TO NEIGHBOURS fans around the world, Stefan Dennis is known for playing loveable rogue Paul Robinson.
But away from the spotlight, the Aussie soap legend, 66, who is getting ready for Strictly‘s first live show tonight, harbours a painful family tragedy that still haunts him to this day.
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Stefan is instantly recognisable for his role as ruthless businessman Paul Robinson.
The actor is currently the last remaining star of Neighbours who has been on the show since the very beginning in 1985.
However, despite his long career in the spotlight, he is still deeply affected by a family tragedy that happened in his childhood.
This is because when Dennis was a child, his older brother John was killed aged 12 by a drunk driver.
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“The repercussions of someone getting behind the wheel on drugs or drink, it’s devastating to the people around them,” he recently told The Guardian.
“This happened decades and decades ago, and it still affects me today – I’m more affected today than I was back then.”
Opening up further, he told News Corp, “I just recently spoke to my mum about it [the death of John].
“Now that I have my own children I have some concept of what she must have gone through.”
The soap star also admitted he sees his late sibling in his teenage son.
“Lately, I have been thinking about John a lot,” he added.
“Because Cameron [his son] is so much like him, it makes me think about him. I wonder what he would’ve been like today.”
Stefan also warned of the dangers of the road, and said: “Drinking, drugs, being distracted, answering the phone, incorrect mirror placement, tailgating — these are the big problems.
“The man who killed my brother was going just 30km/h. That’s all it took.”
NEIGHBOURS FAREWELL
Meanwhile, Stefan, who is paired with Dianne Buswell on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, is getting ready to say goodbye to Ramsay Street AGAIN in December.
Neighbours has been axed for the second time in three years, this time by Amazon.
The Aussie soap first came to an end in 2022 when Channel 5 pulled funding for the soap.
Prime video stepped in to save the soap, but have now decided to ditch it as well.
The last ever episode of Neighbours will air on December 11.
Stefan recently revealed a major spoiler about the final episode on Loose Women.
Speaking to the panel he told them: “I’m going to give it away, I say the very last line in the show which was actually.
“It was a nice tribute that Jason our executive producer gave to me because he said, ‘You were in the first episode.
“‘It’s just a no brainer that you have to say the last thing.'”
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SECRETLY SACKED
Meanwhile, Stefan recently revealed how he was secretly sacked by Neighbours bosses in 2006.
Recalling the incident, he told Australia’s TV Tonight: “Unbeknownst to a lot of people, I was actually sacked in 2006 because producers didn’t know what to do with the character anymore, because they’d made him too big.
“I was actually sacked for about three days before they changed their minds and got me back.
“Then I was sacked again when the show finished (in 2022), and now being sacked again.
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“So this is five times that I’ve actually left the show. But it’s three times that this show has actually been axed which has created yet another piece of history.
“It’s the only show in the world, as an ongoing serial, that’s been axed three times.”
NEW CHALLENGE
Now that Stefan has filmed the last episode of Neighbours, he is taking on his next challenge.
The actor is part of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 line-up, and is currently training for the show.
After it was announced he would be on the show this year, Stefan said: “I’m very excited to be doing something completely out of my comfort zone.
“But because of that, quietly petrified.
“I’ve got left and right feet but when I look down they’re actually two left ones.”
On last weekend’s launch show, it was revealed he was partnered with fellow Aussie Diane.
Catch Stefan on Strictly’s first launch show at 6.55pm on BBC One
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