Neighbours star ian smith on surprising change in appearance amid cancer battle

14:09, 21 May 2025 Neighbours legend Ian Smith has shared an encouraging health update amid his battle with terminal cancer. In December last year, the actor, known for playing Harold Bishop

for 37 years on Channel 5's hit Aussie soap, disclosed he was diagnosed with pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma. Ian, 86, was told he would be dead by March but has defied the grim

prognosis and has said he is aiming for at least another "year, maybe two." READ MORE Lorraine Kelly's ITV future 'in the balance' as staff fear she'll quit

over 'kick in the teeth' Speaking on The Morning Show, an Australian breakfast programme, he shared that he has had an unexpected change in appearance as he provided a positive

update. He confided: "I have got cancer. I know that because doctors tell me I have. "But apart from that... No pain. I was supposed to die in March ... I am having the easiest

ride, seriously." Saying he is a 'guinea pig' for his medical treatments, Ian revealed his hair had grown a lot since starting a new treatment. He added: "I want to go

forever ... I don't want to play Harold anymore, but I don't want to stop acting. "I've possibly never felt better. Everyone looks at me and says, 'Look at your

hair.' "They are all jealous I've got so much hair. I went through the treatment, started to lose my hair and went totally bald. "I then went onto the immunotherapy and

got a head full of hair... not just hair, but curly hair." He had been previously informed that he was expected to pass away by March this year, but fortunately, he's managed to

prolong his life through immunotherapy. He opened up about his condition on GMB, stating: "It's a cruel, ugly, brutal place, and I don't know how, but it looks like I'm

having the best luck in the world with defeating this cancer. "Although the oncologist can't tell me that, they said because this cancer is so rare, so drastic, so severe, so

awful, they don't know, they don't know what it's going to do. Article continues below "After my last treatment I asked, 'How long do I have to keep going with these

treatments?' "[The doctor] said 'No. We know so little about this cancer that we don't know that if you stop taking the treatments, it may roar back into life'.

"So I said: 'Look, for an hour's treatment every three weeks I think I can put up with that' and it looks like these very clever people are going to keep me alive."