Jason Donovan has admitted he was “jealous” of Kylie Minogue as he recalled how she “always stood out” ahead of her much-anticipated return to television.
The pair met as teenagers while starring on the soap opera and dated for five years before separating in 1989.
Kylie returns to the small screen with a television special that will showcase her storied career on ITV.
The British broadcaster announced that they will be broadcast An audience with Kylie, an unforgettable live music event hosted by the global icon.
Speaking to Scott Mills on Radio 2 on Tuesday, Jason, 55, praised her successes, saying: “Kylie works incredibly hard, she’s a great family person and human being. She also has a great sense of humour.
“She just keeps coming back and you know her passion and love. Even if we go back to the early days of Neighbors and the beginning of her music career, it was just plain to see that she has a gift.”
Praise: Jason Donovan, 55, has admitted he was ‘jealous’ of Kylie Minogue as he recalled how she ‘always stood out’ ahead of her much-anticipated return to television (pictured last year)
“Did she stand out?” Scott asked.
Jason replied, “She’s one of those people who can just, you know, walk into a room and pick up a song in two minutes.”
“She can go, and I always remembered her coming in on set in Neighbours, me slogging through the script the night before, and Kylie reading five pages that day and just getting all the lines right.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to develop into the most amazing artist, but you are, and she’s just built on it.”
“I was jealous, God, I wanted, I looked at it and said, ‘I want some of that’ and I talk about that very openly. I’m very honest about that.’
Jason reunited with Kylie for a performance in Hyde Park in 2018 and admitted that the show was not planned.
He revealed, “I literally texted her and said good luck, but maybe I’ll drop by sometime. Rocked on my bike, my push bike, like I did today. Going through the AA assignment that you have as an artist, especially backstage in Hyde Park, I ran into Rick Astley, and I went to Rick “what are you doing here?” and it was literally like a kind of flash.
“Then I thought in my head, Hold on, ‘Rick Astley, he’s going to sing Especially for You with Kylie,’ and that would be a little disappointing.”
Throwback: Speaking to Scott Mills on Radio 2 on Tuesday, the actor admitted he was ‘jealous’ of her talent as he praised her successes (pictured on Neighbours)
Exciting: Kylie returns to the small screen with a television special that will showcase her storied career on ITV
He continued, “I went up to her and her management team said, ‘Look, would you like to come especially for you’ and I said I hadn’t rehearsed and I don’t like doing things when I’m not rehearsed and they said, “Look, come on in, we can have a little moment together and you can come and we can do that twist and that dance”.
“One thing led to another, and I had that moment. The next day, literally BBC News, This Morning, BBC Breakfast, it was all over the place and all I could think of was poor old Rick Astley rehearsing, getting the key and delivering.
“I came in on my pram in ripped jeans and no haircut and suddenly…I made headlines, I loved it.”
They also reunited last year for the Neighbors finale, reprising their iconic roles as Scott and Charlene Robinson.
Jason explained, “Producer Jason (Herbison) said if you’d be interested in some kind of drive-in at the end where everyone has left the street and you guys come back at the last minute.
“I reached out to Kylie via email and said, ‘Look, we need to think about this,’ and then Guy (Pearce) said yes, and I think that kind of cemented the moment, and we thought that it was the right thing to do. Doing.’
Talent: “She’s one of those people who can just, you know, walk into a room and pick up a song in two minutes,” he revealed (pictured during the Neighbors final last year)
On stage: Jason reunited with Kylie for a Hyde Park performance in 2018 and admitted the show was unplanned
British broadcaster ITV has announced that they will be broadcast An audience with Kylie, an unforgettable live music event hosted by the global icon.
‘It was hard to keep this one a secret… Get ready for an unforgettable evening! An audience with Kylie later this year,” the broadcaster wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
The 55-year-old pop superstar will look back on the highlights of her dizzying career in music and showbiz.
The singer will perform her current hits such as chart-topping Padam Padam and a dizzying array of favorites from her award-winning back catalogue.
The show will also feature a series of questions from the audience, asked by specially invited VIP guests, including celebrity Kylie superfans.
Coming soon: Kylie will be performing her current hits such as chart-topping Padam Padam and a dizzying array of favorites from her award-winning TV show back catalog
In addition to the sensational live performances, the evening is also filled with stunning dance performances.
To take An Audience to the next level, the red carpet is rolled out for the taping on Friday, December 1 at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, with a super-sized A-list and a fan-packed audience ready to lift the roof .
The must-have tickets for the event go on sale from September 8.
Kylie reviewed the show and said, ‘I’m so excited to announce I’m teaming up with ITV for An Audience at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall!
“I’ll be performing some of my favorite songs from my entire career and no doubt answer some surprising questions from the audience. I can’t wait to share this moment with all of you.”