Ex-'Idol' star joins 'Neighbours'

[simmins]

Neighbours producers have recruited another former Australian Idol contestant to star on the soap.

Dean Geyer, who finished third in the talent show's 2006 series, will arrive on Ramsay Street later this year, playing the part of an aspiring singer. It is expected that he will perform his own songs on the show as part of the storylines, as Delta Goodrem (Neighbours, Nina Tucker) regularly did during her own Erinsborough stint.

Dan O'Connor, better known as Neighbours Ned Parker, was also approached by producers in 2005 after starring on Idol. Blair McDonough - who played mechanic Stuart Parker - was another actor who first found fame on reality television; he finished in second place on the Aussie version of Big Brother before joining the show.

[-Andrew-]

Ummmmm can this guy act or are they just hiring him because of the fame! They did this with Neddy and he is the most unpopular charcater on aussie television!

[rennyren]

Oooooooh, no, but I like Neddy! I never used to, but now I do.

But Dean Geyer...hmmmmmmmmmm. I never really warmed to the guy. Yes, he's five types of pretty, but he was always (in my opinion) a pretty average singer...and for some reason I don't think he'll be a terrific actor. But you never know.

[claire_louise]

I don't like the way Neighbours does this. If a uk soap cast a former Big Brother contestant, there would be uproar! The only similar example I can think of on uk tv is Kym Ryder (former Popstars contestant) joining Corrie, but they obviously made a considered decision in casting her as she's turned out to be a good actress. I hope H&A doesn't go down this route; it's clearly just for publicity and doesn't always turn out well - Ned being a prime example.

[Danifan]

I like Ned (not as much as i used to. The whole Ned/Janae combination is terrible) but he is obviously not a great actor and his constant singing storylines in the beginning were so cheesey and annoying. And as for Delta Goodrem she couldn't act so Nina was the most boring, wooden character ever who broke out into song every five minutes to cover up the fact she couldn't act. I hope if this guy does join he can just a little bit better than the likes of Ned and Nina could.

[Formerly Known as FKAJ]

I wouldn't say Ned's singing storylines at the start were quite as bad as Nina's, pretty much her entire story was her singing career. And Ned has branched out heaps.

And there was nothing wrong with Blair MacDonough's acting, the fact that he was discovered on Big Brother was immaterial.

[Danifan]

Now Blair was good (even though i did go off Stuart's character a lot after Flick left). Ned's storylines are much better than Nina's ever were and his actings got better but he's still not a very strong actor.

[emmasi]

Blair might have been hired for rating's sake, but he was a good actor so who cares. Dan was hired as a JOKE - you know, those things that make people laugh? - becuase people kept saying that he LOOKED like Blair when he was on Idol. So Neighbours had the audacity to have fun with their audience and write a nationally recognised coincidence into the script of their humble soap. Then it turned out that Dan was a better actor than he was a singer (sorry Dan, but it's true), so they lucked out and kept him on as a regular character.

As I understand it, Delta Goodrem was an actress on Neighbours who just happened to release a single. Shock-horror! That's never happened before or since!?!? . But as fate would have it for her, she was a better singer than she was an actress so she focussed on that side of her carreer. As I understand it, Nina's singing carreer was an in-joke as well. The whole country knew that Delta could sing, so wouldn't it be funny if the Neighbours cast were to discover that their little Nina had an alright set of pipes as well? They did go to far with that one and it did get very boring, but I'm almost certain that Nina was famous long before Delta was.

As for Dean, well, yeah, that'll probably be a ratings thing. But who cares? Aside from his creepy South African accent, who's going to be that put out by having a moderately attractive, nice young man be on their screens for a while? I won't be. Except for, as I said, the accent.

I don't care where people are found or where they come from. If they can do the job, then good for them. If they can't, THEN I'll start bitching about it. From what I've seen, people in Australia cast from Idol and Big Brother have done quite well and I can't think of an example right now that's had any negative affect on my life or my viewing pleasure whatsoever.

I wish Dean all the best. And hope that he attempts an Australian accent for the role because it'll be funny.

[~Lynd~]

Well...Dean's all kinds of pretty so who cares abou!t acting ability!

[lollipop_lover11]

I agree I thought he was great on Idol. Is he going to be a permanent character?