'Neighbours' Announces 'Plain Jane Superbrain' Return In Hit Of Nostalgia For Long-Term Fans

Fans remember her as Kylie's bookish best friend.

Back when ‘Neighbours’ regularly pulled in UK audiences of up to 20 million during the 1980s, ‘Plain Jane Superbrain’ was one of the best-loved characters. 

Well, now nearly 30 years on from her departure, she’s set to make a dramatic return to the Australian soap. 

Jane Harris - played by Annie Jones - was remembered by fans for being the nerdy best friend of Kylie Minogue’s character Charlene Mitchell. 

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Plain Jane Superbrain was Charlene Mitchell's best friend
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Her bookishness earned her the nickname ‘Plain Jane Superbrain’, but she underwent a glamorous makeover to win the heart of Mike Young (Guy Pearce). 

Bosses have now revealed she will be returning to Ramsay Street to tie up some unfinished business, as part of an upcoming guest stint.

However, it remains unclear what will bring her back, as the only current cast member she has connections to are Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). 

Speaking about her comeback, Annie said: “I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to return to ‘Neighbours’. As an actor, the best thing you can be is a working actor.

“I’ve done a lot of guest roles but usually very short-lived, so this has been lovely to come back for an extended period and really get my teeth into a part.”

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Annie originally played Jane from 1986 to 1989
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Stefan added: “This is going to sound terribly gushy, Annie is just the same as she was on the show 30 years ago – kind, funny and just a beautiful person to be around. I’ve loved having her back on set.”

Annie is the latest in a long line of former stars to return to the soap in recent months, with Natalie Bassingthwaite recently reprising her role as the iconic Izzy Hoyland. 

Annie will be back on screen from April. 

‘Neighbours’ airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5. 

Neighbours: Where Are They Now?
Jesse Spencer played Billy Kennedy from 1994 to 2000...(01 of48)
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Jesse has gone on to become a huge US TV star since leaving Ramsay Street behind. He starred as Dr Robert Chase in 171 episodes of medical drama House from 2004 to 2012.

After the series finished, he landed a role in Chicago Fire, opposite former Mr Lady Gaga, Taylor Kinney. As of 2020, Jesse was continuing to play Lt. Matthew Casey in the firefighter drama, with his part also crossing over into sister series Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med.
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Holly Valance played Felicity Scully from 1999 to 2002...(03 of48)
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In the months after leaving her role as Flick, Holly relaunched herself as a pop star here in the UK. Her debut single Kiss Kiss went straight to number one in 2002. She had two other top five singles, Down Boy and Naughty Girl, and also released two albums, Footprints and State Of Mind.

She returned to acting in 2004, with minor roles in US series such as CSI: Miami, Entourage, CSI: NY and Moonlight, was well as having a recurring role in the first two seasons of Prison Break as Nika Volek.

2010 saw her return to the UK, with a role on Agatha Christie's Marple, while the following year, she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, finishing in fourth place.

Most recently, she was a judge and mentor on TLC series Shopaholic Showdown.

She married British property developer, Nick Candy and the couple have two children.

Her half-sister, Olympia Valance, also followed in her footsteps by joining Neighbours as Paige Smith in 2014.
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Kym Valentine played Libby Kennedy on-and-off from 1994 to 2011...(05 of48)
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After leaving Neighbours for a second time in 2011, Kym became involved in a legal dispute with bosses, alleging they subjected her to sex and disability discrimination. She was forced to dip in and out of the soap between 2008 and 2010 due to health problems, and claimed producers engaged in unlawful discrimination.

After the case was settled, she made a guest appearance on the show in 2014, with her on-screen son Ben – played by Felix Mallard who remained on the Street with grandparents Karl and Susan.

After welcoming her second child in March 2016, Kym said she was taking time off from acting to be a full time mum.
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Daniel MacPherson played Joel Samuels from 1998 to 2002...(07 of48)
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After leaving Neighbours, Daniel headed to the UK, where he took to the stage in the musical Godspell, alongside Jonathan Wilkes. As a result of their friendship with Jonathan, Daniel ended up moving in with his best mate, Robbie Williams.

