Exclusive - Ryan Moloney talks about 20 years on 'Neighbours' and the show's upcoming 30th anniversary

I was lucky enough to catch up with Ryan Moloney to talk about his 20 years starring on the popular Australian soap opera 'Neighbours' as Toadfish Rebecchi which celebrates it's 30th anniversary next year.

Ryan will be appearing in the pantomime 'Cinderella' at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks between December 6th and January 4th.

Neigbours can be seen weekdays at 6pm on the Eleven Network in Australia and Channel 5 in the United Kingdom at 1.45pm and 5.30pm.

Next year is a big year for Neighbours with it being the 30th anniversary of the show and the 20th year on the show for you as well. Did you still think you would be there 20 years later?

No not at all, I was only supposed to be there for one scene, so twenty years later I'm pretty happy with that.

Can you see the show being on the air in another twenty years time?

I don't see why not, it's going along quite well and everyone in the UK loves it. Channel 5 are doing a brilliant job so at the minute I'm absolutely happy.

When the show changed channels to Eleven in Australia was there any worry then that it could be coming to an end.

(Laughs) That might have been the point I decided to get my pilot's licence yes! I've got my commercial licence so now we just go on and get more and more ratings.

Why do you think the show is so popular in the UK?

Because we are all incredibly good looking and probably because we have got a good sense of humour about the show and the characters, large problems that are easily solved and you move on from them pretty quick and the fact that it is eternal summer is probably a good thing as well. I think they would be all good reasons why it would be successful.

Will any of Toadie's family members return for the shows 30th anniversary?

There is actually one of my family, not immediate family, but there is a member of my family coming back.

Will Toadie be a major part of the 30th anniversary?

It revolves a lot around Harold and Madge and there are a lot of other characters that come in. It is a kind of big ensemble performance shall we call it.

There is a lot of speculation about how they are going to bring Madge back, do you know how that is going to happen?

I do know but I can't tell you anything. It might be in one of Bouncer's dreams again!

At the moment on the show your wife's character is being stalked, can we expect that to be resolved before the Christmas break?

I believe it will go into the new year.

You have had three wives on the show, do you think your first wife Dee could return one day as her body was never found following the accident?

She could come back as a mermaid or something!

Who do you think out of Toadie's three wives is the love of his life?

I would have to say Sonya I think. I think he is probably more evenly matched and developed more of a life with her than anyone else.

So can we expect more trials and tribulations next year for them?

Of course, it is a soap what else!

Do you get much input into your character's development after playing him for 20 years?

To a certain degree, you can approach the writers and say can we do this and can we do that and most of the time they are really receptive because they have got to pump out so many storylines, so if you come up with something they say "that's a great idea lets go".

Has there ever been a storyline that you have not been happy with?

Probably the marrying Steph, covering up Steph's baby storyline. It was long, it was really really long and I don't want to ever do anything like that again. Seriously that was over 12 months and I think the whole storyline added up to about 18 months and every week the stakes just got higher and higher. I actually went to the doctors because I was shaking and what not and I couldn't sleep properly.

How far in advance do you film?

I think we are about ten weeks or so ahead in Australia.

A lot of former stars of the show have gone on to have successful music careers, where you ever tempted to become a pop star?

No, I don't consider myself being able to sing nearly well enough for that.

Former stars have also gone on have successful acting careers in both America and the UK would you ever consider taking a part on an overseas show?

Possibly you know, probably when I finish on Neighbours I might decide to come over here and say what's available and shall we give it a shot for a little bit.

What made you agree to appear on Celebrity Big Brother?

It was more that the person who played Stuart Parker (Blair McDonough) was on Big Brother in Australia and when I first got offered it I rang him up and said you are never going to believe this but I've been offered to do Big Brother and he went you know what I would do it because you love experiences, you are just one for experiences and that is one hell of an experience.

You are doing Panto this year again, what made you decide to start doing it a few years ago?

(Laughs) Dressing up in drag has always been a dream of mine!

This year you are Sevenoaks with Brian Capron and Leslie Grantham, what is is like working with two of the bad boys of British soap?

The terrible thing is that are both terribly lovely, am I ruining it for everyone by saying they are lovely.

Book tickets to see Ryan in action as Buttons in the Sevenoaks production of 'Cinderella' here.