Ian Smith: 'I struggled on Neighbours'

Neighbours legend Ian Smith has admitted that working on the soap became a 'struggle' towards the end of his Ramsay Street stint.

The actor bowed out from his role as fan favourite Harold Bishop in late 2008, and his final scenes were screened last year.

Reflecting on his departure in a new interview with Holy Soap, Smith explained: "I said that if ever one morning I got up and I said, 'Oh no, not again', I'd leave the show - and one morning I did that. And in fairness to the show, because I really do have a great affection for the show, if I'd have kept going I'd have been doing it for money. And I didn't want that.

"Plus the fact you don't create enough in front of the camera if you're just doing it for money, you don't do it. And I did notice near the end of it that I was struggling a little bit, and I didn't like that feeling. So I said no - I gave up."

Asked what he has been doing since making his exit, the 71-year-old replied: "A little bit of everything. A lot of retirement. And I thought that I'd be scared of retirement, but I've got to be honest with you - I don't know where I found the time to work.

"I've done a couple of other television shows, smaller parts, which were a great enjoyment because then I didn't have the weight or as much responsibility, so I enjoyed that. I've done a couple of stage dramas, which I enjoy immensely. I think anyone who starts off in the stage, as I did, always wants to go back to it."

Smith's former co-star Sam Clark (Ringo Brown) recently predicted that Harold could soon be back on screen.