'Our connection was on another level': Jason Donovan reflects on his 'profound' romance with Kylie Minogue and admits his wife has found the public obsession with his superstar ex 'hard'

KYLIE MINOGUE: CHARLENE ROBINSON

The pint-sized songstress is arguably the show's most famous exports after finding worldwide fame as a singer when she left the show. 

She initially won hearts with her on-screen romance with Scott Robinson, played by Jason Donovan 

The Kylie and Jason public obsession reached fever pitch when the couple got together in real life and they had a hit record together, Especially For You.

But superstardom beckoned for Kylie and a new relationship with INXS front man, the late Michael Hutchence, soon put an end to the Kylie and Jason fairy tale. 

She's now found love with GQ's creative director Paul Solomons

GUY PEARCE: MIKE YOUNG 

British-born Guy, another original cast member, had a four-year stint as Mike in Neighbours before hitting the big time.

He has appeared in hit films including L.A. Confidential, Memento and The Hurt Locker and has been nominated for Golden Globe Awards. 

He also starred in Genius, in which he stars as writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

In 2015, he split from his wife, psychologist Kate Mestitz - his childhood sweetheart who he married in 1997.  

JASON DONOVAN: SCOTT ROBINSON 

Like his on-screen wife Kylie, Jason left the soap to pursue a pop career and while he may not have been quite so lucky, lucky, lucky with his recording career he too topped the charts in the 80s.

He's starred in stage productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.  

The actor hit a rough patch due to alcohol and drug abuse, suffering a cocaine-induced seizure at Kate Moss's 21st birthday party in 1995.

He regained an image befitting of his Neighbour's alter ego Scott Robinson with a regular DJ gig on Heart FM.

He hasn't hung up his microphone for good however. He toured the UK with his Ten Good Reasons and Greatest Hits Tour. 

RUSSELL CROWE AKA KENNY LARKIN

Another Neighbour to hit the big time is megastar Russell Crowe who won an Oscar for his role in Gladiator.

He is one of Hollywood's leading male stars but before he was rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ridley Scott, he played ex-con Kenny Larkin in four episodes in the 80s.

His career shows no sign of slowing down and he's currently filming The Mummy in which he plays both Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  

LIAM AND CHRIS HEMSWORTH: JOSH TAYLOR AND JAMIE KANE

Star of the Hunger Games and Miley Cyrus's ex husband Liam Hemsworth launched his career playing wheelchair-bound hunk Josh Taylor on the street from 2007 to 2008.

He's since taken Hollywood by storm in his role as Gale Hawthorne and will soon hit screens in Independence Day 2. 

Liam's brother Chris Hemsworth, star of Thor, also made a brief appearance in Neighbours as Jamie Kane before heading for Hollywood. 

MARGOT ROBBIE: DONNA FREEMAN

Margot Robbie, who started her on screen life in Neighbours in 2008, has since hit the big time starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and Will Smith in Focus and Suicide Squad.

The chemistry between her and Smith was so intense they were rumoured to be having an affair on-set - something they both strenuously denied - but the gossip further elevated Margot's profile.

She's now married to British assistant director Tom Ackerley after meeting on the set of Suite Francaise and is in major demand for film roles. 

As well as starring as Harley Quinn in a Suicide Squad spin-off, she also starred as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. 

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA: BETH BRENNAN

Natalie Imbruglia left her role as Beth Brennan and kissed goodbye to her onscreen surfer-dude husband Brad Willis to launch a singing career in 1997.

The album Left In The Middle sold seven million copies and her single Torn became an instant hit. 

Other albums followed but they weren't as commercially successful as her first. 

In 2015, she made a comeback with the album Male, featuring cover versions of songs made famous my male lead singers, which reached number 20 in the UK album charts. 

The London-based star divorced her Australian husband of five years, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns in 2008 saying the distance between them was too much. 

She welcomed a son called Max in October 2019 after undergoing IVF with a sperm donor 

DELTA GOODREM: NINA TUCKER

Delta Goodrem, who played Nina Tucker, later became a coach on Australia's The Voice. 

