Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) has departed Neighbours after 10 years.
The character, who first arrived in June 2015, left Ramsay Street in today’s episode.
Metro understands that Matt signed on the dotted line to appear throughout Amazon Prime Video’s original slate of commissioned episodes, though he couldn’t commit to the lifeline dealt to producers Fremantle Media, which will see the show extended to December.
Very sadly, the Australian soap will not continue beyond this point, being axed for the third time in 40 years.
Following his exit, he’s set to reunite with his former co-star Takaya Honda in a new project.
How did Aaron Brennan leave Neighbours?
Aaron – like most soap characters – made a very quick decision to move away from Erinsborough to start a new life in Adelaide over the last week.
New fella Rhett Norman (Liam Maguire) said that he was having to leave the area to start a new life with his daughter Tilly, and ultimately, Aaron was torn between joining them and staying with his own clan.
Nicolette Stone (Hannah Monson) was totally against the plans, fearing that their daughter Isla would grow up without him in her life.
However, after heart-to-heart with mum Jane Harris (Annie Jones), the trio told Aaron that they supported his wishes.
Finally, pretty much everyone in Erinsborough gathered to throw them a farewell party, with the street decked out in paper hot air balloon lanterns.
But before he went, Aaron had to address a troubling situation that was unfolding next door.
He’d discovered that Andrew Rodwell (Lloyd Will) was engaging in a steamy affair with his daughter’s best friend Holly Hoyland (Lucinda Armstrong-Hall).
During a run-in with Andrew’s wife Wendy (Candice Leask), he opted not to tell her, ultimately leaving without stirring the boat.
He did, however, warn Holly’s dad Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) that she was addicted to drama, and she should keep a close eye on her.
Before getting into his car with Rhett, Aaron hugged father-in-law Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), before also embracing Nic, Jane, and Isla.
It’s was a real tearful farewell!
Aaron Brennan’s Neighbours highlights
Aaron, the brother of established character Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor), was specially created for Matt, who originally auditioned for the part of their other brother Tyler, who would eventually be portrayed by Travis Burns.
During his time on the show, the character was at the centre of several huge storylines, most notably being part of the first gay couple to marry on Australian television in 2018.
In more recent years, he was stalked by a former colleague, dealt with the loss of husband David Tanaka (Takaya Honda), and, having finally decided to start dating again, was at the centre of a love triangle.
First, there was real estate agent Rhett, who caught Aaron’s eye when they were training for the charity Boylesque performance at The Waterhole.
After crossing paths on multiple occasions and a number of enjoyable dates, Rhett moved on with a new bloke.
Enter Colton Keys (Jakob Ambrose), a mysterious newbie who was holidaying in Hamilton Island at the same resort as Aaron.
The two immediately hit it off, but Aaron decided to lead a double life by using a pseudonym and choosing not to disclose his past.
After the two slept together, Colton picked up a wallet off the floor and found a picture of the Brennan-Tanaka clan.
He was furious, and ordered Aaron to keep his distance for the rest of the trip. However, the idea of something more serious was clearly playing on his mind and he moved to Melbourne to take up a temporary manager’s position at the Eirini Rising retirement complex.
This was conveniently at the same time that a newly single Rhett resurfaced, and he found himself torn between the two men.
Rhett then dealt a troubling ultimatum. He had decided that the time had come for Aaron to choose, and hoped that his commitment would lie with him.
And it did! The two have been an item since, and departed for a new life.
What has Matt Wilson said about his exit?
Matt took to Instagram this morning alongside former co-star Takaya Honda to address his exit.
He and his wife Jessica have moved interstate, renovating a house together in Noosa, which is on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
We do know that he will be reprising his part, alongside Liam Maguire and love rival Jakob Ambrose for the final episodes.
‘For most of the time I [was] there I had imposter syndrome,’ Matt explained.
‘Especially not being from a theatre background and going into a soap, I never felt like I was a real actor. For most of the time on there.
‘But when you see messages pop up on social media saying “Hey, that was really good”, or “I really enjoyed that”, I thought maybe I can do this.’
He continued: ‘Those comments go a long way and it meant a lot to me. I’ve never said thank you for that, so thank you everybody.
‘I still think I’m a poser in the building. But actors are just lying to each other, aren’t they?
‘I said a long time ago to Jason, the executive producer, that after my next contract I don’t think I could keep doing this. The long hours were wearing me thin. I probably won’t extend.
‘We had about 13 months to try and plot Aaron’s exit, and there’s really no easy way to do it. You can’t kill both Aaron and David. But Aaron’s also got his daughter and if you move everyone, there’s no easy way to do it.’
When Takaya asked him about filming his final scenes, Matt explained that he couldn’t run his lines without getting emotional.
‘It was an honour. You had all of the greats there. Annie Jones, Stefan Dennis, Jackie [Woodburne] and Fletch (Alan Fletcher). Everyone was there to see Aaron Brennan disappear off the street.’
When the show wrapped filming in July he told Metro: ‘This show has not only given me friends and family that I’ll cherish forever, it’s been a real beacon of hope for me.
‘Seeing so many extremely talented creatives work in unison so seamlessly, has made me believe that with the perfect blend of people – anything is possible in this industry.’
Matt and Takaya announce a new project
Fans were keen to know what Matt’s next project was, to which Takaya said: ‘Should we announce the thing that we’ve been teasing?’
The two are set to reunite for a new podcast, Tak Talks, Matt Squawks, which will hit platforms in December.
‘We miss each other. We decided to come up with a way I could keep teasing Takaya,’ Matt joked.
‘So, we thought, there’s still plenty we want to say about our work and everybody we work with, so what better way to do it than a podcast.’
Takaya continued: ‘That’ll be coming later in the year, but we do have an Instagram account for you to follow along.’
‘We’re gonna try and get a bunch of those people [from Neighbours] on there, and ask all of those questions we can without a HR department.
‘The podcast is basically just an opportunity for us to hang out and catch up.’
Are there any other Neighbours cast changes?
In tomorrow’s episode, Paul’s estranged daughter, Elle, now played by actress Elise Jansen, will arrive. She will be part of the regular cast for the last three months.
‘Growing up, it was my favourite show,’ Elise told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘And to think that now I’ve been able to be on it is quite extraordinary.’
Originally portrayed by Pippa Black, the character was last seen in a Zoom call with her father in 2022, following her initial four-year stint from 2005.
Some more familiar faces will also come back in December.
Neighbours streams for free, Monday to Thursday from 7am on Amazon Prime Video.
This article was originally published on 6th August 2025.
