Neighbours have confirmed that Alyce Platt has rejoined the cast as a series regular.

The 56-year-old first appeared in the long-running Aussie soap as medical student Jen Handley for a year in the mid-'90s.

Platt returned in 2012 as a different character, however - Olivia Bell, a potential love interest for Dr Karl Kennedy, although she exited after just two episodes.

Olivia surprisingly returned to Erinsborough in May and now the soap has revealed that she is back as a series regular.

The announcement makes Platt the first ever cast member to play two different series regular roles.