Neighbours' UK fans bid farewell to Mark Brennan this week as he departs Erinsborough in dramatic circumstances. Wednesday's episode, which plays out in real time, sees the detective enter witness protection due to his involvement in the ongoing police corruption case - but will his partner Kate be able to join him? Off-screen, meanwhile, actor and model Scott McGregor is planning to pursue new projects after departing the role of Brennan. Digital Spy recently caught up with the star for a quick chat about all things Neighbours.

What can you tell us about the real-time episode which sees Brennan make his departure?
"24 is certainly where they took the idea from. I've seen a rough edit, and when you watch it, you definitely feel like you're watching 24 - it has that real-time feel and there's a heartbeat that runs right the way through the episode, so it's quite dramatic."

The episode sees Brennan and Kate's relationship take centre stage one last time…
"Yes, it's quite sad! They really want to stay together and it's a 'will she, won't she make it?' feel. It's an emotional episode, but you'll have to wait and see exactly what happens."

As we saw them get together briefly, do you think Brennan and Jade could also have been a good match?
"I'm not sure they would have made a good match - I think it was just purely a one-off thing. They regret it in some ways, but in other ways they don't. I think that Mark and Kate are definitely the better match."


Did you enjoy the interesting dynamic that built up between Brennan and Kyle as time went on?
"Yeah, it was really good fun to film. Chris Milligan who plays Kyle is a really good friend of mine, and we had a really good laugh playing those scenes."

And apparently your last ever scene on set was with Chris!
"It was! It was quite unassumingly emotional. The two characters didn't really like each other at first but became friends as time went on, so for Mark to say goodbye to Kyle was actually quite upsetting."

How would you sum up your experience at Neighbours?
"I absolutely loved every minute. It's not an easy job and there's definitely a lot of work, but at the same time, it was a lot of fun doing it. I really enjoyed it."

What was the reasoning behind your decision to leave the show?
"I just felt that there were a few things that I needed to do. I turned 30 this year, so I really felt like I wanted to move on sooner rather than later. I sat down and spoke to my management when there was a new contract on the cards, but I'd already been there for a year, so we all decided that it was time for me to move on and look for other opportunities."

As Neighbours was your first major acting job, do you feel like you learned a lot from the show?
"Definitely! I think it's known as the fastest-paced show in the world - it's relentless. You really have to be on the ball when you're there and if you aren't, you get left behind. I definitely took a lot out of the experience."

Was your last day on set emotional?
"It was definitely emotional. When I was filming my last scene, I didn't think that it would hit me the way that it did. I think when you're there, you don't realise what a great family you have on the show. I was only there for a year but I made some really great friends, so it was sad to leave them behind and move on."

Who are you planning to stay in touch with from Neighbours?
"I'd say the majority of the crew and the cast there - they're all fantastic. Obviously I've made a really good friend in Ash Brewer who plays Kate, as well as Scotty Major (Lucas), Jordan Smith (Andrew), Chris Milligan (Kyle), Jordy Lucas (Summer), Val Novakovic (Tash) and Gemma Pranita (Jade). They're probably the closest bunch, but I'm still really good friends with Stefan Dennis who plays Paul and Alan Fletcher who plays Karl too. They're just an amazing bunch of people."

As you're known for both your acting and modelling, do you have a preference between the two?
"I'd say I probably enjoy them both equally. Acting is definitely more of a challenge. With modelling, you always get your good jobs and your bad jobs but I definitely still enjoy it."

What does the future hold for you?
"Well, as soon as I knew that I was leaving Neighbours, I started auditioning for other roles. So back home in Australia, it was one audition after another. Now I'm on my way to the US to meet some US management, so we'll see what happens!"