Neighbours' Jackie: 'I love slapping Alan!'

Neighbours star Jackie Woodburne says her favourite moments on the soap are when her alter-ego Susan Kennedy gets to fight with on-screen husband Karl.

Despite being close friends with co-star Alan Fletcher (Karl), the actress - who has played teacher Susan for nearly 17 years - admitted she enjoys the chance for their characters to collide.

As Neighbours celebrates 25 years on screen in Britain, Jackie confessed to its official UK website: "(My favourite storylines are) any that allow me to slap Alan Fletcher, and there have been a couple of those, precious moments!

"Probably my favourite was a very long one, and that was the Susan, Karl and Izzy triangle, which allowed Susan to actually hate someone and become very mean and vicious, which is a side we never get to see, and it was challenging and great fun to play."

But while she enjoys the heated scenes, Jackie insisted that off camera she and her co-stars are a close-knit bunch.

"I think the dynamic you are able to create, for instance the Kennedys, you have the kids and their home, and you really do create that sense of family," she added.

"And before you know it, we are speaking in shorthand because we've become that family. We all care about each other, and in a creative sense it is a lot of fun."