Latest news with #Neighbours
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Channel Seven is rocked by bombshell lawsuit from key Home and Away staff member
A veteran Home and Away scriptwriter whose name still appears on the credits of the long-running soap is the latest Seven employee to sue the network. Fiona Bozic, who has worked at Seven for more than 20 years, lodged a Fair Work claim last month in the Federal Court of Australia. Bozic filed a statement with the court under breach of general protections provisions and is being represented by Thrive Workplace Consulting & Legal. According to LinkedIn, Bozic is a script producer and scriptwriter for Seven on programs including Home and Away, and previously wrote for Network Ten's Neighbours. 'My responsibilities are broad and primarily focused on overseeing the creation of engaging, creative and compelling storylines,' her LinkedIn profile states. 'I have contributed to a variety of story themes that are appealing to diverse audiences, including domestic violence and mental health trauma. 'With responsibility of creating a detailed plot for five episodes a week, I am heavily involved in structuring episodes, creating characters and recruiting script department personnel who can add value to the process.' As part of her role, Bozic works closely 'with a range of internal stakeholders, including executives, promotions, script and production teams'. Bozic is credited as script producer in a Home and Away promotion for Lynne McGranger's upcoming farewell as Summer Bay matriarch Irene Roberts. McGranger's final scenes were shot in March and will be screened next month, bringing an end to Gold Logie-nominee's 33 years on the show. Bozic declined to discuss her specific claims against Seven when approached by the Daily Mail this week. A network spokeswoman said: 'As this matter is before the courts, Seven will not be commenting.' Bozic joins a long list of Seven employees to recently to take legal action against the network. Producer Matthew McGrane, who has worked at Seven for about 23 years - most recently on Sunrise - is currently suing his employer in the Federal Court. The exact details of McGrane's claim are unclear but it comes after he fell from his wheelchair and suffered terrible injuries while travelling from Seven's office in Sydney's Eveleigh to continue a shift at home. McGrane discussed the accident on the ABC's Four Corners program last August. He said his shift on the Sunrise program went until midnight every night, but he had reached an arrangement with management where he could leave at 9pm and finish his shift at home. The arrangement meant McGrane, who has used a wheelchair for more than 20 years, would be able to access buses before they stopped running at 11pm. Three months into the new schedule, however, he had a fall on his way to the bus. McGrane said he left the building at 9.30pm one night and while steering his wheelchair through the dark and rain hit a gap in the footpath. 'My wheels got caught. I came flying out, I landed extremely awkwardly, ended up breaking my lower arm,' he said. 'As I came out my face dragged along the pavement, I could feel my teeth scraping along the footpath because they'd actually gone through my lip. 'I was in agonising pain and I was howling like a dog. I'd actually ripped all the muscles off the bone. And they had to drill a hole into my arm to reattach the muscles.' McGrane told Four Corners that with just one functioning arm, he was trapped at home and unable to care for himself for 10 weeks. He filed a workers' compensation claim to pay for a carer. But although the injury happened while he was rostered on, Seven told his insurer there was no formal agreement allowing him to split his shift. A network spokesperson told the Daily Mail in April: 'Seven rejects the claims made by Mr McGrane and will defend its position in this matter.' 'As this is now before the courts, we are unable to comment further.' Journalist Amelia Saw launched Federal Court action against Seven under the Fair Work Act in September last year, claiming she was subjected to a hostile working environment at Spotlight in 2022. Seven 'strongly and categorically' rejected Saw's allegations and her claim was settled in January. Walkley Award-winning crime reporter Robert Ovadia commenced Federal Court proceedings for wrongful dismissal against Seven after he was sacked in June last year for allegedly inappropriate conduct. Ovadia, who denied any wrongdoing, eventually dropped that action due to the financial cost and emotional toll involved. Meanwhile, former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach is suing Seven for defamation in the Federal Court. Auerbach alleges the network made disparaging and false statements about his involvement in securing an interview with accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann, causing him to be shunned and vilified. Seven has said it will 'strenuously defend its position' in relation to Auerbach. McGrane's matter is set for an interlocutory hearing in August. Auerbach's case is listed for a case management hearing in October.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
