Neighbours' fans are still reeling from the tragic death of Ramsay Street sweetheart, Sonya Rebecchi. The character had been a firm favourite with viewers for nearly ten years and fans were led to believe that the actress who played Sonya, Eve Morey, wanted to leave the show in order to devote more time to her young family. But since that heart-wrenching episode aired, in which Sonya lost her fight against cancer and died in the arms of her distraught husband, Jarrod Rebecchi, Morey revealed that although she had suggested that Sonya be killed off, it wasn't actually her decision to leave in the first place.
The Rebecchi family
Neighbours - you take away Sonya Rebecchi and give us Finn Kelly instead!!! How could you???? And incidentally did anyone else think that Sonya's final scene where she died on the beach in Toadie's arms was reminiscent of Meg Bowman sadly passing away in Blake Dean's arms in Home and Away back in the nineties?
In more recent years, Ramsay Street has had to say a final farewell to many of its residents including Josh Willis and his grandfather Doug, Kate Ramsay, and Matt Turner. So let's take a look at some of the other Neighbours characters we've loved... and lost way too soon.
1. Daphne Clarke (1988)
The very first death of a Ramsay Street regular occurred back in 1988 when we lost Daphne Clarke who was the Sonya Rebecchi of the 1980s: strong and smart with a heart of pure gold, and a much-loved member of the community. So it comes as no surprise that Daphne's death was every bit as heart-wrenching as Sonya's.
Wife of Des Clarke, mother of Jamie, and owner of the coffee shop when it was called er, Daphne's and not Harold's, Daphne was on her way to the funeral of her father - who she had reconciled with just a few months earlier after a rift that lasted years - when she was involved in a car accident along with her son Jamie and friend, Gail Robinson. While Jamie escaped unscathed and Gail sustained minor injuries, poor Daphne bore the brunt of the accident and ended up in a coma. She regained consciousness just long enough to tell her beloved Des that she loved him ("I love you, Clarkey") before taking her last breath and leaving Des devastated.
When Elaine Smith - the actress who played Daphne and had appeared in Neighbours since the first episode - wanted to leave the soap, Daphne was sent to care for her dying father as the writers didn't want to kill off such a popular and much-loved character (didn't stop them with Sonya!) However viewers felt that this storyline was left hanging and hated the idea that Des and Daphne would inevitably break up so Elaine Smith returned to finish off Daphne's storyline, with Daphne being killed off at Smith's request.
2. Kerry Bishop (1990)
Kerry Bishop could be another contender for the Street Stalwarts club along with Daphne and Sonya. Free-spirited, unconventional and a bit of a wanderer, Kerry and her daughter Skye eventually put down roots in Ramsay Street. During the short time Kerry spent in Erinsborough, she reconciled with her father Harold; got to know her stepmother Madge; made friends, and met the love of her life, Joe Mangel. Kind-hearted with a strong sense of fun, Kerry proved to be a great friend to everyone on Ramsay Street and an amazing stepmother to Joe's young son, Toby, who Joe himself had reconnected with not so long ago.
Passionate about vegetarianism and animal welfare, Kerry was also a good mentor to Melissa Jarret, who showed great signs of following in Kerry's footsteps. Kerry settled into a happy family life with Joe, Skye and Toby. The icing on the cake was when Joe and Kerry discovered that they had a little one on the way...
But in true soap style, tragedy was just around the corner, when Kerry was shot and killed while out on a protest against duck hunters. Joe was distraught and didn't know how he was going to go on without his beloved Kerry. But just as Des Clarke had done, he pulled himself together for the sake of the kids as he tried to come to terms with a future without Kerry.
Joe eventually left Ramsay Street about a year later after marrying whacky Melanie Pearson. But it was on Skye's return to Erinsborough years later when she was a teenager that viewers learned that Joe and Melanie had split up just a few years into their marriage. Kerry Bishop was clearly a tough act to follow.
Linda Hartley-Clarke (though she was then known as Linda Hartley) had played the role of Kerry Bishop for less than two years, and even though she enjoyed playing the character and working on Neighbours, she grew tired of the long hours. So when her contract came up for renewal, Hartley-Clarke decided to leave. The decision to kill Kerry off wasn't hers, but she did agree that it was the only logical way that the character could leave, as Kerry wouldn't just walk out on Joe and their kids - just as Morey had said that Sonya would never leave Toadie and their kids through choice.
3. Todd Landers (1992)
Todd Landers became part of the Robinson clan after his aunt, Dr. Beverly Marshall, married Jim Robinson. And even after Jim and Beverly's marriage ended, Todd stayed on in Erinsborough and continued living in the Robinson house. After failed romances with Emma, Melissa, and Cody, Todd eventually found love with Phoebe Bright - his first serious relationship. So serious in fact that Phoebe soon became pregnant which left the young couple stunned. After much indecision, Todd and Phoebe finally made the decision to terminate the pregnancy - even though deep down, neither of them really wanted that.
