Neighbours makes a welcome return to our screens on Monday after a whopping five-week break, which can only mean one thing... loads more 'Typer' drama to keep us entertained.
Popular couple Tyler Brennan and Piper Willis finally reunited in the season finale week, but while fans may have rejoiced, Brad and Terese aren't quite on board the "Typer" train just yet. And could Paige's pregnancy throw a spanner in the works too?
Digital Spy recently caught up with Mavournee Hazel, who plays Piper, for some early hints on all the drama to come.
What kind of a reaction did you see when the fans found out that Tyler and Piper would reunite?
"Oh my gosh, Twitter has been insane. So many of our dedicated Typer fans couldn't wait for the episode. One girl, who's a really die-hard fan, even took the night off work so she could watch it. Another girl had a calendar with a countdown to the day of the reunion. The reaction was really exciting."
Were you both pleased with the way the reunion scenes were written?
"Absolutely. There was a time when Trav and I were speaking to the writers and they were like: 'Oh, maybe they won't get back together'. But we really, really wanted to reward the fans for their support. I think the producers felt the same way, so that's what we decided to do.
"Trav and I were really excited when we saw the scripts and how romantic the scenes were. Whenever we read our scenes, the first thing we think of is the fans and how we can milk it so they can love it even more. So hopefully the reunion was worth the wait."
Do the writers always keep the fans and their opinions in mind when plotting the storylines?
"Yes and no. When I first started on the show, the writers had already kind of plotted Piper's arc - her storylines for two or three years. But then they have more meetings and everything is plotted in more detail six months in advance.
"So huge things don't tend to change, but when you get down to the finesse of a scene, the writers do take the fans into account. Recently I was in with Stephen Vagg, who's our Head of Story, and he was like: 'Have you seen the comments on the Twitter and the Facebook pages?' So they're definitely aware of it."
So what's next for Tyler and Piper?
"We're still facing the Brad and Terese brick wall. That will forever and always be an issue. It's the only reason why we can't be together and nothing changes in that respect anytime soon, but Tyler and Piper's approach to it does change. We've been respectful and mature about it... but lust is lust and love is love."
Who's more against the relationship - Brad or Terese?
"I think despite them being divorced and resenting each other in some aspects, Brad and Terese actually have common ground when it comes to this. For Brad, Piper is his little girl and he doesn't want her to be corrupted. He also doesn't like the fact that Tyler has been with her sisters!
"Terese doesn't want to see her baby go either. It's also only her and Piper living at the house at the moment and she doesn't have much else than work going on, so she doesn't want to see Piper go into the arms of Tyler."
There are some people who think Piper is a fool to take Tyler back...
"Fair enough! (Laughs.)"
Do you think Tyler has what it takes to prove those people wrong and be a good boyfriend?
"I do. The core of Tyler, despite his small slip-ups, is that he does really care and love Piper. The foundation of their relationship is that it's a friendship and they genuinely care about each other. So he does make a good boyfriend.
"It is still quite hard because of the age difference. Piper is still at school, whereas he can go to bars and flirt with girls if he wants to, and she isn't there to supervise. But he is a good boyfriend and they're building on the trust."
Do you get involved much in Paige's baby storyline?
"Quite involved. Especially at the start of it, because when Paige and the baby storyline comes out, the first thing Piper thinks and dreads is the possibility that Tyler could be the father.
"But other things crop up in Piper's life which become even more important than her sister being pregnant. That sounds horrible now that I'm saying it out loud, but all will be revealed."
Not all couples in the show get such a big following. How much has it meant to have so much support?
"It's amazing. When the relationship first started, there was a big uproar. I think it was from the older audience, who thought it was really creepy and they weren't a fan of it. But it's really the younger audience who've taken a shine to the relationship.
"It's so important to have that, because I'm not dreading episodes airing anymore and worrying about what people will say about them. That's because of the support. It means so much to me and Trav, because we both have the same approach with how we interact with fans and we think it's really important to get back to them."
So what's the funniest Typer tweet you've ever seen?
"I couldn't narrow it down! As soon as Trav and I mentioned how much we loved the gifs and memes that people make for us, they started coming in so thick and fast.
"There's also a fan account who does these incredible sketches of the cast and she has done so many of Tyler and Piper. So that's not necessarily a funny tweet, but it's something that's always in the forefront of our minds. She's even given framed ones to Scott McGregor in the past and they're hanging up in the green room. It's so rewarding."
Have you shot any scenes with Rob Mills, who's playing the new teacher Finn Kelly?
"I actually have shot a few. Because he's at the school, we do have scenes together. We haven't shot too many so far, but he is such a lovely guy to work with. He's also a great energy to have in the green room. It was nice to have a bit of fresh air coming into the show towards the end of the year, when we all needed a bit of a morale boost."
We have to ask about Piper and Angus too. Would you ever like to see Jai Waetford back for another stint in the role?
"Oh my God, I loved Jai – I absolutely adore him. I would love for him to come back, absolutely. I really liked their on-screen relationship as well.
"Jai and I got on so well. He found out very early on into his time on Neighbours that I'm a very anxious person so whenever I get scared, I have a huge reaction – I jump and fall to the ground!
"When the episode aired when Angus and Piper slept together, Angus was copping a lot of hate. So I posted this compilation of 7 videos where he'd set up a camera and scared me. I love Jai and would love to see him back, although I'm not sure the fans would!"
Neighbours returns for its new season on Monday, January 9 at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.
Digital Spy
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