Neighbours superfan from Yelverton launches petition to save show

A Neighbours superfan from Devon said he is desperate to save his favourite Australian soap opera which is set to be cancelled at the end of the year.

Alex Christmas, from Yelverton, launched a petition to rescue Neighbours after it was cancelled again, two years after it was saved by Amazon MGM Studios.

The petition for the show – which first aired in 1985 and was shown on the BBC until 2008 – has received about 1,500 signatures.

Mr Christmas, who has cerebral palsy, said the programme had acted as a “comfort blanket” for him.

Neighbours has aired more than 9,000 episodes since its debut.

Mr Christmas said: “I don’t even see it as a guilty pleasure, it’s an absolute pleasure.”

The Neighbours fan, who requires 24-hour care, said he watched episodes when they went live at 07:00 GMT on Amazon Prime Video as it gave him the “best start” to his day.

“It might sound ridiculous, but when I’m watching Neighbours, it feels like I’m watching my friends and catching up with mates,” Mr Christmas said.

He said his favourite characters included Karl and Susan Kennedy, Paul Robinson and Roxy Willis.

“I see it as more than a TV show, it’s an iconic institution,” he said.

“It’s also a lifeline because it’s helped cheer me up in my darkest moments.”

Amazon MGM Studios said it was “very proud” to have played a part in the history of Neighbours.

Executive producer Jason Herbison said he was hopeful another broadcaster would step forward to take over the show.

He said: “We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future.”