The Assassin fans gobsmacked after spotting soap legend in new Prime Video drama
THE Assassin fans were left stunned after spotting a soap legend in the Prime Video series. The crime thriller stars Advertisement 4 The Assassin stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore Credit: Amazon Prime 4 The cast also includes actor Alan Dale Credit: Amazon 4 Alan famously played Jim Robinson in Aussie soap Neighbours Credit: Rex It follows a retired assassin now living in Greece, who reunites with her estranged son when he comes looking for answers. Long-time soap fans recognised a familiar face among the cast members. New Zealand star Alan Dale, 78, appears as supporting character Aaron Cross. Previously, Alan Advertisement Read more on Prime Video One viewer wrote on X: "jim robinson died in neighbours and was reborn as the shady bad guy in every series in the last 2 decades." He appeared from the Aussie's soap launch in 1985 until leaving the show in 1993. Jim was also the father of Neighbours stalwart Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). The actor briefly reprised this role in 2018 by appearing in a dream to his on-screen son. Advertisement Most read in News TV After his departure from Neighbours, Alan began working extensively in US television . He notably had a recurring role as villain Charles Widmore in the sci-fi drama series LOST. Alan Dale stars in The Assassin on Amazon Prime Alan appeared in a total of 17 episodes spanning from 2006 until the show's 2010 conclusion. As well as this, he made prominent appearances in The OC and Ugly Betty. Advertisement Earlier this year, The Sun revealed Neighbours It came just two years after Amazon brought the soap back to life after it was axed by Channel 5 after 37 years. The revival started filming in 2023 and was shown on Amazon Freevee worldwide. Neighbours stars who made it big The long-running Aussie soap has launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Here are some of the Neighbours alums who went on to make it big after starring on the soap... Kylie Minogue Before she hit the big time with her music career, Kylie shot to fame playing Charlene Mitchell on Neighbours. Shortly after her arrival, Kylie began an on and off-screen romance with co-star Jason Donovan, who played Scott Robinson, which gained the couple an army of adoring fans. Jason Donovan After his stint as Scott, singer and actor Alan Dale New Zealand born actor Margot Robbie Way before she was Barbie or Harley Quinn, Margot was best known as Ramsay Street resident Donna Freedman. Her notable storylines included her marriage to Ringo Brown and becoming a young widow following his tragic death. After three years she bid farewell to the soap and Australia with a plan to make a name for herself in Hollywood which she did when she bagged the role of Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. Jesse Spencer Russell Crowe New Zealand-native Russell had a brief arc on Neighbours, appearing in four episodes of the soap 1987 as Kenny Larkin, the former cellmate of Street resident Henry Ramsay. The role obviously got him noticed though because he quickly went on to become a fully-fledged Hollywood A-lister, winning the Best Actor Oscar for his standout performance as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator. The Sun exclusively revealed that Amazon have told Fremantle that their venture into soaps hasn't worked and they are pulling funding Advertisement A source said at the time: 'Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn't get the viewers. 'It's a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne. 'This really is the end of Neighbours just as it's celebrated it's 40th birthday.' 4 Alan has appeared in several US programmes since leaving Neighbours Credit: Rex Features Advertisement
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
The Assassin fans gobsmacked after spotting soap legend in new Prime Video drama
