Motion and Better The Devil You Know.

Before long she was simply known Kylie and is still Australia's highest-selling female artist of all time!

After many high profile relationships including Michael Hutchence, actor Olivier Martinez, model James Gooding, and a broken engagement to actor Joshua Sasse, Kylie is now happily loved up with British magazine creative director Paul Solomons.

Jesse Spencer played Billy Kennedy (1994 - 2000)

Jesse Spencer on Neighbours and Instagram photos
Jesse Spencer back in his Neighbours days; Jesse and wife Kali; with his House MD co-star and ex-fiancée Jennifer Morrison and on the set of Chicago Fire. Photo: instagram/@jesse___spencer

With his boyish charms and good looks, it's no wonder Jesse Spencer's character Billy Kennedy was so popular. But like those who went before him, and after, Hollywood came calling for this talented star.

While he has appeared in a number of films, it is really his work in television that made him so popular. His role as intensive care specialist Dr Robert Chase in House not only made him a household name internationally but he also met his fiance Jennifer Morrison on the show. The show lasted eight years and their relationship lasted six.

From there he went on to star as Lieutenant Matt Casey in firefighting drama Chicago Fire with the new season set to premiere in the States on September 22.

He is happily married to research scientist Kali Woodruff, his partner of seven years.

Delta Goodrem played Nina Tucker (2002 - 2004)

Delta Goodrem on Neighbours and The Voice
While she played Nina on Neighbours, Delta Goodrem is better known for her musical career. Her first album and in the judge's chair on The Voice. Photo: instagram/@deltagoodrem

While Delta Goodrem had her heart set on a musical career, she was struggling to make inroads so decided to try and raise her profile by appearing in iconic Aussie soap Neighbours in 2002. Playing singer Nina, she quickly became Australia's sweetheart and revitalised her pop career.

However, just a year later she had to take a break from all of it after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. After intensive treatment including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, by December of 2003 she was in remission.

She returned to acting but her main love is music and she continues to produce albums as one of Australia's top singer-songwriters. She also mentors up and coming talent in her role as a judge on The Voice.

Dekta has had many high profile relationships including with Westlife's Brian McFadden, tennis player Mark Philippoussis and Nick Jonas, but she is now happily with fellow musician Matthew Copley.

Alan Dale played Jim Robinson (1985 - 1993)

Alan Dale on Neighbours and on the red carpet with his wife
Alan Dale with wife Tracey in 2019 and when he appeared in Neighbours. Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images and instagram/@neighbours

Who would have thought that Scott's dad could go on to be one of Australia's biggest exports? It's more a matter of what Alan Dale hasn't been in than what he has been in. From The O.C., Lost and Ugly Betty to NCIS and Once Upon A Time.

When he's not doing TV or film he's keeping busy with stage productions such as Spamalot in London.

He has been married to former Miss Australia Tracey Pearson since 1990 and they now live in California though still have a house in Australia.

Watch Neighbours weeknights at 6.30 on 10 Peach

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