Neighbours forced to hire a body double replacement for Tim Robards’ kissing scenes

Channel Ten’s long-running soap Neighbours was forced to use a body double replacement for Tim Robards’ kissing scenes amid the COVID-19 intimacy ban.

Tim’s character Pierce Greyson is set to embark on a scandalous affair with Sharon Johal’s character Dipi Rebecchi and the scene involves a passionate kiss.

However, due to coronavirus distancing restrictions, Ten chose to hire Sharon’s husband Ankur as a body double for the storyline.

Speaking to the Herald Sun on Sunday, Ankur revealed his wife made him ‘practice pretend kissing the night before filming the scene’.

‘I thought my kissing skills were up to scratch but obviously not,’ he said.

‘She told me it was more for blocking because she had spoken to the director and producers about what they were planning to show of me, mainly the back of my head, so she was experimenting with different angles,’ he explained.

Meanwhile, Tim and his criminal lawyer wife Anna Heinrich, 33, are due to welcome a baby girl in early November.

The actor, 37, recently left Neighbours, which is filmed in Melbourne, after two years playing wealthy businessman Pierce Greyson to be with his wife in Sydney.

The former Bachelor was originally scheduled to film his final scenes in September.

However, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he wrapped four weeks early so he could return to Sydney. 

Tim’s filming requirements for Neighbours had forced him and Bondi-based lawyer Anna into a long-distance relationship.

After spending most of Anna’s pregnancy in Melbourne, Tim said last month he had finally been forced to choose between his career and his responsibilities as an expectant father.

‘I made the gut-wrenching decision to depart Neighbours early as my responsibilities as a husband and father have to take precedence,’ he said.

It’s unclear if Tim hopes to return to acting after their baby is born in November.