Since Neighbours ’ return to our screens, the big question on Ramsay Street has been what happened to Melanie Pearson who we last saw tie the knot with Toadie in the soap’s 2022 finale?

Although Toadie (Ryan Moloney) has moved on with Terese Willis in Mel’s mysterious absence, fans will finally get some answers as actress Lucinda Cowden makes her highly-anticipated comeback. But the actress isn’t too impressed with the soap’s decision to break-up Mel and Toadie.

“I was shocked to my socks when I found out,” Lucinda says. “It felt really sad because you work really hard on making something feel special and I think we got there with that. It was an unusual pairing to start with and I thought we’d fleshed it out really nicely.

"That’s been the big shock of this new reboot – but onwards and sideways as we go in soap!”

Lucinda makes her surprise return during the soap’s Flashback Week, explaining what the Erinsborough residents got up to in the past two years. However, Mel is “quite different” after two years of sitting on secrets.

“She doesn’t have all the earrings and hair and outfits – there’s no laughing because her life is not much fun,” Lucinda says. “What happens to someone when they lose everything that was important to them? For me, it was all about finding another side to her. It’s a gift of a storyline!”

After news broke that Neighbours was coming to an end last year, Lucinda kept herself busy with commercials and teaching – but it wasn’t long before she was asked to join the reboot’s cast.

Teasing the new episodes, Lucinda says we can expect an “interesting” rivalry between Mel and Toadie’s new wife Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou). “It’s really funny because me and Rebekah get along very well, I’m doing lots of scenes with her – which I really love.

“They’re such incredibly different women. Terese is such a power player and Mel is not – she’s effusive.”

But is there hope for Mel and Toadie’s relationship now that she’s back?

“I want all to be right in the world and Paul (Stefan Dennis) and Terese to be back together and Toadie and Mel just like everybody else wants,” she says. “But your guess is as good as mine!”

Neighbours lands on Amazon FreeVee, Monday-Thursdays from 7am.

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