Daniel went on to land a role in The Bill, playing PC Cameron Tate between 2003 and 2004. He later appeared in a British-Australian cross-over drama Tripping Over in 2005 with former co-star Neighbours Brooke Satchwell.

Having returned to Australia, he hosted the first series of The X Factor down under, and went on to land a regular role in cop drama City Homicide, playing Simon Joyner between 2007 and 2010.

He also served as one of the hosts on the Australian version of Strictly Come Dancing between 2008 and 2014.

In 2017, Daniel began appearing in British/American drama Strike Back as Samuel Wyatt, and the following year he had a minor role in Disney film A Wrinkle In Time.
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Natalie Imbruglia played Beth Brennan from 1992 to 1994...(09 of48)
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Natalie carved out a pretty successful music career after leaving Neighbours. Her debut single Torn became a classic after reaching number two in the UK singles chart in 1997. She had nine other UK top 40 singles, and as of 2017, had released five studio albums, the most recent of which – Firebird – reached number 10 in 2021

In 2010, she served as a guest judge on The X Factor, and was the catalyst for contestant Ablisa's infamous punch-up, when one of them asked who she was.

Her character Beth has been mentioned on a number of occasions in recent years, following the return of her husband Brad Willis to Ramsay Street in 2013. It was revealed the couple had divorced off-screen, shortly after they left in 1994.
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Ben Nicholas played Stingray Timmins from 2004 to 2007...(11 of48)
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Like many other former Neighbours stars, Ben headed to the UK when his character was killed off in 2007, starring in pantomime and also competing in the Children In Need series Celebrity Scissorhands.

The following year, her appeared in the West End version of High School Musical, playing Jack Scott.

Since returning to Australia, he has returned to Neighbours, appearing in online spin-offs Neighbours vs Zombies and Neighbourshood, where he went behind the scenes of the show in 2016.
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Caitlin Stasey played Rachel Kinski from 2005 to 2009...(13 of48)
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Caitlyn has starred in a number of US series since leaving Neighbours, most notably playing lady in waiting Kenna in The CW series Reign from 2013 to 2015. The series also starred her former co-star Adelaide Kane, who played Mary Queen Of Scots.

From 2013 to 2016, she had a recurring role in the series Please Like Me, while she later appeared un US drama APB and For The People.
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Anne Charleston played Madge Bishop from 1986 to 1992, and again from 1996 to 2001...(15 of48)
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Anne left Neighbours for the second time in 2001, when Madge was killed off in one of the soap's most heartbreaking storylines ever, as she died from cancer.

She subsequently moved to the UK, and landed a regular role in the relaunched series of Crossroads, playing Betty Waddell in 2003. Anne was later cast in another British soap in 2006, when she joined the cast of Emmerdale, playing Lily Butterfield, the sister of long-standing character Edna Birch. She made her last appearance in the Dales in 2009.

The following year, it was announced she would be joining a touring production of Calendar Girls, and in 2012, she also appeared in a production of Steel Magnolias opposite Mischa Barton.

Anne made a surprise return to Neighbours in 2015, as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations. She reprised the role of Madge, but she was only a figment of husband Harold's imagination.
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Melissa Bell played Lucy Robinson from 1991 to 1993...(17 of48)
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Melissa was the third actress to play Lucy Robinson, but is the one fans will most remember, despite only sticking with the soap for two years.

Melissa left in 1996 to take up a role in another soap, E Street, and went on to act in another, entitled Paradise Beach. She also had a minor role in Home And Away in 1996.

Fast forward to 2013, and Melissa made a surprise return to 'Neighbours' as Lucy, and has continued to make guest appearances ever since – most recently in 2021 – while fans have been calling for a more permanent return.

Melissa sadly mourned the loss of her husband, Gary Dickinson, in 2016, after he suffered a heart attack.
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Natalie Blair played Carmella Cammeniti from 2003 to 2008...(19 of48)
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Natalie paid a return visit to Ramsay Street in 2011, reprising her role as Carmella for just a a few episodes.

