The Sun Online's weekly soap column brings you the biggest exclusive interviews with all the soap stars you love
NEIGHBOURS legend Alan Fletcher has revealed he always knew Dee Bliss would return from the dead.
The actor - who has played Dr Karl Kennedy in the Channel 5 soap for 25 years - was at the 2003 scene where Dee was driven off a cliff by Toadie and presumed dead.
However in 2016 fans were shocked when the actress who played Dee, Madeleine West, returned to the soap as a conwoman called Andrea pretending to be Dee, but further twists have emerged suggesting the real Dee did in fact survive which is something that didn't surprise Alan.
"I always felt that Dee would come back," he exclusively told The Sun Online's Soap Bubble.
"When they went over the cliff, we were there and we watched it all happen and I always thought that this is too good a character to have disappear into the sea.
"But out speculations about how she could come back were quite naive and humorous. It was really more banter amongst the cast.
"What they have done with the story has been fantastic, the moment Sonya witnessed Toadie having a relationship with Andrea over Skype was incredible stuff."
And it is not over yet, with Dee's return confirmed as Karl begins to look into whether Andrea could be telling the truth about the real Dee being out there.
"It's not over," he teased.
"The Andrea and Dee stuff is not over. I've said to people, because obviously I haven't been told - it's that secret. But what I do know is that Andrea is such a manipulative character that anything is possible.
"It's almost impossible to know what is true from anything she says.
"Karl's actually got a storyline that we're just filming at the moment where Karl is attempting to unravel some of the stuff that has happened in the past and get to the heart of the matter.
"The question is going to be, 'Is what's going on here truthful?' It's a terrific story coming."
He added: "It becomes apparent that it is worthwhile pursuing this a little bit further to see if there's any veracity in what Andrea is saying.
"I think it's a Toadie story, and there's a special sort of cruelty in that Toadie's just lost Sonya in the most extraordinarily emotional way, so he's extremely raw and vulnerable, and a man who's extremely raw and vulnerable isn't in the best place to be dealing with manipulative characters."
Whatever happens, Alan also revealed he plans to stay at Neighbours for as long as they will have him.
He added: "I just love my time there so much and it's been such a wonderful job because I have had the opportunity to do other things and to be honest with you, working with Jackie Woodburn is a dream. Why would you think to go off and do something else that's uncertain anyway?"
He will celebrate his 25th anniversary of starring in the show this year, to coincide with the show's 35th anniversary.
"Jackie and I will have a big celebration," he revealed of his on-screen wife Susan.
"We haven't discussed yet with the bosses what they might do. They were fantastic at celebrating Karl and Susan's 20th anniversary but Neighbours is turning 35 soon and we've already started the planning for what that will look like."
But unfortunately it doesn't seem like there will be a reunion for the original Kennedy children - Libby, Jesse and Malcolm with the actors who played them having moved on from the soap.
Alan added: "There would be nothing finer than a Kennedy family reunion but the practicalities of such things often defeat them."
And it is the fans that keep him working on the show after such a long time.
He said: "When people stop me in the street, it's a honour. How many people get to live and work where people go out of their way to tell you they like your work? There aren't many jobs like that, so it's a privilege."
* Neighbours airs weekdays on Channel 5
Got a story? email [email protected] or call us direct on 02077824220.
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
