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It has been announced that Brett Tucker (Daniel Fitzgerald) and Pippa Black (Elle Robinson) will both leave Neighbours later this year. The Herald Sun reports that both actors intend to move overseas to find acting work when their contracts expire later in 2009.

Pippa will complete filming in August, while Brett will film his final scenes as Dan in September.

Ben Lawson (Frazer Yeats) has won his first major role in the US, cast as law school graduate Liam Priory in The Deep End, a legal drama described as "Grey's Anatomy meets LA Law".

Lily Allen is the latest in a long line of stars to sign up for a Neighbours cameo this year. The Herald Sun reports that Lily, a big Neighbours fan, will film a brief appearance during her Australian tour in June, and will play herself in one scene with Matthew Werkmeister (Zeke Kinski).

Pete McTighe dropped a hint in our recent interview that an old favourite would be returning later this year, and the Herald Sun yesterday confirmed that Janet Andrewartha is back filming as Lyn Scully, who's set to turn Paul's life upside-down when she hits Erinsborough once more in August.

In addition, we can reveal that Janet is currently contracted to appear as Lyn for three months, though there's a chance this will be extended. She's back on her own, with no plans for her son Oscar or mum Valda to put in appearances for the moment, and her return has been described to us by an inside source as "a classic Neighbours moment!"

Monday 25th May will see another Bank Holiday in the UK, and five will not be taking Neighbours off the schedules, but there will be a slight time change. The early afternoon episode will air at 1.45pm as usual, but the early evening showing will be slightly earlier than normal, at 5.15pm.

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, who had an extensive film and television career in Australia, including two guest roles in Neighbours, has passed away, aged 86, after battling prostate cancer. Bud was already an extremely familiar face for Australian viewers when he first appeared in Neighbours back in 1993 as Bert Willis, father of Doug and Faye. He returned, seven years later, as Henry O'Rourke, father to Lyn Scully, though three years later he appeared again, as Lyn learnt that he wasn't her father at all, but he and wife Connie had adopted her from Connie's sister, Valda. Bud, along with Val Jellay who had played Connie, also inducted Neighbours into the Logie Hall of Fame in 2005 as the show celebrated its 20th anniversary.

A minute's silence will be held for Bud on the Neighbours set on Wednesday 20th May.

Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) will be back in the UK later this year for another music tour. He'll be visiting various venues (to be announced) from October 1st, with musicians Johnny Lucas, Chris Hanby and Martin Stewart, who'll be collectively known as The X-Rays. We'll post more details once they're available.

Neighbours fans in the UK are in for a treat this coming Christmas. Neighbours star Janet Andrewartha, (Lyn Scully) is making an exceptionally rare visit to the UK in December, and is inviting fans to join her at some special events.

Making her first appearance in the UK for many years, Janet will be hosting two events to meet her UK fans, as well as celebrating the 30th anniversary of Prisoner, in which she played the popular character Reb Kean. It's an unmissable opportunity to spend an evening in the company of one of Australia's most popular and respected actors, but places are strictly limited, and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.

Guests will have the chance to dine with Janet at a lovely hotel in Scotland or England, as well as opportunities for photographs, autographs, and purchase some rare Neighbours memorabilia. Why not treat yourself or a friend to something special this Christmas! Dates are as follows:

Glasgow (Scotland) Saturday 5th December 2009
Manchester (England) Saturday 12th December 2009

To register your interest and find out more information on how to book places, visit www.screenstarevents.com

The Herald Sun reports that So You Think You Can Dance? Australia judge Jason Coleman is the latest name to be making a Neighbours cameo. Jason will film his appearance in late June, and is set to play himself in four episodes, in which new face Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer) decides to audition at his Ministry of Dance School, only to find herself forced to face up to some harsh realities.

Is Matthew Werkmeister (Zeke Kinski) about to move out of Ramsay Street? A report in the Herald Sun suggests that he mentioned, this weekend at the Logies, plans to leave when his contract ends to work behind the camera, producing his own television show. However, our sources have stated that they know of no plans for him to go, and were he to choose to leave when his contract finishes, he would still be on screen until the end of 2010, so it's far too early to make any definite announcements.

A similar situation arose at last year's Logies when Pippa Black (Elle Robinson) told a reporter that she was leaving at the end of her contract later that year. However, a few months later, it was announced that she'd signed a new contract, and Elle's still in Erinsborough to this day.

The Herald Sun reports that Jan Russ is set to step down from her role as Neighbours Casting Assistant and Assistant Producer. One of the few crew names still around from the very early days of the show, Jan has been responsible for discovering actors including Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Daniel MacPherson and Madeleine West. She will be replaced by an external casting agency, but will still be employed by FremantleMedia and will be involved in future Neighbours special events, including the Dolly magazine Neighbours' Next Big Stars competition, and the show's upcoming 25th anniversary celebrations.

You can read more about Jan and her career in our biography.

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