Neighbours star Annie Jones reveals she quit acting for two decades to care for sick mother

Actor quit the popular Australian soap in 1989 in the hope of following success of former stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan

Neighbours star Annie Jones has revealed that she quit acting for 20 years in order to care for her mother, after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The Australian actor, who played Jane Harris on the soap from 1986 to 1989, left the show after three years in hope of following her co-stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan to international success.

However, after five years Jones turned down a number of offers of work in order to return to Melbourne when her mother received her diagnosis.

“I left just after Kylie and Jason, it was my decision,” she told the Daily Mirror. “I just wanted to do other things, join other shows and do other jobs. A great number of actors had gone on to do amazing things after Neighbours.”

Speaking about putting her career on hold to care for her mother, Jones continued: “I don’t regret it. It’s probably made me a better person in many ways. I think you learn from the stuff that life throws at you, that’s what it’s all about, life experiences.

“It’s made me a different actress too, empathy is the number one most important thing for any actor. Anyone who has had anything to do with Alzheimer’s or dementia will know what it’s like. It’s heartbreaking, seeing someone disappear before your eyes.”

Following her mother’s death in 2016, Jones has slowly started moving back to acting and is now reportedly set to return to Neighbours as a permanent cast member.

The Australian series was one of the first to resume filming amid coronavirus lockdown, with actors required to keep 1.5 metres apart at all times and all kissing banned.