Return To Paradise star Peter O'Brien's soap past as Neighbours' Shane Ramsay - 36 years ago
Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise continues on BBC One tonight as DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) and her sidekick Colin Cartwright (Lloyd Griffith) attempt to solve Dolphin Cove's latest murder. Friday's episode sees the duo investigate the death of a man who was killed in broad daylight during a quiet afternoon of lawn bowls.
However, Neighbours fans will recognise Artie O'Farrell, played by Peter O'Brien - who is best known for starring in the Australian soap as Shane Ramsay. The heartthrob son of Max and Maria Ramsay, Shane sported an impressive mullet hairstyle and had storylines that included training to be an Olympic swimmer, and being involved in two car crashes.
He was one of the original characters in Neighbours, joining the 1985 cast alongside characters like Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene (Kylie Minogue), Paul (Stefan Dennis), Madge (Anne Charleston) and Harold (Ian Bishop), not to mention Henry (Craig McLachlan), Scott's friend Mike (Guy Pearce) and Plain Jane Superbrain (Annie Jones). During his stint on the soap, Shane became romantically involved with Daphne Lawrence (Elaine Smith), although she eventually ended up marrying Des (Paul Keane).
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Shane actor Peter appeared in the soap's very first episode, broadcast in March 1985 and was one of the original cast assembled by the show's creators. Stefan Dennis, who went on to play long-standing character Paul Robinson, originally auditioned for the part, but Peter was cast in the role instead.
In 1986, Shane won the Most Popular New Talent award in the Australian TV Logie Awards, winning Most Popular Actor the following year. But the writing was already on the wall for Peter, who'd decided he wanted to quit, as he hadn't expected Neighbours to last for more than two years. He appeared in his final episode in March 1987, written out with his character simply moving into a nearby caravan.
Older viewers will remember that Peter went on to star in TV series The Flying Doctors from 1988 to 1991, a drama revolving around the everyday lifesaving efforts of airborne Australian medics. He also popped up in shows including Queer as Folk, Gossip Girl, The Bill and Casualty, where he played a new consultant called Stitch.
In January 2003, Peter married actress Miranda Otto, after they met while performing in a production of the Henrik Ibsen play, A Doll's House. Miranda gave birth to their daughter, Darcey, in 2005. Now 63 years old, Peter was last year asked to return to the final episodes of Neighbours, reprising the role of Shane.
In the storyline, a rowdy gathering was taking place at Lassiters, and an annoyed Paul walked past, only to spot his childhood best friend, Shane. Shane revealed he had become a millionaire, wanting to channel money into Lassiters in a dream business opportunity for Paul, that could only be too good to be true.
Shane returned once again when Prime Video rebooted Neighbours, with the soap favourite back on Ramsay Street with his son Max (played by newcomer Ben Jackson).
