IT is a bittersweet reunion for fans of Neighbours.
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan seen for the first time reprising their roles as Charlene and Scott to cuddle up on Ramsay Street.
But it means there are just 17 days to go until the final credits roll on the Aussie soap.
It is 34 years since they were last in the show together.
Yet with Kylie, 54, wearing her character’s trademark mop of curls and denim overalls and Jason, 54, back in a scruffy lumberjack shirt and jeans, it is like time stood still.
Channel 5 has said Neighbours’ last hurrah will air as a double episode on July 29.
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In an exclusive chat with The Sun, show legend Alan Fletcher, 65 — Dr Karl Kennedy — has warned fans to get the tissues ready over the emotional goodbye.
Alan, who has starred on the soap for 28 years, said: “The storyliners, scriptwriter and executive producer wanted to focus on celebrating the show at the end, that was the big thing.
“There’s going to be little shocks and twists, it wouldn’t be Neighbours without them, but I feel the audience will celebrate the end of the show with us when they watch it.
“I won’t be surprised at all if there’s quite a few lounge rooms where tears are shed.”
Kylie and Jason are just two of the soap’s legendary stars who have returned to film scenes for the final episode.
Alan added: “I hope everyone watches, particularly those who might not have watched Neighbours for a few years.
“I’d love them to come back for the end.
“There’ll be so much nostalgic stuff in there for them to enjoy.
“People say, ‘How can you play the same character for 28 years?’ and I say, ‘I haven’t’.
“The character has chopped and changed and developed.
“And to do it in conjunction with Jackie (Woodburne, who plays Susan Kennedy), it means we have had this wonderful journey of playing characters that evolve so much.”
As well as the bumper two-part finale, Channel 5 has revealed fans will also be treated to two specials that same evening.
Neighbours: What Happened Next? will delve into the archives to pay tribute to the actors it shot to fame, including movie stars Margot Robbie and Guy Pearce.
Then Neighbours: The Stars’ Greatest Hits will look at the pop princesses and one-hit wonders spawned by the soap.
The channel’s director of programming, Ben Frow, declared his decision to axe the soap was made purely in business terms.
He told the Radio Times: “I could spend the money on other things, which is what I decided to do.
“I can better spend the Neigh-bours money on UK shows.”
But the good news for fans of the Aussie way of life is that there are no plans to chop Neighbours’ long-running rival, Home And Away.
Ben added: “It will be interesting to see what we do with it as we evolve.
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“There might be somewhere else to put it in the 5 spectrum.
“But it’s a life-of-series deal, so it’s not going anywhere until the makers decide to cancel it.”
FEBRUARY 12, 1986 – Joins Neighbours, as Scott. Meets screen love interest played by Kylie and they date in real life.
NOVEMBER 28, 1988 – Releases Especially For You, duet with Kylie, which makes No1.
MAY 18, 1989 – Exits soap. Also splits with Kylie this year.
MAY 1989 – Debut album Ten Good Reasons tops chart.
MARCH 15, 1991 – First feature film Blood Oath. Soon after, second album Between The Lines charts at No2.
1991 – Plays Joseph in The London Palladium’s Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for a year. Any Dream Will Do, from the show, is his third No1 single.
MAY 1992 – Wins lawsuit against The Face magazine for publishing claim he was gay.
JANUARY 1995 – Overdoses at Kate Moss’s 21st birthday. Admits cocaine habit.
MARCH 28, 2000 – First daughter Jemma is born and he gets clean from drugs.
NOVEMBER 2006 – Takes part in I’m A Celebrity, and places third.
NOVEMBER 10, 2008 – Puts out first album in 15 years, Let It Be Me.
SEPTEMBER 2010 – Does BBC TV series Who Do You Think You Are?
2015 – Starts presenting Jason Donovan’s 80s Rewind on Heart Radio.
2016 – Tours UK with his Ten Good Reasons And Greatest Hits Tour.
JANUARY 17, 2021 – Starts Dancing On Ice but quits in week six with back injury.
July 29, 2022 – Will appear in final ever episode of Neighbours.
APRIL 17, 1986 – Kylie appears as Charlene in Neighbours, starts dating co-star Jason.
JULY 27, 1987 – Debut single The Loco-Motion is released.
1988 – Debut album Kylie lands and is Eighties’ No1 seller by a female artist. Exits Neighbours.
1989 – Splits with Jason. Stars in her first feature-length movie, The Delinquents.
NOVEMBER 24, 1994 – Cameo in BBC sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2001 – Releases Can’t Get You Out of My Head as single from new album Fever.
MARCH 2005 – Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour starts. On tour she is diagnosed with breast cancer.
JANUARY 2006 – Finishes chemo and says the disease “had no recurrence” after surgery.
DECEMBER 25, 2007 – Appears in Doctor Who episode Voyage Of The Damned.
JULY 3, 2008 – Receives OBE at Buckingham Palace.
FEBRUARY 1, 2009 – Co-hosts Brit Awards with James Corden and Mathew Horne.
MARCH 2012 – Begins a year’s “K25” celebrations of her 25 years in music.
JANUARY 2013 – Splits with Terry Blamey, who managed her since she started in music.
JANUARY TO APRIL, 2014 – Judge on TV’s The Voice UK.
NOVEMBER 13, 2015 – Releases her first ever festive album, Kylie Christmas.
FEBRUARY 2016 – Engagement to actor Joshua Sasse is reported.
FEBRUARY 2017 – She says the couple have split.
JUNE 30, 2019 – Plays her first Glastonbury, 14 years after breast cancer diagnosis forced her to cancel 2005 headline slot.
JULY 29, 2022 – Back as Charlene for final episode of Neighbours