She has since moved to the US where she has appeared in a handful of TV series and small films. Her biggest came in 2014, when she was cast in a recurring role in Crossbones, playing Rose Dryden.

Natalie is now married to former Neighbours co-star David Hoflin, after they began a relationship on the show in 2008 when their characters started dating. They have one son together, who was born in 2016.
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Dan Paris played Drew Kirk from 1998 to 2002...(21 of48)
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After his character was memorably killed off in a horse riding accident in 2002, Dan began working as a presenter on a number of small Australian shows.

He made a fleeting return to Neighbours in 2005, featuring in a number of Steph Scully's dreams, shortly before she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.

Dan now works as a photographer and videographer and has his own award-winning business, Esperance.
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Margot Robbie played Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011...(23 of48)
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Being the huge Hollywood star she is, it's hard to believe Margot cut her teeth as Donna on Neighbours.

After leaving the role behind in 2011, she moved to the US and starred in the short-lived aviation drama Pan Am. She made her big screen debut in Richard Curtis' 2013 rom-com About Time, but her breakthrough role was as Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf Of Wall Street, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.

She has since starred in a number of films, including Focus, The Legend Of Tarzan and Suicide Squad, in which she played Harley Quinn – a role she reprised in spin-off Birds Of Prey.

She was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar in 2017 for her role as ice skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, picking up a second Academy Award nod in the Best Supporting Actress category for playing Sharon Tate in Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood. She is now ranked among the highest-paid actresses in the world.

Margot kept her feet on the ground after hitting the big time, spending time living in a houseshare in Clapham in London, where she met British husband Tom Ackerly, who she married in December 2016.
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Stephanie Mcintosh played Sky Mangel from 2003 to 2007...(25 of48)
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While Steph went on to have three top 40 singles in Oz after leaving the show, her newly-launched music career stalled in 2007, following the release of her album Tightrope. She returned to acting, appearing in two films, thrillers Liars All and Red Herring.

She also made a cameo appearance in a Skype call during Neighbours' 30th anniversary in 2015, returning for a longer stint five years later as part of the 35th celebrations in 2020.
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Nicola Charles played Sarah Beaumont from 1996 to 1999...(27 of48)
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After moving to the UK, Nicola recorded an album in 2001, but it was never officially released. She went on to co-found a film company with her now ex-husband after relocating to LA.

Now back living in Melbourne, she is remarried and a mum-of-one.

She has also returned to Ramsay Street twice in recent years, most recently appearing in 2016, when Sarah revealed she had terminal cancer and left her son in the care of Karl and Susan Kennedy.
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Blair McDonough played Stuart Parker from 2001 to 2006...(29 of48)
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Blair came up against the fearsome Janet Street Porter when he took part in ITV2's journalism reality series Deadline shortly after leaving Neighbours in 2007.

He went on to appear as Mick MacDonald on our very own Heartbeat, before moving back to Oz, where he starred on drama series Sea Patrol.

In 2010, he also took part in the Australian version of Strictly Come Dancing, but was eliminated second.

He had a guest role in rival Aussie soap Home And Away in 2017, and a year later he reprised his role as Stuart in Neighbours for one episode where he was reunited with best mate Toadie.
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Jason Donovan played Scott Robinson from 1986 to 1989...(31 of48)
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Jason had a real-life relationship with Kylie Minogue, during their stint as Scott and Charlene. They also released a single, Especially For You, together in 1988, which marked the start of his music career.

He has released six UK top 40 albums, and had a number one in 1991 with Any Dream Will Do, following his role in stage show Joseph And The Technicolor Dream Coat.

He appeared as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, partnering Kristina Rihanoff, and served as a judge on ITV talent show Superstar in 2012.

Jason continues to tour and perform music, and has reunited on stage with former co-star Kylie Minogue on a number of occasions in recent years.

