Oz TV show `Neighbours` airs first-ever male gay kiss in its 27-yr history

Melbourne: Long-running Australian television soap opera ‘Neighbours’ has won accolades from viewers for finally featuring its first male gay kiss in an episode on Monday.

It has it taken 27 years of airtime for producers to man up and tackle the taboo subject, but last night, two male characters shared their first on-screen kiss, News.com.au reported. The scene at a house party saw openly gay character Chris Pappas (James Mason) locked in a passionate dance floor kiss with on-screen boyfriend Aidan Foster, played by former Home and Away actor Bob Morley. The viewers praised the plot on Facebook and Twitter. “Well done to @james_mason15 for showing its ok to be gay. Be proud”, tweeted one fan. There was little build-up to the brief and comparatively low-key scene, which stayed true to promises by executive producer Susan Bower to treat the kiss like any other on the show. “It’s not sensationalist or token - we are very proud of the way we have done this,” she said. ANI