Madge Bishop returns to Neighbours as a ghost.

Madge Bishop returns to Neighbours as a ghost.

The long-running soap opera's final episode will air on August 1 after 37 years on the air, and although the character lost her battle with cancer back in 2001, actress Anne Charleston has reportedly returned to the set to film scenes for the finale.

A source told The Sun: “There was no way someone as iconic and legendary as Madge wouldn't be in the very last episode of the soap. It was all about how they could bring her back when her death was such a big part of the show's story. It's very clever. Fans will get goosebumps – it's magical.”

The news comes just days after it was confirmed that Hollywood star Margot Robbie – who rose to fame with her role as Donna Freedman in the Australian soap opera from 2008 to 2011 – will also return for the final episode.

The Neighbours Twitter account also confirmed on Saturday (23.07.22) that Dr. House actor Jesse Spencer will reprise his role as Billy Kennedy and Kym Valentine will return as his sister Libby, while Carla Bonner will appear as Steph Scully and singer Delta Goodrem will return as Nina Tucker in Ramsay Street.

They tweeted: “Surprise! You didn't think we were done, did you?!”

We're delighted to announce that Margot Robbie, Jesse Spencer, Delta Goodrem, Kym Valentine and Carla Bonner will all be performing in our finale! #CelebratingNeighbours (sic)”

It has already been confirmed that the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Natalie Bassingthwaite will return to Erinsborough to witness the final episodes of the show.

Back in February, Channel 5 confirmed the cancellation of the show, after which the soap opera had to cease production due to a lack of funding.

A spokesman said at the time: “Neighbours will not be broadcast on Channel 5 after this summer. It has been a popular part of our schedule for over a decade and we would like to thank the cast, Fremantle and the entire production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.”

Of course, we would also like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours over the years.

We recognise that this decision will cause disappointment but our current focus is on increasing our investment in original British dramas which have a strong appeal to our audiences.”

The finale of Neighbours will air on Channel 5 in the UK on Friday 1 August.