His daughter, Jemma Donovan, is currently appearing in Neighbours in the role of Harlow Robinson.
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Natalie Bassingthwaighte played Izzy Hoyland from 2003 to 2006...(33 of48)
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Natalie left Neighbours to concentrate on her music career, as part of band Rogue Traders, who had a number three UK hit with Voodoo Child in 2005. While she left in 2008, she reunited with the group for a New Year gig in 2015.

Elsewhere, she has served as a host on So You Think You Can Dance? Australia, and as a judge on the Oz version of The X Factor from 2011 to 2014, later stepping in for disgraced judge Natalia Kills on the New Zealand version in 2015.

In 2017, she was a contestant on Australia's I'm A Celebrity, finishing in third place.

A year later, she returned to the role of Izzy for a six-week guest stint, which saw the character ask former flame Karl Kennedy to be a sperm donor.
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Eliza Taylor played Janae Timmins from 2005 to 2008...(35 of48)
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Arguably, Eliza is now better known for playing Clarke Griffin on US series The 100 – a role which she took on in 2014 and still holds to this day.

After leaving Neighbours, she also appeared in other Australian series including All Saints, City Homicide and Mr & Mrs Murder.
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Delta Goodrem played Nina Tucker from 2002 to 2005...(37 of48)
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Delta was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2003 at the age of 18, forcing her out of the soap. After a short stint back on Ramsay Street, she left to focus on her burgeoning music career.

She went on to have nine number-one singles and 17 top-ten hits in Australia, selling over eight million albums globally. Her last album, Wings Of The Wild hit number one down under in 2016.

Delta also reprised her role as Nina as part of Neighbours' 30th anniversary in 2015, and later that year she took on the role of Grizabella in a Australian version of musical Cats.

In 2018, she played the role of Olivia Newton-John in a Australian mini-series based on the Grease star's life.

Elsewhere, she's also had high-profile relationships with Brian McFadden and Nick Jonas.
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Sam Clark played Ringo Brown from 2007 to 2010...(39 of48)
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Sam has tried his hand at music, releasing his debut album Take Me Home in 2010, which he followed up with an EP in 2011.

The following year saw him return to acting in the Toni Collette film Mental, and in 2016, he made his US TV debut, appearing in Grease: Live as Leo Balmudo, alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough.

In 2018, Sam appeared as a David Beckham impersonator in the US TV series Friends From College.
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Kimberley Davies played Annalise Hartman from 1993 to 1996...(41 of48)
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Nine years after leaving Neighbours, Kimberly made a surprise return to Ramsay Street for the soap's 20th anniversary, where her character made a documentary about the neighbourhood.

In the years since, she's appeared on I'm A Celebrity in 2005, but walked out of the jungle when she hurt her shoulder during a Bush Tucker Trial. Two years later, she appeared on Australia's Dancing With The Stars.

As of early 2017, Kimberley was married with three children and had minor roles in a number of Aussie TV dramas.
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Jiordan Anna Tolli played Lolly Carpenter from 1994 to 2001...(43 of48)
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Jiordon was seven when her character was written out of Neighbours, and when Lolly returned in 2007, she was played by a different actress. However, Jiordan reclaimed the role when she made a brief appearance in 2013.

The same year saw her enter the Oz version of The X Factor' and after making it through to the live shows, she finished fifth in the competition.

Two years later, she released her debut EP In Transit.
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Paul Keane played Des Clark from 1985 to 1990, with Elaine Smith playing Daphne Lawrence from 1985 to 1988...(45 of48)
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Paul quit acting after leaving Neighbours and opened a pub during the 1990s. He has also been open about his previous addictions to alcohol, painkillers and amphetamines which resulted in depression and a suicide attempt.

He made a cameo appearance during the soap's 30th birthday episodes in 2015, with his character catching up with old friend Paul Robinson. He later returned in 2020 for the 35th anniversary.

Meanwhile, Elaine went on to appear in The Flying Doctors, Home And Away, A Country Practice and All Saints after her character was killed off in 1988.

She now works as a drama teacher at a secondary school in Sydney and is mum to two children.
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Kylie Minogue played Charlene Robinson from 1986 to 1988...(47 of48)
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She was never heard of again. (credit:Don Arnold via Getty Images)