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Neighbours icon Ryan Moloney, who has played Toadie Rebecchi in the Australian soap since 1995, has announced his departure.
The actor, 44, has been a regular fixture on Ramsay Street for decades, and will continue to play a part behind-the-scenes as he takes on a new role as director.
Family-man Jarrod (or Toadfish to his pals) first arrived as a troublesome teen at Erinsborough High, always involved in a get-rich quick scheme or plotting against the school – much to the dislike of teacher Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), who would later play a maternal role in his life.
The loud-mouthed Rebecchi family soon moved into Ramsay Street, defining the next big era of Neighbours that followed the serial’s golden years in the late 80s.
Announcing his departure this morning (27th June), Ryan said: ‘After 30 years playing Toadie, I will be leaving Ramsay Street. I can’t tell you what is happening to the character – maybe I could be the next Jim Robinson. Or maybe I’ll be the next Harold Bishop and keep popping back over the years.’
Toadie first appeared in 1995 (Picture: Neil Genower/REX/Shutterstock)
Toadie’s wedding to Dee was doomed when he accidentally drove them off a cliff (Picture: Fremantle Media/Shutterstock)
He continued: ‘Although I won’t be bringing you our fantastic storylines from in front of the camera, I will be bringing them to you from the other side, behind the camera
‘I’ve just started director training and have just finished filming my first episode as director – so I really hope that you enjoy that.’
One of his biggest stories came in 2003 when he accidentally drove off a cliff on his wedding day to Dee Bliss (Madeleine West). Presumed dead for best part of the fifteen years that followed, Dee then turned up on his doorstep and announced she was alive – with their teenage daughter in tow.
Susan has always been a motherly figure in his life (Picture: Fremantle Media/REX/Shutterstock)
A Toad between two Dees… (Picture: Fremantle Media)
By this point he’d settled with third wife Sonya (Eve Morey), adopted her son Callum (Morgan Baker) and fathered their daughter Nell (then Scarlett Anderson).
However, a bigger twist would soon follow when it was revealed ‘Dee’ was actually her estranged identical twin sister Andrea who was plotting to scam him out of thousands.
Despite discovering Andrea’s true identity, he went onto conceive son Hugo with her, and when she returned – baby in tow – her wicked mother Heather (Kerry Armstrong) plotted to kill Sonya.
Sonya passed away in his arms after being diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer (Picture: Fremantle Media)
Sadly, Sonya would soon pass away from terminal ovarian cancer in an emotional two-hander episode, and wouldn’t live to see the moment the real Dee showed up on the doorstep of No. 30 and announced she actually was alive.
After a tense showdown on a cliff top (déjà vu anyone?), Andrea was sent to …read more
Source:: Metro
