Neighbours fans were outraged last week as Finn Kelly managed to steal Susan Kennedy's job as Erinsborough High principal after secretly tampering with her MS medication to make her unwell.
While Finn's promotion is only temporary, the big question now is whether he'll manage to take over on a more permanent basis and leave Susan out in the cold for even longer – say it ain't so!
Neighbours legend Jackie Woodburne, who plays Susan, recently flew into London to promote the ongoing storyline and caught up with Digital Spy to tell us what's ahead.
We're gripped by Susan vs Finn at the moment! Do you enjoy it when you get an on-screen enemy?
"That's the first time I've heard it put like that – Susan vs Finn – I think that's fantastic! What's terrific about this for Susan is that there are so many different levels to the story. We see her in such a vulnerable and broken place. She's usually in control and pretty strong, so it's great to see her pretty compromised.
"Ultimately we see Susan coming back and saving the day, but I think the storyline is great. We haven't done a storyline with a character like Finn before – someone who is almost a sociopath! He's prepared to put people in real physical danger to get what he wants, which is Susan's job."
Will Susan have a fight on her hands to get back in that principal's chair?
"She will. She ends up going back to work, but she's still unwell. Susan refuses to step down because she needs to get Finn out of the picture, but he's working behind the scenes to undermine her.
"By the time Susan comes back, the seed is planted that she's not able to do the job, so the department tells her that she has to take some more time off. After that, Susan has got to get some evidence of what Finn is doing. It's not enough to say that she has suspicions or she has a feeling. She knows that she has to find some clear, hard evidence to show Finn's true colours."
Will there be a big showdown between Susan and Finn at some point?
"There's a couple of really good 'gotcha' moments with Finn, but I think ultimately the audience will be happy that Susan is able to catch him out and reclaim the power. Thank goodness, otherwise I'd be out of a job!"
What's Rob Mills, who plays Finn, like to work with?
"I didn't know Rob before this, but he's fantastic and we got on straight away. We've just really clicked – he's funny, he's charming, he's a lovely man and we're really lucky to have him on the show. I feel like I've made a new friend."
Do you enjoy these opportunities to come over to the UK and promote a big storyline?
"Oh, I love it. It reminds you of why we do this, because the fans here in the UK are so loyal and so passionate about the show. The response is so affectionate and you realise this is why we make Neighbours – it's for all of these people who love what we're doing.
"In Australia we go into the studio day after day, then we go home in the evening, we cook dinner and we go to bed. So to get this feedback when we come over to the UK really invigorates us."
It sounds like it's been sorted out now, but was it an anxious time for you guys when the press briefly reported that Neighbours could be dropped by Channel 5?
"To tell you the truth, obviously we have no idea what goes on in the boardrooms, but everyone was carrying on business as usual. We're storylining into next year and beyond. So certainly as far as we were all concerned, everything was the same."
When it all kicked off, it must have also been nice to find out that Adele is such a big Neighbours fan...
"That was incredible! Honestly, we were at the studio and people started saying: 'Adele's at Ramsay Street!' She'd naturally gone there very quietly, taken a picture outside the Kennedy house, tweeted it and she was well out of there by the time we got to Ramsay Street. But we shot a little homage to her for our digital platform and I think the fans really liked that."
Would you like to see Madeleine West make another return as Fake Dee?
"I think that would be great. I think that's one of the best storylines we've ever done on the show. The work that those actors did was outstanding – Eve Morey, Ryan Moloney and Madeleine – the three of them did some of the best work you will ever see.
"From the betrayal, to Sonya's reaction to it and then Toadie discovering that she wasn't really Dee – it was beautiful, beautiful work."
The scene where Susan gave Toadie some home truths was also a really intense one...
"It was, because any kind of infidelity will always be a sore spot for Susan. The fact that it was Toadie – someone who saw what she and Karl went through, and someone that she thinks of as her son – was so painful for Susan.
"That was one of those scenes where you have over 20 years of backstory to draw on. So everything I needed was there in the backstory and in the love that Susan has for Toadie. It was the same for Ryan too. It was one of those intense, raw moments on set because for both of us, there was 20 years right there in front of us."
Would you like to see Sonya and Toadie reunite?
"Oh absolutely yes! They must!"
Does your on-screen grandson Felix Mallard (Ben) have much coming up in the show?
"Oh I hope so, isn't he lovely? Someone said to me earlier that he reminded them a little bit of Jesse Spencer [who played Susan's son Billy]. I hadn't really thought of it, but it's absolutely right – there's a gentleness and a lovely soft quality there. At the same time, he's very handsome and he's a lovely fella. I think he's a great Ben and I hope he's with us for a long, long time."
Which Neighbours character would you most like to see back?
"Oh, for me I think Harold was such a big part of Neighbours. He was a lifeline running through the show. I'd love to see him come back, but I don't know if he will. Ian Smith is a very good friend of mine and I know he's enjoying his retirement, while doing little bits of work. I doubt we'd get him back, but I would love to see Harold back on the street!"
Digital Spy
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