In the past, I have interviewed a couple of local actors who appeared in Coronation Street, but for this column I’ve decided to go international and further afield, and you can’t get much further away from Hyndburn than Australia.

Along with around a million other viewers in this country I was a regular watcher of Neighbours and have been since it started back in the 1980s. Unfortunately, in late July 2022 Channel Five, who had previously withdrawn their support for the Australian soap showed the “last ever episode.”

Well that was what they thought at the time, but earlier this year, Amazon Freevee bought the rights and a new dawn of Neighbours went into production. British viewers will be able to see the “reborn” series from September 18th this year.

Just before the series ended though, Colette left the soap after ten years. Earlier this year, I noticed that she was in this country doing some work and contacted her for an interview; she said yes, and as I hope you will agree after reading this, it was definitely to our benefit.

Colette Mann, is however, much more than a star in a soap opera. She has been in the business we call show for over 50 years.

She told me:

“I think of myself as an actor/dancer/singer and it is a package really, I just like to work, I don’t really care what the work is.”

Colette was born in Melbourne in 1950, 73 years ago and grew up in the 1950s.

 “Growing up where and when I did seemed fine to me - as I had nothing else to compare it to. I know that I had a lot more freedom outside of school hours than kids of today have. As long as I was home before the street lights came on, I was okay. I could play with ‘the boys across the road’, in our quiet street or at either of the nearby parks or beach. And summer was spent at Torquay, as my father and brother were members of the Torquay Surf Club and I spent every summer and Easter holidays there until I was in my twenties.”

I asked what her first stage and TV appearances were, and Colette recounted:

“My first production as an adult was “Godspell’ with the original Australian cast. It was a great piece to be in and as it ran for almost four years, I learned a great deal about commercial theatre and the workings of a long running show.

”For my first TV appearance, I played a deaf mute for about 4 weeks on a show for the ABC called Bellbird.”

As well as her many talents, listed above, Colette has also written two books, presented TV shows in her native Oz and directed productions also.

To us in the UK, however, she is probably best known for her portrayal of the matriarch of the Canning family from 2012 to 2022 and earlier in her career, for playing Doreen Burns in Prisoner – Cell Block H, from 1978 to 1982.

Colette very kindly sent me her full CV and it is impressive, to say the least.

She starred in stage shows including, Guys and Dolls, Godspell and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the musical, to name but a few. She said:

“I love British drama – that is one of the reasons I came over to try my luck. I loved Line of Duty, Vigil, The Sixth Commandment and I am a devoted fan of Outlander and Yellowstone - which are American I know. I also love Scandi noir drama and occasionally series that are made in the Middle East and Israel.

“I have read all the Diana Gabaldon books including the novellas. I also like Hannah Kent and Robert Dugoni.”

Meeting such an experienced actor I had to ask her what advice she would give to anyone, young or not so young, who was thinking on embarking a career in the media.

Colette told me:

“Be ready to be rejected and learn to take it and be resilient.”

Finally I asked Colette what was in the pipeline and whether she would perhaps be returning to Neighbours at some time, now that it was back in production. She told me:

“I am doing a panto at Christmas time in the UK – cannot say where as yet. And just plugging away at doing self-tests for projects here and in Europe. Every day is different. That is what I like.

“No I will not be returning to Neighbours. Ten years was long enough to play the one character and my family, the Canning boys and one girl are all dispersed to other parts of the world - so why would I go back?”

I would like to thank Colette wholeheartedly for the way she participated in this interview and the friendly and engaging way she answered my questions and on behalf of Acorn News, I wish her great success in the future, whether that is here on the other side of the world.