"[8] They also state he is the complete opposite of Madge and add he is "famed for his vegetarian ways, tee-total habits and fastidiousness and moralising"[8] Harold's hobbies include playing the tuba, giving his time to the Salvation Army and birdwatching.

He left the Salvation Army, became a "peeping tom", started drinking alcohol and he pinched Izzy Hoyland's (Natalie Bassingthwaighte) bottom.

[17] Of this, Peter Mattessi of The Age said "The tension this created between Lou and Harold ("same-sex platonic life-partners", according to Toadie) was a wonderful storytelling twist, and the innuendo made Gino's sexuality clear to those in the know, yet avoided the questions from younger viewers which would jeopardise the G rating.

[11] Smith admitted that he had a feeling he and Charleston would be asked back, explaining "The producers were already talking about new storylines for Harold and Madge – and they don't waste time with things like that unless there's a reason behind it!

After speaking to neighbour and fellow cancer sufferer, Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner), Harold eventually agreed to have surgery and underwent chemotherapy treatment.

[23] While cheering up Donna Freedman (Margot Robbie) at the General Store, Harold had a heart attack, which left him fighting for his life.

[24] Fletcher commented "Harold's heart stops beating, so Karl chooses to override his wishes and bring him back to life.

As he fears, Harold is furious with him when he regains consciousness, insisting that he wanted to be reunited with his beloved wife, Madge, who died of cancer.

[27] During an interview with Digital Spy, executive producer Susan Bower said she regretted choosing not to kill Harold during the cancer storyline due to the attention his impending exit had garnered, but she remained pleased that the character was still alive.

Famed for his infinite wisdom and charitable ways, he's counselled many a resident through times of trouble – and he'll be doing it all over again when he soon makes his long-awaited return to Erinsborough.

[29][35] Smith told Sarah from Inside Soap that when the producers asked him if there was a particular storyline he would like to play, he suggested that Harold should get married and so he returns engaged.

"[38] Smith also said he was sceptical about the storyline with Madge, believing that it would be "one of those American arising from the dead" plots, but after it was explained to him, he thought it had been "cleverly handled" and revealed that it had been dreamt up by Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy).

[40] In February 2022, Laura-Jayne Tyler of Inside Soap reported that Smith would be reprising his role to play a part in the show's finale, and that he had already started filming.

[44] He makes a "surprise arrival" in Erinsborough, where he befriends Zara Selwyn (Freya Van Dyke) who shares his concerns about her mother Amy Greenwood (Jacinta Stapleton), and Toadie and Melanie Pearson's (Lucinda Cowden) engagement.

Alan Fletcher who plays Karl Kennedy, told Digital Spy that Harold is "exhibiting behaviour that is medically concerning", and that it is "a lot more complex than at first we think it is".

[52] On 2 December 2024, Smith announced that he had recently been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of terminal lung cancer, and that as a consequence he had left the role of Harold.

Harold and Madge win the lottery and take a trip around the world, they meet Eddie Buckingham (Bob La Castra) in England and he comes home with them.

Harold has a brief romance with Loris Timmins (Kate Fitzpatrick) and Sky gives birth to a daughter, Kerry (Claudine Henningsen).

He gives his home to the Salvation Army and says goodbye to Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) when she sees him taking photos of Ramsay Street.

Two years later, Harold returns to Ramsay Street after receiving a call for help from Toadie, who is dealing with the news that his girlfriend Sonya Mitchell (Eve Morey) is the mother of his adopted son, Callum (Morgan Baker).

Seven years later, Harold makes a surprise visit to the Kennedys, where he meets Mackenzie Hargreaves and expresses his sorrow for the loss of her husband, Hendrix Greyson (Ben Turland).

Two years later, Harold is once again visiting Ramsay Street for Toadie's wedding to Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou), and staying with Karl and Susan.

The following year, Terese establishes the Eirini Rising retirement complex in Erinsborough, and Harold decides to purchase a unit and return to the area.

For the best part of two decades, Harold was the moral compass of Ramsay Street, a paragon of the decent-in-a-sliced-white-bread-kind-of-way and nostalgic ideals that distinguishes the squeaky clean Neighbours from a legion of more temperate television soaps.

The current web campaigns to get Ian Smith a golden logie after 20 years on Neighbours also have our support, in a very nominal kind of way.

"[68] Of his 2009 departure, Deller said "Actor Ian Smith is retiring, which is the kind of behaviour we expect from normal people, not soap stars.

[..] To be fair, although I'm sad to see old Jelly Belly depart, it's a nice way to go: much better than him having a second screen death, or moving to live with the whiny Sky.

This is all tear-jerking stuff, but the death of his son David's family in a plane crash and Harold subsequently putting a brave face on the situation turned the end of three unloved characters into one of the soap's saddest storylines in years.

[72] Journalist Adam Beresford described him "a tuba-playing Salvation Army volunteer" and a "prim and proper [...] old-fashioned fusspot who became the heart and soul of Neighbours.

"[72] In 2021, Harold was placed ninth in a poll ran via soap fansite "Back To The Bay", which asked readers to determine the top ten most popular Neighbours characters.