'Neighbours has been a good friend to us all for 40 years and must be saved from axe'

dailystar.co.uk:

Neighbours' shock axe from Channel 5 was announced at the weekend, millions of people like me responded with an instant - "No - It can't be true".However, sadly it was.The Australian soap, set in the fictional Ramsay Street in the suburb of Erinsborough, was first broadcast in the UK in 1986 on BBC One, before moving to Channel 5 in 2008.It first aired in Australia just the year before, meaning the show could be axed just three years before its 40th anniversary.

Most recent figures show that over 1.5million people tune in to watch the episodes every day, as viewers eagerly wait to find out more about the private lives of some of Ramsay Streets beloved residents.Generations of fans like myself have grown up with residents like Susan and Karl Kennedy as part of their lives - and it is odd to think of a life without them.Take Susan for example - viewers have gone on an emotional journey with her throughout the years, whether that was the loss of her husband to cancer, or her anguish at Karl Kennedy's multiple affairs.Like many teenagers of my generation who were enthralled with the soap, Susan also became an onscreen role model, as we eagerly listened to the advice that Susan imparted on her own children at their times of need.While you may think I am saying this because I am a fan of the soap, the truth is that the impact that characters like Susan have had on the lives of viewers has not gone unnoticed by the cast either.Talking to me about the soap's 35th anniversary, Susan actress Jackie Woodburne revealed that many viewers tell her that she was like a second mother to them, saying: "One of the loveliest things for me, is people of your generation that I'll meet and say 'you were my other mother'."I just think that's.