Beloved Neighbours star Ian Smith shares ‘amazing’ update amid health battle

Beloved Neighbours star Ian Smith shocked fans in December 2024 when he disclosed the heartbreaking details of his battle with a rare form of lung cancer.

“I found out a few months back that I have cancer, that I have a very aggressive non-fixable cancer and they expect me to die,” Smith said in an emotional interview with Network Ten.

“I’ve had three chemos although the first one wasn’t chemo it was immunotherapy, which is reasonably new, to the medical world.

“I’ve really put my hand up I think just to be a guinea pig, plus the fact I don’t want to die, I want to stay alive with quality as long as I can and if they can do that, I’m very happy.

“But I wake up every morning hoping there’s no pain because I know that’s the beginning of the bad part.”

Heartbroken fans wasted no time flooding social media with messages of love, admiration, and support for Smith after he courageously shared his devastating diagnosis.

Now, Smith and his devoted fans have received “amazing” news—his cancer battle is showing positive progress.

“I did a PET scan and the words, I believe, were ‘significant metabolic change, significant shrinkage of tumour’,” he told TV Week.

“I’ve gone from a threat of dying this coming March to maybe a few more months… and now, God, who knows? It’s not a cure and it won’t be a cure, but I certainly have got a year, maybe two.

“That’s amazing. It really is.”

Smith first appeared in Neighbours in 1987 as a former love interest of Madge Mitchell, portrayed by Anne Charleston.

Initially, his character was meant to feature in only a few episodes, but he ended up staying until 1991, when Harold was swept out to sea while on holiday. Smith returned to the show in 1996 and remained until 2009.

In addition to his widely recognised role on Neighbours, Smith appeared in the acclaimed series Prisoner in the recurring roles as Head of the Corrections Department, Ted Douglas.