Neighbours announces new character Kiri Hua Durant

Neighbours has announced a new regular cast member, less than two days after news broke that the show could be facing the axe as UK broadcaster Channel 5 drops the show from its schedules.

Despite the threat of cancellation, it’s still business as usual until at least 10th June, when the show is currently expected to cease production. That means we still have plenty of Ramsay Street drama in store this year, including the arrival of a brand new cast member.

Gemma Bird Matheson started filming in December, and will play new character Kiri Hua Durant.

The actor, who made her television debut back in 2015 on Channel Seven’s Winners and Losers, makes her debut on UK screens on Wednesday 9th March, and on Friday 24th March in Australia.

Her character, Kiri, has been described as “mysterious and flirty” but also “morally driven and a good girl at heart”.

She will be thrown in at the deep end, with Gemma teasing that Kiri “definitely finds herself in the middle of a lot of drama”.

On how she feels to be joining Neighbours, Gemma, who is of South African and Pacific Islander heritage, said, “I felt honoured to be part of such an iconic Australian show, but I was also excited by what this representation would mean for a lot of people – especially on such a mainstream show.”

She is also looking forward to the opportunity to play a queer character, adding, “I’m a big advocate for queer people playing queer roles.

I’m excited about this representation for several reasons – I get to play myself; a queer Papua New Guinean Christian… that’s pretty monumental.”

Describing her experience on set, Gemma says, “It’s already been such a fantastic learning experience – the rate at which Neighbours films is unlike anything I’ve ever worked on. It sets you up with skills you just don’t learn anywhere else.

However, my favourite part of the job is always catering. Free meals every day? Heaven.”

Gemma has plenty of past television experience. She made her television debut as Cate Young in Channel Seven’s Winners and Losers, and has also appeared as Dr Elizabeth Lowdell in Childhoods End for the SyFy Channel, and as Jane Austen in Bertram Poppingstock for ABC3.

It also marks her second appearance on Neighbours, as she previously had a guest role as council worker Carla Watson back in 2016.

Gemma was also the co-creator and star of the online comedy series The Housemate, which was commissioned by the ABC and Screen Australia and is currently screening on ABC Iview. She can also be seen in ABC comedy, Content, and Dark Film’s webseries, Deadhouse Dark.

Kiri will be the third new arrival for 2022.

Amy’s daughter Zara Selwyn (Freya Van Dyke) arrived at the beginning of the year, and viewers have recently been introduced to Freya Wozniak, who is played by new regular cast member Phoebe Roberts.

Gemma Bird Matheson will make her debut appearance as Kiri Hua Durant on UK screens on Wednesday 9th March, and on Friday 24th March in Australia.