‘Neighbours’ spoilers for Feb. 17: Ramsay Street bids another one goodbye; emotional exit may lead to a new romance

Sad endings and new beginnings come into play on the upcoming episode of “Neighbours” as the long-running soap concludes the week. On Friday, Ned (Ben Hall) shares an emotional moment with Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta) before he leaves to pursue a career opportunity in Queensland.

It’s certainly not the first time they parted ways – the two have an undeniable chemistry but things just don’t seem to work between them. With Ned’s impending exit, it would be interesting to see if Elly would develop feelings for Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor), who’s nursing a broken heart after Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner) dumped him. Other “Neighbours” characters who will appear prominently on the Feb. 17 episode include Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin), Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall), Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel), Paige Smith (Olympia Valance) and Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns).

“Neighbours” also stars Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher), Jarrod “Toadie” Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney), Sonya Rebecchi (Eve Morey), Dee Bliss / Andrea Somers (Madeleine West), Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou), Gary Canning (Damien Richardson), Sheila Canning (Colette Mann), Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), Amy Williams (Zoe Cramond), Jack Callahan (Andrew Morley), Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson), Ben Ian Kirk (Felix Mallard), Xanthe Canning (Lilly Van Der Meer), Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano), David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) and Jimmy (Darcy Tadich).

Spoiler Alert! This article contains "Neighbours" spoilers. Read only if you want to know more about it.

“Neighbours” posted a sneak peek of Friday’s episode on its Facebook page. In the clip, Elly tells Ned that she needs to stand on her own two feet. “I have been without a boyfriend for more than a few weeks since I was 14,” she says. “I don’t know who I am without some guy.” Ned reckons it’s just bad timing for them, like always. He hints that maybe in a month or year, they could finally get together. “Maybe. As long as some gorgeous Queenslander doesn’t snap you up,” she jokes. They get back to their serious mood when Ned tells Elly that he’s going to miss her. “I’m going to miss you,” Elly replies.

Digital Spy reports that Ned decides to grab an opportunity on the Gold Coast, which means saying goodbye to Erinsborough again. Before making his big move, he becomes suspicious that there’s something going on between Elly and Mark. Also on Friday, Piper and Tyler struggle with their busy schedules – she has to work and study on daytime, while Tyler’s shift is in the evenings. Piper takes matter into her own hands to solve their dilemma: she gets a fake ID so she can go to the bar where he works and spend more time with him.

“Neighbours” recap

On Thursday, Terese had no choice but to suspend Gary, pending an investigation about the missing crown at Lassiters. Gary insisted that he’s innocent, but Terese felt like her hands were tied – she had to follow procedures by the book. Later, Paul tried to distract Terese’s investors as she tried to figure things out. Amy spotted Leo acting suspiciously and chased after him. She found him wiping his fingerprints on a box, which contained the missing crown. Amy then put Leo in a citizen’s arrest and brought him to the police station.

At the station, Leo insisted that he didn’t steal the crown and was, in fact, returning it. He also reiterated his alibi: he played with Jack the whole evening, when the piece was stolen. Amy, however, was convinced that he did it to get back at Terese. In the end, Leo was charged with theft. Amy headed home and informed Gary that in light of this incident, Gary can come back to work.

As they were talking about the robbery, Jimmy looked uncomfortable. It wasn’t long before he came clean and revealed that he was the thief, confessing that he stole the crown for Xanthe. The kid made another startling confession: Leo caught him with the crown and offered to take it back so Jimmy won’t get busted. Later, Jimmy turned himself in and confessed to Mark, who gave the kid a stern warning. Amy, meanwhile, headed to the Backpackers motel to apologise to Leo for accusing him of stealing the crown and for arresting him. She also thanked him for trying to protect Jimmy. The two had a brief moment, which may indicate there’s a possibility of another shot at romance between them.

While confessing to the crime to his mum, Gary and Sheila, Jimmy also let it slip that Xanthe and Ben got back together. Backed in a corner, the two teens were compelled to tell their families the truth. The revelation led to Sheila clearing the air with the Kennedys, who realised that Gary put himself on the line just to pay the money his wife owed them. In the hopes of mending fences between the two families, Susan suggested having a BBQ at their house. She and Karl went over to the Cannings to personally invite Gary, who was more than happy to accept.

That afternoon, Karl and Susan hosted Sheila, Gary and Terese at their house for some BBQ. Things were going well until Gary criticised Karl’s cooking, which revived the tension between them. Gary then invited the Kennedys for a BBQ at their house to determine who has the better technique.

Steph felt distraught that Mark’s avoiding her like the plague after their breakup. Later, Mark invited Elly over at his house. She walked in on him trying to drown his sorrows with alcohol. He opened up to Elly about his failed relationship. Sensing he’s had too much drinks, she brought him to his room to get some rest. After tucking him in, she went to the kitchen to get some water and was surprised to see Steph, who wanted to check in on Mark. Steph was even more shocked to see Elly come out of Mark’s room and wearing the engagement ring. Steph assumed the worst and stormed off. Outside, Ned walked by and asked Steph if she’s seen Elly. Steph told him what she saw, making him jump to the same conclusions.

Ned was looking for Elly to talk to her about some big news. Earlier, he gathered his family to announce that a golden opportunity came his way. While it would require him to leave Erinsborough again, he’s determined to take the chance and make it work for his tattoo business. His loved ones were expectedly devastated but was happy for him and his future.

Find out what happens next on “Neighbours,” which airs Monday to Friday at 6.30 p.m. on Network Eleven in Australia. In the UK, “Neighbours” airs during weekdays on Channel 5.