'Neighbours' exec rejects 'too white' claims

Neighbours' executive producer Susan Bower has rejected claims that the soap fails to represent ethnic minorities.

The Aussie show was branded "all white" in a report commissioned by Channel 4 following the Celebrity Big Brother racism row.

Responding to the criticism, Bower told the Herald Sun: "Our core cast are from diverse ethnic backgrounds including French, Italian, South African, Maltese, Danish, Portuguese and Swedish."

Bower also pointed out that the soap's characters have a wide variety of backgrounds, including Tibetan and Belarusian. A Greek character will also join Erinsborough later this year.

She added: "As with all drama series, Neighbours has always cast the best actor for the role."