Neighbours reveals Takaya Honda's emotional on-set farewell after David's exit

Major Neighbours spoilers follow from Thursday's episode (February 1), which is streaming now on Amazon Freevee.

Neighbours has revealed Takaya Honda's emotional exit from the soap after his character's shock death.

Honda has appeared as David Tanaka on the Australian soap opera for years, even from before its brief cancellation; but he made his final appearance in Thursday's episode (February 1) as he died following injuries from his cliff fall with Eden Shaw.

The horrific episode saw both David and Eden fall from the side of an embankment after Eden sparked a fight. After both men were seriously injured, David insisted on Eden being taken to hospital first.

In a video, which was posted to the official Neighbours X (formerly Twitter) account, Honda can be seen giving a speech to some assembled cast and crew including Tim Kano (Leo), Matt Wilson (Aaron), Stefan Dennis (Paul) and producer Jason Herbison.

Related: Jason Donovan reveals why he won't return to Neighbours again

"I can't thank everyone here enough, for everything that they've done for me over the years or even in the last couple of months," he said, before addressing Kano.

"Tim, we started together, we've been on the ride together, which was such a nice thing to do."

Honda then addressed Wilson, who plays David's on screen husband, Aaron.

"Matty – the relationship with David and Aaron, working hard from the start to develop what it's become, the relationship that the audience sees it as, and will hopefully create the devastation for what's to come."

Related: Neighbours star Takaya Honda shares powerful real-life link to David's exit storyline

Dennis then took to the floor, saying: "It's obviously been an absolute thrill ride with you, because as they say: 'Time flies when you're having fun.' You've been wonderful."

He also reminded Honda and Wilson that they made Australian history, as the first legal gay marriage in the country's television history.

Wilson told Tanaka: "I couldn't have had a better husband. I've actually been with my husband longer than I've been with my real wife. So this is hard. And all of these tears shed on screen, they've been for you as well, mate."

Neighbours releases new episodes from Mondays to Thursdays for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. In Australia, the show airs from Mondays to Thursdays at 4pm on Channel 10, with a 6.30pm repeat screening on 10 Peach.

Read more Neighbours coverage on our dedicated homepage

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