HOME AND AWAY DROPPED FROM CHANNEL 5 DAYTIME SCHEDULE AS AUSTRALIAN SOAP MOVES TO STREAMING-FIRST SCHEDULE

Channel 5 have announced that Australian soap Home And Away will move to a streaming-first approached for its daytime show.

The changes, taking effect from January 2026, mean the show will no longer be part of Channel 5's daytime schedule. When the show returns on Friday 2nd January, episodes will drop on the 5 streaming service at 6am, followed by a 6pm showing on 5Star.

Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor at 5, commented: "Home and Away has been a phenomenal success for us on streaming. Viewers have fully embraced the flexibility of on-demand viewing, driving double-digit year-on-year growth and making streaming the preferred way to watch the show. Moving daytime episodes exclusively to streaming is a natural next step, reflecting how audiences want to engage with their favourite content."

Meanwhile, Amazon have pulled the plug on Australian soap Neighbours, two years after the streamer rebooted the series after it was dropped by previous UK broadcaster Channel 5.

The final week will explore the news that Ramsay Street is to be demolished to make way for a new freeway (motorway), but the residents of the iconic Melbourne street will not give up without a fight.

Will Ramsay Street be saved, or will the residents choose to relocate and start afresh in the countryside - as proposed by Shane Ramsay (Peter O'Brien) or in the city - as proposed by Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis)?

Jason Herbison, Neighbours Executive Producer said: "Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years including often appearing as one of the Top 10 titles in the UK and the show’s first ever Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Daytime Series in 2024...

"As this chapter closes, we appreciate and thank Amazon MGM Studios for all that they have done for Neighbours – bringing this iconic and much-loved series to new audiences globally. We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future."

A source told The Sun: "Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn’t get the viewers. It’s a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne. This really is the end of Neighbours just as it’s celebrated it’s 40th birthday."

Neighbours: The Finale airs Thursday 11th December on Prime Video.