Home and Away to go off air for four weeks on Channel 5

[Perdita]

Home and Away is to take a four-week break on Channel 5.

The Summer Bay soap will be off air throughout May for British fans in order to maintain a sizeable gap between the UK and Australian broadcasts.

Channel 5 will continue to air Home and Away as normal until Friday, May 1. Afterwards, no new episodes will be broadcast until Monday, June 1.

A Channel 5 spokesperson told Digital Spy: "There's only 45 weeks' worth of episodes produced of Home and Away in Australia every year, which sadly means Channel 5 has to take 2 annual breaks in order that we don't catch up, but worry not! 5* will be celebrating some of the show's most successful actors with classic episodes. More details on that very soon."

The news means that Channel 5 will be running eight weeks behind Home and Away's Australian broadcasts once the show returns to screens in June.

Channel 5 adopted a similar broadcasting pattern last year, taking Home and Away off air for three weeks in May as well as the usual scheduling break at Christmas.

Fellow Australian soap Neighbours will remain on air as usual. The Ramsay Street drama has to take breaks less often in the UK as it produces more episodes per year than Home and Away does.

[Dazzle]

Home and Away is to take a four-week break on Channel 5.

That's a shame, but I'd prefer H&A to take a break than Neighbours.

[Perdita]

Famous faces from Home and Away's past will be celebrated with a series of classic episodes on 5* next month.

Chris Hemsworth and Ryan Kwanten will be among the stars featured while the regular episodes of Home and Away take a four-week break from Channel 5.

Chris Hemsworth attends the European premiere of 'The Avengers: Age Of Ultron'
© David M. Benett/Wireimage
Chris Hemsworth

From May 4 onwards, 5* will be airing Home and Away: From the Bay to LA each weeknight at 6.30pm.

The first week will showcase five classic episodes featuring Thor actor Hemsworth in his role as Summer Bay's Kim Hyde.

The week commencing May 11 will celebrate Isla Fisher as fans can see her in action as Shannon Reed, while the following week will focus on True Blood's Kwanten as Vinnie Patterson.

Ryan Kwanten
9th Annual G'Day USA Gala held at the Grand Ballroom inside the Hollywood & Highland Center - Arrivals
Los Angeles, California - 14.01.12
Mandatory Credit: Brian To/WENN.com
© WENN
Ryan Kwanten

A final week of repeats kicks off from May 25 and will mix things up by airing one episode each for five more stars - Melissa George (Angel Parrish), Isabel Lucas (Tasha Andrews), Simon Baker (James Healy), Naomi Watts (Julie Gibson) and the late Heath Ledger (Scott Irwin),

Channel 5 announced last week that it would be taking Home and Away off air throughout May, insisting that the break was necessary to avoid catching up with the Australian broadcasts.

A spokesperson said: "There's only 45 weeks' worth of episodes produced of Home and Away in Australia every year, which sadly means Channel 5 has to take 2 annual breaks in order that we don't catch up."

Channel 5 will be airing Home and Away eight weeks behind Australia when the regular episodes resume on June 1.