The actor went on to appear in other hit shows after leaving the soap star spot The Assassin fans gobsmacked after spotting soap legend in new Prime Video drama Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Assassin fans were left stunned after spotting a soap legend in the Prime Video series. The crime thriller stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore in leading roles. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 The Assassin stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore Credit: Amazon Prime 4 The cast also includes actor Alan Dale Credit: Amazon 4 Alan famously played Jim Robinson in Aussie soap Neighbours Credit: Rex It follows a retired assassin now living in Greece, who reunites with her estranged son when he comes looking for answers. Long-time soap fans recognised a familiar face among the cast members. New Zealand star Alan Dale, 78, appears as supporting character Aaron Cross. Previously, Alan played patriarch Jim Robinson, one of Neighbours' original characters. One viewer wrote on X: "jim robinson died in neighbours and was reborn as the shady bad guy in every series in the last 2 decades." He appeared from the Aussie's soap launch in 1985 until leaving the show in 1993. Jim was also the father of Neighbours stalwart Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). The actor briefly reprised this role in 2018 by appearing in a dream to his on-screen son. After his departure from Neighbours, Alan began working extensively in US television. He notably had a recurring role as villain Charles Widmore in the sci-fi drama series LOST. Alan Dale stars in The Assassin on Amazon Prime Alan appeared in a total of 17 episodes spanning from 2006 until the show's 2010 conclusion. As well as this, he made prominent appearances in The OC and Ugly Betty. Earlier this year, The Sun revealed Neighbours would be coming to an end - for a second time. It came just two years after Amazon brought the soap back to life after it was axed by Channel 5 after 37 years. The revival started filming in 2023 and was shown on Amazon Freevee worldwide. Neighbours stars who made it big The long-running Aussie soap has launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Here are some of the Neighbours alums who went on to make it big after starring on the soap... Kylie Minogue Before she hit the big time with her music career, Kylie shot to fame playing Charlene Mitchell on Neighbours. Shortly after her arrival, Kylie began an on and off-screen romance with co-star Jason Donovan, who played Scott Robinson, which gained the couple an army of adoring fans. Jason Donovan After his stint as Scott, singer and actor Jason became an international popstar and had his pick acting of roles. He moved to the U.K., married, had children and has since starred in over a dozen West End show, most notably Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat. Alan Dale New Zealand born actor Alan was one of Neighbours 12 original cast members having made his debut as Jim Robinson on the soap's first episode on 18 March 1985. As the head of the Robinson clan, widower Jim lived at Number 26 Ramsay Street with his children Paul, Julie, Scott and Lucy, and was a real anchor in the community. He stayed with the show for eight years, before his character was killed off in dramatic scenes aired in 1993 but which still reverberate through the soap to this day. Margot Robbie Way before she was Barbie or Harley Quinn, Margot was best known as Ramsay Street resident Donna Freedman. Her notable storylines included her marriage to Ringo Brown and becoming a young widow following his tragic death. After three years she bid farewell to the soap and Australia with a plan to make a name for herself in Hollywood which she did when she bagged the role of Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. Jesse Spencer Jesse rocked up on Ramsay street in 1994 with the rest of the Kennedy clan. He stayed for five years, literally growing up in front of the camera, but in 2000 felt it was time to spread his wings and head for Hollywood. It was certainly a smart move as he went on to bag leading roles in popular shows like House and Chicago Fire. Russell Crowe New Zealand-native Russell had a brief arc on Neighbours, appearing in four episodes of the soap 1987 as Kenny Larkin, the former cellmate of Street resident Henry Ramsay. The role obviously got him noticed though because he quickly went on to become a fully-fledged Hollywood A-lister, winning the Best Actor Oscar for his standout performance as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator. The Sun exclusively revealed that Amazon have told Fremantle that their venture into soaps hasn't worked and they are pulling funding A source said at the time: 'Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn't get the viewers. 'It's a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne. 'This really is the end of Neighbours just as it's celebrated it's 40th birthday.'
