Neighbours veteran Ryan Moloney has announced that he is stepping away from the role of Jarrod “Toadfish” Rebecchi in the series after almost 30 years.
Making his debut as a 15-year-old in January 1995, “Toadie” was a troublesome prankster at Erinsborough High. He was later revealed to have an above average IQ and went on to university and became a lawyer. He married five times — famously accidentally driving off a cliff and into the sea after his wedding to Dee Bliss (Madeleine West), which he survived but she vanished. In true soap opera fashion, she returned to Ramsay Street over a decade later.
He also married Steph Scully (Carla Bonner), Sonya Mitchell (Eve Morey), Melanie Pearson (Lucinda Cowden) in Neighbours‘ “final” episode in 2022, then Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) as the series returned in 2023.
In a statement, Moloney said he is stepping away from the role but not the series, as he is pursuing a move into directing:
“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. And 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.
“Thank you all for the love that you have shown me and Toadie over the years. Three decades, in fact. I’ll miss you, I’ll miss him, and I’ll miss Erinsborough… but whatever you do, make sure you don’t miss what’s going to happen on Ramsay Street.”
Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison said: “Toadie is an Australian television icon and Ryan is Ramsay Street royalty. The street won’t be the same without seeing him every week, however there’s every chance he will pop back in the future. In the meantime, we’re thrilled to support his directing ambitions and can’t wait for viewers to see how Toadie’s season-long story arc plays out. Ryan’s been instrumental in the journey and has blown us away with his performance.”
Source: Paramount ANZ, Perfect Blend, Wikipedia
