He left acting years ago…so why was this Neighbours star suddenly on the news?
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Familiar faces sometimes reappear in the most unexpected places, bringing a touch of nostalgia to the present.
This week, an unexpected TV appearance had viewers doing a double take as a former Neighbours star popped up in a very different role—far removed from Ramsay Street.
What followed was a surprising revelation about his career shift and the reaction from fans who still recognise him years after his soap opera days.
Viewers were in for a surprise this week when a familiar face from Neighbours unexpectedly appeared during a 10 News First broadcast.
Andrew Bibby, best known for playing Lance Wilkinson on the long-running soap, was featured in a news segment covering a shark attack at Gunyah Beach near Bundeena in Sydney’s south.
The attack left a woman with serious injuries, and a paramedic interviewed about the incident turned out to be none other than Bibby, who is now NSW Ambulance’s acting inspector.
‘She was able to tell us that she felt a strike to the leg very unexpectedly, with immediate excruciating pain,’ he told reporters.
Bibby starred on Neighbours from 1995 to 2001, making occasional returns in later years, including in 2018 and 2022.
After leaving the soap, he took on the role of Detective Senior Constable Greg Locke in Underbelly: The Golden Mile, which explored the rise and fall of Kings Cross nightclub owner John Ibrahim.
During his time on Neighbours, his character Lance had an on-again, off-again romance with Amy, played by Jacinta Stapleton.
He also shared plenty of screen time with Ryan Moloney, who played his best friend, Toadie Rebecchi.
Dan Paris joined the mix as a love rival after Amy developed a crush on his character, a mechanic.
Despite stepping away from acting, Bibby has still been recognised by Neighbours fans, particularly British tourists visiting Australia.
‘They will get quite excited when they realise who I am and sometimes look around for the cameras, thinking it is a hoax,’ he shared when he first became a paramedic a decade ago.
He found it reassuring when patients recognised him.
He said: ‘I like to think that if a patient can recognise me and want to talk about Neighbours and my former career, then they are not on death’s door and things aren’t too bad.’
Bibby, who began working for NSW Ambulance in 2015, joked that his acting experience had proven useful in his new career.
‘Being able to act like I know what is going on, like I’ve seen it all before and that everything is OK, actually comes in quite handy,’ he said.
‘I do know what’s going on, by the way. As paramedics we improvise a lot, like in acting.’
His unexpected return to TV came shortly after news broke that Neighbours was being cancelled again.
Amazon, which revived the series after it was axed by Ten, announced it would also be ceasing production, with filming set to wrap up in July.
In a previous story, another Neighbours star made headlines for a very different reason.
After a decade of silence, they shared exciting baby news that had fans celebrating.
Read more about their heartwarming announcement here.
Seeing a former soap star turn up in such an unexpected role was a surprise for many viewers. Have you ever recognised a celebrity in an entirely different career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This week, an unexpected TV appearance had viewers doing a double take as a former Neighbours star popped up in a very different role—far removed from Ramsay Street.
What followed was a surprising revelation about his career shift and the reaction from fans who still recognise him years after his soap opera days.
Viewers were in for a surprise this week when a familiar face from Neighbours unexpectedly appeared during a 10 News First broadcast.
Andrew Bibby, best known for playing Lance Wilkinson on the long-running soap, was featured in a news segment covering a shark attack at Gunyah Beach near Bundeena in Sydney’s south.
The attack left a woman with serious injuries, and a paramedic interviewed about the incident turned out to be none other than Bibby, who is now NSW Ambulance’s acting inspector.
Ex-Neighbours star shocks viewers with new role. Image source: Ten
‘She was able to tell us that she felt a strike to the leg very unexpectedly, with immediate excruciating pain,’ he told reporters.
Bibby starred on Neighbours from 1995 to 2001, making occasional returns in later years, including in 2018 and 2022.
After leaving the soap, he took on the role of Detective Senior Constable Greg Locke in Underbelly: The Golden Mile, which explored the rise and fall of Kings Cross nightclub owner John Ibrahim.
During his time on Neighbours, his character Lance had an on-again, off-again romance with Amy, played by Jacinta Stapleton.
He also shared plenty of screen time with Ryan Moloney, who played his best friend, Toadie Rebecchi.
Dan Paris joined the mix as a love rival after Amy developed a crush on his character, a mechanic.
Despite stepping away from acting, Bibby has still been recognised by Neighbours fans, particularly British tourists visiting Australia.
‘They will get quite excited when they realise who I am and sometimes look around for the cameras, thinking it is a hoax,’ he shared when he first became a paramedic a decade ago.
He found it reassuring when patients recognised him.
He said: ‘I like to think that if a patient can recognise me and want to talk about Neighbours and my former career, then they are not on death’s door and things aren’t too bad.’
Bibby, who began working for NSW Ambulance in 2015, joked that his acting experience had proven useful in his new career.
‘Being able to act like I know what is going on, like I’ve seen it all before and that everything is OK, actually comes in quite handy,’ he said.
‘I do know what’s going on, by the way. As paramedics we improvise a lot, like in acting.’
His unexpected return to TV came shortly after news broke that Neighbours was being cancelled again.
Amazon, which revived the series after it was axed by Ten, announced it would also be ceasing production, with filming set to wrap up in July.
In a previous story, another Neighbours star made headlines for a very different reason.
After a decade of silence, they shared exciting baby news that had fans celebrating.
Read more about their heartwarming announcement here.
Seeing a former soap star turn up in such an unexpected role was a surprise for many viewers. Have you ever recognised a celebrity in an entirely different career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
