Neighbours star Jason Donovan 'is set to join cast of Emmerdale for surprise Christmas appearance'
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Emmerdale is reportedly set to welcome a familiar face from down under - Neighbours legend Jason Donovan.
The Australian actor and singer, 57, is thought to be making a surprise appearance in the village this Christmas.
According to reports Jason, who rose to fame playing Scott Robinson alongside Kylie Minogue in the classic Aussie soap, has already filmed a special cameo for Emmerdale, appearing as himself rather than a new character.
Jason secretly shot his scenes at the ITV soap's Yorkshire set earlier this month, where he was seen stepping into The Woolpack to surprise superfan Lydia Dingle, played by Karen Blick.
A source told The Sun: 'Everyone was really excited Jason was up for taking part. It was really fun and Jason was a real pro, he enjoyed the cameo.'
The storyline - thought to air in the run-up to Christmas - will see Lydia devastated after missing her chance to see Jason perform live, only for the villagers to rally together and arrange an unforgettable surprise.
Emmerdale is reportedly set to welcome a familiar face from down under - Neighbours legend Jason Donovan
The Australian actor and singer, 57, is thought to be making a surprise appearance to superfan Lydia Dingle, played by Karen Blick
The Daily Mail has contacted Jason and ITV representatives for comment.
The Too Many Broken Hearts singer lives in west London and in south Oxfordshire with his wife Angela and three children, but often returns to his native Australia.
Jason is best known for playing Scott Robinson on Neighbours from 1986 to 1989, which he left to launch a career as a pop singer in 1988.
His character's romance with co-star Kylie Minogue's character Charlene Robinson was a highlight of the show with Scott and Charlene's wedding being watched by two million Australians on July 1, 1987.
Their union was an even bigger attraction when it aired in the UK a year later, drawing 19.6 million viewers, making it Britain's third most-watched show of 1988.
Yet while Jason is thankful Neighbours helped him raise to prominence, he insists he is owed some gratitude from producers too as he put in a lot of work during his time on the soap.
He told the Mirror this month: 'It’s given me a fantastic life. I will forever be in debt to that moment. But I put a lot of work into it. It owes me a little bit too.'
Kylie and Jason, who were dating in real life at the time were household names in both countries, and went on to launch music careers in the UK.
According to reports Jason, who rose to fame playing Scott Robinson in the classic Aussie soap, has already filmed a special cameo for Emmerdale, appearing as himself rather than a new character
The storyline - thought to air in the run-up to Christmas - will see Lydia devastated after missing her chance to see Jason perform live, only for the villagers to rally together and arrange an unforgettable surprise
Jason is best known for playing Scott Robinson on Neighbours from 1986 to 1989, which he left to launch a career as a pop singer in 1988 (pictured in April 2025)
Their on-screen relationship began after Scott mistook Charlene for an intruder at his neighbour Madge Ramsay's house, before eventually learning she was Madge's daughter.
After getting married, the pair left Erinsborough and moved to Brisbane.
Kylie quit Neighbours in June 1988, having become the first person to win four Logie Awards in one year.
She was also the youngest ever recipient of a Gold Logie.
She went on to launch a phenomenally successful music career, selling more than 80 million albums worldwide.
Other Neighbours stars who have made it big include Margot Robbie, Natalie Imbruglia, Holly Valance, Chris and Liam Hemsworth.
Jason pictured as Scott Robinson alongside Kylie Minogue, who played his on-screen wife Charlene in Neighbours, in 1988
After leaving Neighbours in 1989, Jason, like Kylie, pursued a pop career and while he may not have been as successful as his on-screen bride, he had a string of hits including Too Many Broken Hearts and Sealed With A Kiss.
Off screen, the couple dated from 1986 to 1989 - famously sharing a night of passion in a Travelodge.
They were so popular at this time, they even recorded the Christmas Number 1 single Especially For You.
In 2022, they made a return to Neighbours for its finale episode on Channel 5, with the soap also getting the chop in Australia after Channel 5's refusal to keep funding it meant it could no longer continue. It was later announced it would make a comeback on Amazon Prime.
