29 September 2023 , 20:40
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It was one of the greatest soap love stories of the '80s, but, to the dismay of many at the time, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan's relationship didn't end quite as happily as their widely adored onscreen counterparts, Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson. While Charlene and Scott famously tied the knot in what was arguably the most iconic TV wedding of all time, Kylie and Jason are nowadays just "good friends", having both moved on long ago.
However, although the pair both appeared to be on good terms during last year's Neighbours finale, where they reprised their most famous roles, there's been a lot of heartbreak along the road to their now platonic relationship. As Kylie appears on The Graham Norton Show tonight, we take a look back at their iconic-but-doomed love story...
Kylie and Jason met as teens on the set of Neighbours (Freemantle Media)
Their characters' wedding ranks among the greatest soap moments of all time (AFP)First meeting as teens
Kylie and Jason first met on the set of Neighbours as teens in 1984 and dated right up until 1989. During an eye-opening interview with the Sydney Morning Herald back in June, Jason reflected on their behind-the-scenes romance, describing the pop princess as his “first love”. Jason said: “I was in a number of relationships before I married. The first true one was with Kylie Minogue from 1984 to 1989. That was full-on, for obvious reasons.” He added: “It was great and we created magic together on screen – we were boyfriend and girlfriend on Neighbours – and off screen. We're still good friends.”
Jason regards Kylie as his 'first love' (Getty Images)
The pair reportedly 'cemented' their relationship in a Travelodge (Mirrorpix)Naughty first night spent in a Travelodge
During an interview with Piers Morgan in 2012, Jason claimed that it was Kylie who "chased" him in the early days. He also cheekily shared that the first time they slept together was in a Travelodge - in his view a "posh" establishment at the time. Jason revealed: "She chased me and then I guess I gradually gave in. The next thing you know we were working and having this relationship. At the time it was great. We cemented it in a Sydney Travelodge. Travelodges in those days were posh places."
Kylie broke Jason's heart after leaving his for INXS rockstar Michael Hutchence (Robert Rosen/REX/Shutterstock)Heartbreak after Michael Hutchence betrayal
The once inseparable pair began drifting apart when, in Jason's view, Kylie began to surpass him in terms of star status. In 1989, their fairytale came to an end when Kylie left Jason for INXS rockstar Michael Hutchence, leaving him heartbroken. According to Jason, he'd been working in New York when Kylie called him from Japan, telling him that it was over.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
In an interview with the Mirror back in 2016, Jason spoke candidly about how deeply the split had affected him, describing it as a "pretty big punch to take". Jason shared: "It was an extremely painful parting of the ways and, without doubt, I took a long time to recover from it. Years, definitely." He added: "It was bad enough that she'd run off with anybody, but she happened to run into the arms of the greatest rock god of the period, the very guy who I secretly wanted to be. That was a pretty big punch to take.”
Kylie and Michael's whirlwind romance came to an end in 1991, with the rock god reportedly calling it quits just before a stadium show. Sadly, Michael passed away in 1997 at the age of just 37, with the coroner later ruling that he had died by suicide. Opening up about their "doomed" relationship in the 2019 documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Kylie remarked that her late former lover had "opened up a whole new world for [her]."
She added: "Sex, love, food, drugs, music, travel, books, you name it, he wanted to experience it. As his partner I got to experience a lot of that as well. If you're a sensual being, all of your senses need stimulation. He definitely awakened my desire for things in my world."
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