Neighbours teases the return of Leo Tanaka in new video
Neighbours’ social media channels have given a little more detail on Leo Tanaka’s return to Ramsay Street, as Tim Kano reprises the role that he left at the beginning of 2020.
Leo and his twin brother David arrived on Ramsay Street back in 2016. The two were eventually revealed to be the children of Paul Robinson, a result of a one night stand Paul had with Kim Taylor back in 1985.
Leo left Neighbours in mid-2019, sneaking out of town without saying goodbye to anyone after it was discovered that he had brought Paul Robinson’s (Stefan Dennis) ex-wives to Erinsborough in an attempt to disrupt his upcoming marriage to Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou).
He returned for a brief stint at the end of the same year, as he got tested to see if he could be a kidney donor for his brother David (Takaya Honda), and left again on New Year’s Day 2020.
A new video on the show’s Instagram profile features Tim himself, speaking about his upcoming return to the show. He’s set to return in a “recurring guest” role, and the video promises us a bumpy ride.
@neighbours on Instagram
The video begins with a number of shots of Tim backstage on the Neighbours set, walking down a corridor on the phone, and highlighting his script, before showing him filming a scene alongside Rebekah Elmaloglou (Terese).
“We were gonna keep it a secret for a little while longer,” Tim says, “but unfortunately it got leaked.”
Leo’s return was revealed earlier this year, when paparazzi photos from the Daily Mail showed Tim on the Neighbours backlot alongside Matt Wilson (Aaron) and Rebekah Elmaloglou, and a show spokesperson confirmed the news to Digital Spy shortly after.
“So, I am coming back,” Tim confesses in the minute-long video clip.
“But buckle up because you’re in for a really bumpy ride. You don’t want to miss it.
“So, Leo’s back for, of course, a little bit of Leo drama! He’s got a little bit of an agenda which is gonna cause maybe quite a bit of trouble.
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“And he’s gonna butt heads with a few characters here and there, as he does.
“I’ve been back since earlier in the year, around mid-March, and it’s been awesome being back, seeing everyone, all my friends and of course it’s like family.
“It’s been awesome being back and getting straight back into it.”
“Ah look, I’m really sorry guys it’s gonna feel like a lifetime away. But brace yourself because all the drama is coming your way!”
There’s no official word yet on when we’ll see Leo on screen, though with him returning to set in mid-March, we’re expecting him to make an appearance in June.
While very little is known about why Leo is returning, he still has plenty of connections in Erinsborough. David and Aaron are about to have a baby with Nicolette, meaning he’s about to be an uncle. However, we’re expecting the baby to be born in July or August, so with his reappearance likely to be at least a month in advance of the birth, it doesn’t seem like he’s returning to town simply to meet his niece.
In his three years on the show he was in a relationship with Mishti Sharma, had a fling with Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly), and fell for Amy Williams before discovering that the two were related.
He went on to form a relationship with Terese, his boss at the time, and who had only recently broken up with his father, Paul. He and Terese eventually broke up, and he was enraged when he discovered that his dad and his ex had reunited shortly after.
Shortly after, he began dating Terese’s daughter, Piper. Complicated.
While Mishti, Amy and Piper have since left Erinsborough, he’s still got plenty of past love interests in town, as well as his brother and father. Could any of them be linked to do with his return, or is he strictly here on business?
Leo isn’t the only character making a comeback over the next couple of months. Don Hany is reprising the role of Pierce Greyson, and is set to return to Australian screens next week.
Don Hany replaced Tim Robard as Pierce Greyson shortly before the character’s exit
While we don’t know what prompts Pierce’s return, he’s set to offend Hendrix (Benny Turland) when he only seems interested in work. Could a Pierce/Leo business deal on the cards?
Tim and Don were both recently spotted filming at a vineyard alongside April (Chloe), Charlotte Chimes (Nicolette), Matt (Aaron), Takaya (David), causing some fans to speculate if Leo is back to do business with Pierce, potentially collaborating with him on his vineyard.
With Pierce’s return airing in Australia next week, and Tim’s return just a few weeks away, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Here’s the full Neighbours spoilers for this week in Australia:
Monday 24th May (Episode 8627)
Bea prepared to say goodbye to Ramsay Street as she excitedly embarks on her new adventure.
Yashvi’s shocked after hearing the recoding of Ned’s conversation with Sheila #2, forcing him to admit that he had an emotional connection with her.
Tuesday 25th May (Episode 8628)
Both still feeling down about their respective breakups, Levi and Harlow both commiserate with each other over drinks before having a moment of unexpected connection.
Yashvi and Ned’s attempt at resolving their issues ends with Ned admitting that he thinks they both have different priorities.
Chloe and a reluctant Nicolette agree to temporarily let Clive stay with them while his place is being renovated.
Wednesday 26th May (Episode 8629)
Chloe witnesses Levi thanking Harlow for last night and she begins to suspect the two have hooked up, sharing her theory with Sheila and Mackenzie.
Angela Lane is furious about the manure she thinks the Kennedys have dumped on her doorstep, retaliating by spreading rumours about Susan at the school.
Karl imparts some wise money-saving driving tips during a driving lesson with Hendrix, and the pair start to bond.
Thursday 27th May (Episode 8630)
Convinced Toadie deserves better, Melanie offers to end their relationship before anything else bad happens.
Terese and Paul put pressure on Amy to keep the Flamingo Bar’s profits up over winter, resulting in her reworking the roster so that Roxy picks up the slack.
Nicolette’s patience with Clive’s annoying quirks has grown thin, suggesting to Jane that it’s time for him to move out.
Friday 28th May (Episode 8631)
Amy enlists Levi as a model for her longest workout photoshoot, which results in a painful accident.
Toadie is unsure if he should continue his relationship with Melanie.
Pierce is back too!
Next week sees Pierce’s return in Australia, with Hendrix set for disappointment when he realises his dad isn’t there to see him.