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Soaps spoilers next week: Emmerdale return and Corrie wedding takes a turn
Wedding bells and drama are ahead this week in soapland with two Coronation Street character set to walk down the aisle. In Emmerdale, one major return is set to cause a ruckus. Another week of drama is ahead for soap fans - with a huge return set to shake things up in Emmerdale. April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) vanished from the eponymous ITV village this year, finding a new friend (and love interest) in the form of Dylan (Fred Kettle). But the lad immediately left the Dales to head to rehab. Over in Coronation Street, Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) is gearing up to tie the knot with Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) while Abi Webster (Sally Carman) is stuck in a love triangle. In EastEnders, one fan favourite's fate could be hanging in the balance with Oscar Branning (Pierre Moullier) becoming increasingly desperate to escape his past. And there's more turmoil in Hollyoaks, Neighbours and Home and Away. Emmerdale April is terrified to find Dylan with a leg injury but he refuses to see a doctor. The pair sneak into the vets' but they're interrupted by a shocked Paddy (Dominic Brunt) who patches Dylan up. After hearing he's still homeless, Paddy offers Dylan a room for the night. Ray then tells Dylan about future work and while Mandy (Lisa Riley) is busy, Dylan reveals a hidden bag of drugs in his backpack. Meanwhile, John (Oliver Farnworth) tries to persuade a sceptical Aaron (Danny Miller) to go easy on Robert (Ryan Hawley). After an uncomfortable encounter with John, Robert attempts to clear the air with Aaron himself and hints at leaving. Ruby (Beth Cordingly) and Lewis (Bradley Riches) urge Steph (Georgia Jay) to give her relationship with Ross (Michael Parr) another chance and Lewis later orchestrates Ross giving Steph a lift to her therapy session after her car breaks down. Back at Mill Cottage, Ruby's happy to see the couple together and they make things official, with Ross denying he's been with anyone else. Later, Ruby, Lewis and Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) go to lunch and the pair dig for gossip about Manpreet's love life. Will she tell them about her fling with Ross? Elsewhere, Charity (Emma Atkins) has devastating news for Sarah (Katie Hill) and Vinny (Bradley Johnson) continues to feel conflicted about his sexuality and turns to the internet for answers. Coronation Street Abi covers for Kevin (Michael Le Vell) as he announces he's in the clear. But as everyone congratulates him, she slips out to join Carl (Jonathan Howard) at the hotel. Kevin tells Debbie (Sue Devaney) he thinks he's losing Abi. At the hotel, Abi is shocked when she sees a message on Carl's phone from Fiona. After buying cheap suits for Dev and Aadi (Adam Hussain), Bernie is having a low key hen do in the Bistro until she gets word that the boys have hired a pole dancer. Bernie's furious as she storms out. Later, Dev and Bernie's wedding day goes from bad to worse when the quads fall ill. Bernie then forgets her lucky charm but when she runs home to get it, she interrupts a burglary. Meanwhile, Debbie stuns guests with a bombshell. Kit (Jacob Roberts) learns more about Brody's (Ryan Mulvey) upbringing and is upset to hear how bad it was. Wanting to help him, Kit takes him to a match. But when he invites Sarah (Tina O'Brien) for lunch with him and Brody, things don't go as planned. Elsewhere, Todd (Gareth Pierce) tells Theo (James Cartwright) the corner shop flat is available. But Todd is bemused when Theo refuses to spend time with him and Summer (Harriet Bibby). Later, an incident with Aadi lands Theo in trouble with the law. EastEnders Oscar's week gets off to a bad start when Mike arrives and demands £5k in return for the Brannings' safety. He initially tries to lure Ian into a business deal to find extra cash but when Ian refuses, Oscar tells Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) everything. Patrick (Rudolph Walker) and Howie (Delroy Atkinson) place a bet against Yolande's (Angela Wynter) wishes - and win £6k. But Yolande later lambasts Patrick for betting and calls the wedding off. Cash-strapped Oscar breaks into No.20 to steal Patrick's winnings but he's caught red-handed. Before long, Oscar pushes Patrick leading to him falling to the floor unconscious. Avani (Aaliyah James) and Suki (Balvinder Sopal) prepare for Avani's 12-week scan but Eve (Heather Peace) remains unconvinced by Suki's plan. When