After decades away from scripted television drama, a familiar face with deep roots in Australian pop culture is preparing for a highly anticipated return.

Dannii Minogue, once a breakout star of Home and Away, is reportedly stepping back into acting in a bold new drama that promises intrigue, betrayal, and emotional fireworks —

marking a full-circle moment more than 35 years after she exited the iconic soap.

Industry insiders reveal that Minogue, now 53, has already begun filming a four-part psychological drama titled Imposter, a Channel 5 production set against the moody backdrop of a seaside resort. The series is currently shooting in Victoria, Australia, and boasts an impressive ensemble cast that bridges generations of soap royalty — including Coronation Street’s Kim Marsh and Neighbours legend Jackie Woodburne.

For longtime Home and Away fans, Minogue’s return carries added emotional weight. Her early role on the Australian soap helped launch a career that would later span music, television hosting, and reality competition judging. Yet despite her success in front of the camera, scripted acting has remained largely absent from her résumé — until now.

According to sources close to the production, securing Minogue was no easy feat. “Bosses spent weeks trying to get Dannii on board,” an insider told The Sun. “She finally signed just days before filming began. It’s been decades since she’s acted in a drama series, and the entire team is thrilled she said yes. She loved the script and felt the role came at exactly the right moment in her life.”

That role is said to be layered, emotionally demanding, and far removed from the lighter fare Minogue was once known for — a deliberate choice reflecting her desire to return to acting with purpose rather than nostalgia.

At the heart of Imposter is a simmering family conflict that quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Jackie Woodburne, 69, takes on the role of Helen, a formidable matriarch whose refusal to sell her long-held seaside hotel ignites a bitter feud with her three adult children. The property, steeped in family history and unresolved resentments, becomes both a battleground and a symbol of control, loyalty, and legacy.

The drama takes a shocking turn with the arrival of Amanda, portrayed by Kim Marsh, who claims to be Helen’s long-lost daughter — given up for adoption decades earlier. Amanda’s sudden appearance fractures the family dynamic, raising uncomfortable questions about the past and forcing each character to confront secrets they believed were buried forever.

As Amanda begins to integrate herself into the family, cracks quickly appear in her story. Doubts about her true identity intensify, suspicion spreads, and alliances shift. What begins as a tense domestic drama escalates into a gripping psychological thriller, culminating in murder — a revelation that promises to upend every relationship at the center of the story.

While details of Minogue’s character remain tightly under wraps, sources suggest her role is pivotal to the unfolding mystery, placing her at the emotional core of the narrative rather than the margins. Her return to drama is also being positioned as a significant television moment, not only for fans but for the industry itself.

For Woodburne, Imposter marks another milestone. Best known for portraying Susan Kennedy on Neighbours since 1994, the series represents her first major non-Neighbours role in more than three decades. Her involvement alone signals the project’s ambition, bringing together performers synonymous with some of the most enduring soaps in television history.

Minogue’s path back to acting has been anything but straightforward. After leaving Home and Away in 1990, she carved out a high-profile career in music before becoming a familiar face on shows such as The X Factor and, more recently, the dating series I Kissed a Boy. Yet behind the scenes, she has been candid about the personal toll of growing up in the public eye.

Earlier this year, Minogue spoke with striking honesty on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, reflecting on the relentless scrutiny she faced in her youth — particularly the constant comparisons to her older sister, Kylie Minogue. “If I wasn’t mentally strong, I genuinely don’t think I’d be alive now,” she admitted. “The criticism was brutal and it went on for years. There was only one body type that was accepted at the time, and I didn’t fit it.”

Despite repeated attempts by the media to frame the sisters as rivals, Minogue has consistently emphasized their closeness and mutual support. Today, her priorities are markedly different from the whirlwind years of her early fame. She has spoken openly about choosing work that feels meaningful, protecting her wellbeing, and spending more time with her family.

Minogue is currently in a relationship with music producer Adrian Newman and credits motherhood with reshaping her outlook. Welcoming her son Ethan in 2010, she says, brought clarity after years spent constantly on the move. “I’ve missed birthdays, weddings, funerals — moments you don’t get back,” she reflected. “Now it’s about balance. You can have happiness without chasing everything else.”

That sense of balance appears to have guided her decision to return to acting. Rather than a fleeting cameo or nostalgic revival, Imposter represents a deliberate, carefully chosen step — one that allows Minogue to reintroduce herself to audiences on her own terms.

For fans of Home and Away, the announcement has sparked renewed excitement, not just for Minogue’s comeback but for what it symbolizes. It’s a reminder of the soap’s enduring legacy as a launchpad for talent — and of the powerful draw these stories and stars continue to hold decades later.

As filming continues in Victoria and anticipation builds ahead of its Channel 5 premiere, Imposter is shaping up to be more than just another drama. It’s a collision of soap history, personal reinvention, and high-stakes storytelling — with Dannii Minogue stepping back into the spotlight, ready to prove that some returns are worth the wait.