Neighbours 'the gap between Australia, Ireland and England'

Patrick Harvey pictured on the Neighbours set in 2006

A Northern Irish actor who starred in Australian soap opera Neighbours has revealed he hid his accent during his auditions for the show.

Patrick Harvey played Irish immigrant Connor O'Neill in Neighbours between 2002 and 2006.

He told The Conor Phillips Show that after revealing his accent, an Irish character was created with him in mind.

"Neighbours was almost like the gap between Australia, Ireland and England," said Harvey.

The show's final episode airs across the world this week after 37 years on television.

Past stars including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie all returned for the finale.

Harvey was born in Melbourne, Australia, to parents from Northern Ireland before moving to Belfast where he spent most of his youth.

"My parents are from Andytown - we moved back and forth a few times, from nine to 15 [years old] was a decent stint [in Belfast]. I went to school on the Glen Road and delivered the Belfast Telegraph," he said.

As a child, he was a pupil at St Mary's Grammar School and attended the Centre Stage dance and Youth Lyric theatre programmes.

Returning to Australia in 1999, he signed with an agent before joining the Neighbours cast in 2002 while still in school.

Patrick Harvey (left) and Ryan Moloney (aka Toadie) in 2005

Speaking on The Connor Phillips Show, Harvey said his agent had advised him to keep his accent hidden during the audition process.

It was not until he bid farewell to the casting director, Jan Russ, that he spoke in his natural voice.

"I got a call from my agent saying Neighbours wanted me - [he said] they've written an Irish character with you in mind, they want to give it a trial, a three month contract with the possibility of two years," he said.

The character's storylines covered illiteracy, love affairs, a plane crash and a career in private investigation before departing the soap in 2006. He then returned for a brief stint in 2012.

In 2003, he was "very shocked" to win the Logie Award for Most Popular New Male Talent. His co-star Delta Goodrem won the female equivalent.

"Nobody knew who I was," he said.

"I'd been on the show for a year and a half but I hadn't done any press so the media were wondering who I was."

Since leaving the soap, Harvey has directed and appeared in a number of Australian stage and screen productions. He is currently developing a TV series alongside Neighbours executive producer, Jason Herbison.

His latest project will follow British backpackers as they complete mandatory agricultural work as part of the their second year Visa requirements.

"We're screaming out for backpackers to come back [after Covid], we're hoping that this show will be the new bridge between the two nations," he added.

The Neighbours finale aired in the UK on Friday night.