Former Neighbours star Ryan Moloney has revealed why he was happy to hear that the Australian soap’s bosses were going to axe his character Toadie Rebecchi in 2024.
The actor had been playing the character since 1995, meaning he had been involved with the show for nearly 30 years. And at that point, he was ready to move on to something new.
“I played him for quite a long time, and it was time for that to stop,” he told Sydney Morning Herald. “I was glad when [the Neighbours producers] said, ‘We’re not going to renew your contract‘. I was like, ‘Oh, thank God! Thank you!'”
Amazon Freevee / FremantleMedia Australia
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
He admitted that he was a bit unsure about what to do with himself after the soap at first, but soon realised what he wanted to occupy himself with, and it seems like he’s very busy indeed.
He runs an off-grid farm in rural Victoria with his wife Alison and kids Erin and Jack, and has a business working with animals and providing and maintaining fencing for local properties. He’s also got a commercial pilot licence.
“I’m pretty happy out on a tractor and spending 12 hours a day building stuff,” he said. “There was a moment [after Neighbours], of going, ‘What am I going to do?’ Then I was like, ‘Why don’t I just do the stuff that I do here every day, and do it for other people?'”
He added: “It’s up to other people as to whether or not I can leave Toadie behind.”
Amazon Freevee / FremantleMedia Australia
Related: Neighbours actor Matt Wilson quits project with co-star after four months
Moloney was speaking to the publication to promote the Australian airing of SAS: Who Dares Wins season 8, which saw UK and Aussie celebrities compete in military training challenges.
In a reverse of Home and Away (and Neighbours before it came to Amazon), the UK got the season first, as it aired over here in January, and can be streamed on the Channel 4 service now.
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine.
The latest episode delves into next week’s soap spoilers for EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale – as Weatherfield’s murder mystery unfolds, and Grant Mitchell returns to Walford!