Vinny (Shiv Jalota) returns from Ash's wedding, Eve seizes the opportunity to speak to Avani alone and later encourages Suki to speak to her son. Later, Eve and Avani lie to Priya (Sophie Khan Levy) after she finds a receipt from the hospital. Elsewhere, Ross (Alex Walkinshaw) receives a call from Joel's mum and informs the lad she's getting remarried. Later, Joel (Max Murray) slips out and heads to The Vic with Tommy (Sonny Kendall). The pair are caught up by Ross, Viki (Alice Haig), Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie) and Joel lashes out. Later, Joel and Ross bond over an innocent video from Joel's idol influencer. But the moment is short-lived when Ross makes a troubling discovery. Hollyoaks Rex changes his statement and points a finger as Clare, Grace and DI Banks. Undercover police watch Grace's flat while Donny and Dodger are on standby. But the operation is later compromised. In prison, Tom shares some news with Froggy, prompting him to make a call. Meanwhile, Leela opens up about her struggles to move on from Joel. Darren is concerned about Frankie's relationship with Jacob but backtracks after some advice from Nancy. Elsewhere, Vicky continues her search for ways to contact Robbie. Neighbours Byron prepares to leave Erinsborough with a barbecue. Andrew reels after his confrontation with Bowman - but he shares another charged moment with Holly who thanks him for protecting her. Taye is unimpressed by Sadie and issues an ultimatum. Elsewhere, Paul makes difficult choices to ensure Lassiters' success - but Nell and Nicolette are incensed by his tactics. Later, Paul gets a shock when he talks about his future with Terese. Meanwhile, Remi and Cara struggle to move forward while Annalise gets the wrong end of the stick with Leo. Home and Away Remi and Sonny are locked in a heated argument with Dana watching on. But when she asks for answers from the pair, Remi tells her to leave it. Kirby's glowing after her album launch, but she's stunned when she receives an appealing offer - and it could take her to Europe. Meanwhile, Tane returns from Japan and has a tense catch-up with Harper. Roo struggles with what to tell Cohen as he waits eagerly for a letter from his mother. Later, David uncovers devastation for Cohen.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Assassin fans are only just recognising Neighbours legend in pivotal role
The Assassin is the latest thriller which has left viewers on the edge of their seats. The Assassin airs on Prime Video and the exhilarating drama stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as estranged mother and son, Julie and Edward. Julie, a retired killer for hire, had been living a life of solitude in the stunning setting of Greece in The Assassin until her son showed up with questions about his upbringing. As Julie's past came back to haunt her, various influential figures from her life were introduced, including Aaron Cross - the billionaire father of Edward's fiancée Kayla (Shalom Brune-Franklin). Viewers are only just realising Aaron Cross is played by Alan Dale, a 78-year-old New Zealand actor known for playing Jim Robinson in Neighbours. The soap legend's role of Jim was one of Neighbours' twelve original characters, who made his debut in the first-ever episode in 1985. He was the patriarch of the Robinson family and his role was described as an anchor, similar to Leslie Grantham's role of Den Watts in EastEnders. The actor stayed for eight years before Jim was killed off, following a dispute with the show's producers over pay. 'I made some sort of crack about the fact that when we started doing Neighbours [in 1985], we got paid the same money as when I was doing The Young Doctors [which he starred in from 1979-1983],' he told TV Week. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the star said he struggled to find work in Australia after Neighbours because he was typecast as Jim. He did reprise his role in 2018, during the Christmas Day episode, appearing as part of a ghostly sequence. Dale went on to star in The O.C, NCIS, Ugly Betty and Dominion. One of his latest roles was as Owen Deveraux in season two of Wreck. As a child, he was a keen rugby player and after retiring from the sport, he decided to become a professional actor at 27 years old. Dale then moved to Australia, where one of his first roles was as Dr John Forrest in The Young Doctors from 1979 to 1982. He and his family live in Manhattan Beach, California, and he owns property in Australia. The father-of-four married Tracey Pearson, the 1986 Miss Australia, in 1990.