She's had eight number one singles and three number one albums in Australia and sold over six million albums worldwide.

However, she's often hit the headlines for her love life thanks to relationships with a number of high profile men.

In 2004, she dated Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis and then had a long-term relationship with former Westlife singer Brian McFadden.

They got engaged but split up in 2011 after which Delta then had a year-long relationship with singer Nick Jonas of boy band the Jonas Brothers. 

She's now married to her musician beau Matthew Copley, whom she tied the knot with in June 2025.

HOLLY CANDY: FLICK SCULLY

Holly Valance left her role as Felicity 'Flick' Scully in 2002 to pursue a music career and scored a hit with Kiss Kiss.

She had a role in popular U.S drama Prison Break but has not yet managed to crack America like Margot Robbie.

In 2011, she impressed with her dance moves on Strictly Come Dancing, where she finished in fourth place. 

She is now married to property mogul Nick Candy and they had a daughter in 2013, Luka Violet Toni Candy.

Her billionaire husband treated Holly to a £26million luxury yacht and drafted in hypnotist Paul McKenna to cure her of her seasickness. 

JESSE SPENCER 

Jesse Spencer became a teenage heart throb when he played Billy Kennedy in the soap from 1994 to 2000, before he left the show to crack Hollywood.

He went on to star in hit U.S series House alongside Hugh Laurie and now plays a leading role in Chicago Fire as well as taking on film parts.

The star is also a keen musician and plays violin in the group Band From TV, with his former co-star Hugh Laurie. 

CRAIG MCLACHLAN: HENRY RAMSAY

Another original cast member, Craig McLachlan who played Mike's curly-haired buddy Henry Ramsay from 1987-89, had a brief singing career. 

He had a Number Two hit, Mona, and appeared in Grease on the West End stage, as well as ITV UK show Dancing On Ice

But he went back to his first love of soap by playing school teacher Grant Mitchell on rival Oz show Home & Away and remains on TV screens down under in The Dr Blake Mysteries.

Earlier this year, the actor was facing multiple charges, including counts of indecent assault, one of attempted indecent assault and others of assault, involving four complainants who were part of a production of the Rocky Horror Show. 

In March, two charges were dropped and the rest of the case is ongoing

ALAN DALE: JIM ROBINSON

Alan Dale, played Jim Robinson from when the first show aired till his departure in 1993 when his character famously suffered from a heart attack. He appeared in 869 episodes and was the head of one of the show's most popular families.

He took a few years to put Jim behind him and resurrect his acting career but in 2000 he found success in the U.S. in hit shows The OC and then Ugly Betty.

He also appeared in 24 and Lost and most recently worked on Dominion and NCIS. 

STEFAN DENNIS: PAUL ROBINSON

Stefan Dennis is the only original cast member still on the show playing Paul Robinson.

He took a break from the part in the Nineties for a stab at a pop career with one hit song - Don't It Make You Feel Good.

He then returned to Ramsay Street in 2004 where he has featured in a number of their most successful storylines including a who-dunnit when he was pushed off the roof of Lassiters. 

His real-life son, Declan,  will soon be joining him on the soap 

IAN SMITH AKA HAROLD BISHOP

As Harold Bishop, Ian Smith became one of the show's most legendary characters.

He was there from day one and his relationship with Madge Bishop was a focus of numerous plots while his friendship with Lou, who nicknamed him 'jelly belly', often added comedy to the show. 

He was famously killed off in 1991 - or so we thought - as he then made a miraculous return to appear in the show on and off from the Nineties to today. 

ANNE CHARLESTON AKA MADGE BISHOP

Anne Charleston is another Neighbours legend after playing Madge Bishop from 1985 to 1992.

She has appeared in various other shows and stage productions since leaving the soap but thanks to her long-enduring appeal, she'll always be now known as Madge.

She's appeared in the 30th anniversary episode as a ghostly apparition.