Realising that he couldn't let her go through with the abortion, Todd made a dash to the clinic to stop Phoebe from going ahead with it but was hit by a van and rushed to hospital. Todd came round after a seemingly successful operation and was talking about the future with Phoebe when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest and died in front of a devastated Phoebe. Todd later appeared to Phoebe after his death to tell her that he would always be there for her... and their daughter. Phoebe eventually gave birth to a baby girl who she named Hope.
Kristian Schmidt who played Todd suggested that the character ought to be killed off when he decided he wanted to leave the show. He wanted a big, dramatic exit - and that was exactly what he got, ensuring that the character of Todd Landers would never be forgotten. In fact Todd was the first Neighbours character to have a montage of scenes, accompanied by a piano arrangement of the Neighbours theme tune, play out during the closing credits as a moving tribute.
4. Jim Robinson (1993)
An original character from day one, Jim Robinson was the stalwart of Ramsay Street and a devoted family man. Those of us who have watched Neighbours since the beginning could never have imagined a time when Jim's presence would no longer be on the street. And it was the first time in soap history that a fruit bowl had such a prominent role in a character's death! And it would be another thirteen years before 'fruit bowl' would play such a starring role in another soap death on the other side of the world - look out, Pauline Fowler!
Jim was generally a very sensible and wise man but sadly he didn't exercise much common sense or caution when it came to ruthless Fiona Hartman, Annalise's mother, and he embarked on a relationship with her despite warnings from family and friends. Jim had had problems with his heart and all the feuding with his family, in particular with his daughter Julie, proved to be bad for his health when Jim suffered another heart attack and died in front of a horrified Fiona... who soon turned the situation to her advantage by transferring Jim's money into her account before setting the scene for Jim's body to be discovered by his sister-in-law, Rosemary. Vile woman! Fiona, not Rosemary!
It was recently announced that Jim Robinson had been axed from Neighbours due to actor Alan Dale's row with producers over pay which led to the decision to kill off Jim Robinson which probably seems a bit petty now to those involved. However it now seems to be water under the bridge as Alan Dale has made a return to Neighbours twice in the last two months... as a ghost!
Alan's departure from the show was a real blow to Neighbours fans who would have loved for Jim to have stuck around in Ramsay Street a good while longer. Although number 26 Ramsay Street has changed hands many times over the years, many of us can't help but think of it as the Robinson residence. But Jim being written out of Neighbours turned out to be a real blessing for Alan Dale as his career has gone from strength to strength, particularly Stateside where he's had roles in popular shows such as The OC; Ugly Betty; ER, and The West Wing just to name a few.
5. Julie Martin (1994)
How on earth could Julie Martin be related to wise, gentle Helen Daniels, kind-hearted Jim Robinson, and married to the loveable Phillip Martin? Julie was positively awful! Overbearing, rude, interfering, always jumping to conclusions... at any given time you could be sure that Julie was feuding with at least one of the neighbours.
But Julie, sister to Paul, Scott and Lucy, wasn't all bad. Family was everything to her, and despite frequently rowing with her husband Phillip, she adored him and their kids, including her stepchildren Debbie and Michael, despite the fact that Michael absolutely loathed Julie and blamed her for his mother's death. It would appear - sometimes at least - that Julie's heart was in the right place. Too bad her mouth wasn't!
Julie and Phillip's marriage had always been stormy but now it looked as though they were on the verge of a divorce - something that Julie took quite badly. When most of the Ramsay Street residents went away for a murder mystery weekend, Julie decided to follow Phillip there in a bid to sort things out but her attempts at reconciliation ended in an argument...and the next morning, a real-life murder mystery situation was under way when Julie's body was discovered by Cheryl Stark. At one point Phillip was suspected of Julie's murder - until Debbie had a flashback and realised she had blocked the memory of seeing a drunken and hysterical Julie fall from a tower onto the lawn in a tragic accident.
When Julie Mullins - the second actress to play Julie - decided to leave the soap after two years, producers decided to inject some excitement into the show by killing off the character. Mullins agreed to this move as she felt that it was the only way she'd be able to shake off Julie Martin for good. Originally Julie's death was supposed to have been suicide but writers changed the plot just a couple of days before filming.
Which character's death had you reaching for the tissues?
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Blog graphics: Angel Noire
I remember when Daphne died. That was sad. And I remember when Helen the grandma died. She was in it for a long time. I don't know why they decided to kill off Helen.
I reckon I was at primary school when Daphne died. It was all we could talk about the next day. It's a pity she was killed off even though I know the actor requested that. I know Des had made a few guest appearances on Ramsay Street and been married twice more - once to Jane Harris and that didn't work out. It looks as though no one could match up to his beloved Daph!
@Bailamos - me too. I thought Kerry was great.
I loved Kerry. I hated that they killed her off.
Ringo was great and I loved him and Donna together. It's so sad they couldn't get their fairytale ending.