Ian Smith (Harold Bishop) arrives to join hundreds of brass band musicians from around the UK in performing the theme tune of Australian soap Neighbours to celebrate its imminent arrival on Five TV, Trafalgar Square, central London. (Photo by Anthony Devlin - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
The beloved Australian actor, best known for his role as Harold Bishop on Neighbours, has revealed in an interview with Ten News First that he has been diagnosed with a “non-fixable” cancer.
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As a result of his illness, Harold is stepping away from the iconic soap opera. He first arrived on Ramsey Street in 1987. Now, three decades later, Harold’s last appearance on Neighbours will be in April 2025.
Ryan Moloney, Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodburne, Angela Bishop, Ian Smith and Stefan Dennis attend the “Neighbours” finale event on June 29, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia.(Photo by Sam Tabone/Getty Images)
The 85-year-old actor revealed that he has a rare and aggressive form of cancer and is undergoing immunotherapy to treat it.
Tragically, Harold lost his wife Gail to cancer in 2019. He has also suffered from prostrate cancer in the past.
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“I wake up every morning hoping there’s no pain because I know that’s the beginning of the bad part,” he said in the interview. “I’ve seen so many deaths. I’ve seen some good ones and I’ve seen bad ones. I’m hoping I’ll go the nice way.”
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