A new set of characters are set to arrive in Home and Away in the months ahead, while we might be saying goodbye to some favourites.
Over the past year, we’ve seen a number of departures – Kirby (Angelina Thomson) and Rose (Kirsty Marillier) left earlier in the year, while last month saw Irene say a final goodbye to the bay after 34 years.
Replacing them, we’ve had new arrivals Sonny (Ryan Bown), Lacey (Sophea Pennington), Jo (Maddison Brown) and David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor).
We’ve also seen a few temporary arrivals in the form of foster children Eliza (Martha Kate Morgan) and Cohen (Nathan Murray), musician Avalon Bracken (Gemma Dart), River Boy leader Gage (Tom Wilson), and the Fowler matriarch Debra (Tammy MacIntosh).
Now, it seems that two more characters are set to depart, two fan favourites are returning, and we’re about to welcome some new faces to Summer Bay.
Plus, there are some dramatic and emotional storylines in store, with a car crash, a long-awaited wedding, and a potential disaster for this year’s season finale.
Departures
Theo leaves
Theo Poulos (Matt Evans) first arrived in Summer Bay in September 2021.
The firstborn nephew of Leah (Ada Nicodemou) and son of her oldest brother Dimitri, Theo turned up on Leah and Justin’s (James Stewart) doorstep accompanied by Cash (Nicholas Cartwright), who had pulled him over for speeding.
Now, just over four years later, Theo looks set to depart Summer Bay in the next few months.
Actor Matt Evans hasn’t been seen filming at Palm Beach – the real-life home of Summer Bay in Sydney’s Northern Beaches – for some time.
With fans able to watch filming on the public beach and surrounding area, it’s often possible to tell when a character is leaving when the actor hasn’t been seen for some time.
Additionally, Matt Evans took to Instagram at the end of May to debut a new haircut, something which is not uncommon after an actor films their final scenes.
Theo is currently loved up with Lacey, who is set to remain in the bay, as Sophea Pennington has been spotted filming at Palm Beach in the past few weeks.
Recent Australian episodes saw Lacey propose that the pair leave Summer Bay behind for a fresh start away from her estranged family, but Theo managed to convince her to stay.
With Lacey sticking around, only two options seem likely for Theo’s exit – a painful breakup prompting him to move away, or could Theo be about to be killed off?
More on that later…
Bree’s departure
Dr Bree Cameron (Juliet Godwin) first arrived in the bay in August 2022 as a new doctor at Northern Districts Hospital.
She and Remi (Adam Rowland) soon embarked upon a relationship together, but Bree recently ended things after learning that Remi had cheated on her with fellow muso Avalon.
While the two briefly attempted to rekindle their romance, Bree eventually decided that she couldn’t move on from Remi’s infidelity, and put an end to their relationship for good.
A recent change to the opening titles has all but confirmed that the pair won’t be getting back together, with a shot of them as a couple replaced by a new shot of Bree on her own as of Thursday 11th September’s Australian episode.
As with Matt Evans, actress Juliet Godwin hasn’t been seen filming at Sydney’s Palm Beach for a number of months, prompting fans to speculate that we’re about to say goodbye to Dr Bree after three years on screen.
In addition, in a since-deleted post on a crew member’s Instagram page from July, a caption read: “Happy birthday @amyweems15 & farewell @julietgodwin_ you beauties ????”.
Assuming Juliet filmed her final scenes around the time the Instagram Story was posted in mid-July, we should expect to see her departure before the end of the year.
Arrivals
Harper and Dana’s mum arrives
Harper (Jessica Redmayne) and Dana (Ally Harris) have mentioned their troubled upbringing on a number of occasions, with Dana in particular lamenting being raised by addicts.
Now, their mum, Kerrie, is set to arrive in Summer Bay in the months ahead.
Kerrie is played by New Zealand actress Sara Wiseman, who has previously starred in A Place to Call Home, Shortland Street and High Country.
An update to her CV confirmed that she would be playing the character of Kerrie Matheson.
Ethan Browne (Tane) and Jessica Redmayne were spotted filming with Sara Wiseman at Palm Beach on Tuesday 29th July by attendees of the Home and Away Tour.
A clip posted on social media sees Harper walking past the front of the surf club when she sees Kerrie striding up the beach.
Harper calls out what appears to be “mum” as she throws her arm up, before Kerrie approaches and begins to fuss over baby Archie.
He then approaches the mother and daughter, who by now appear to be having a tense conversation.
Harper looks unimpressed by her former fiancé butting into their conversation, and she soon turns to leave, with Kerrie following her.
Has Kerrie put her troubled past behind her, and how will Dana and Harper feel about being reunited with their estranged mum?
Stephen Madsen joins as Eddie Shepherd
An update to the CV of actor Stephen Madsen has confirmed that he’s joining the show as Eddie Shepherd.
Nothing is yet known about the character, nor whether he’s a guest star or a new regular, but he does appear to play a part in the train storyline which is rumoured to feature in this year’s season finale.
32-year-old Madsen grew up in Mona Vale, a 20-minute drive to Palm Beach, and has previously starred in Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries and Secret Bridesmaids’ Business.
He’s also set to star in Spartacus: House of Ashur, which is expected to be released later this year.
New character played by Lach Millar
Former Neighbours actor Lach Millar looks set to hit Summer Bay in the coming months.
In early August, Lach posted a photo of a man on a surfboard, alongside the caption “Consider this, the hint of the century”.
In late July, a post on Tristan Gorey’s Instagram showed Lach alongside a number of the show’s existing cast members, including fellow newcomer Stephen Madsen.
The photo was believed to be taken when the cast were filming scenes in Cowra, NSW, for what is rumoured to be a dramatic train crash for the 2025 season finale.
Keep reading for more on that.
More recently, an actor resembling Lach was spotted filming alongside Sophea Pennington at Palm Beach.
A video taken by CelebTime during the Home and Away Tour on Tuesday 19th August saw the pair filming a scene on the beach.
Lach, then going under the name Lachie Millar, previously starred as recurring guest character Richie Amblin in Neighbours between 2019 and 2023.
Brax and Ricky return
In late August, it was announced that Stephen Peacocke and Bonnie Sveen will be returning to Home and Away in 2026 to reprise their respective roles of Darryl “Brax” Braxton and Ricky Sharpe.
The news came a month after it was announced that the show would be heading to Western Australia to film for the first time in the show’s history for a blockbuster week.
Stephen Peacocke said of his return: “When the producers asked if I’d revisit Brax, it felt like a fun opportunity – and one I think the audience will really enjoy. Filming in spectacular outback Western Australia is the icing on the cake.”
Bonnie Sveen added: “Bringing Ricky back wasn’t something I’d ever expected, so I’m beyond thrilled to reunite with Steve and old friends at Home and Away.
“Exploring where Ricky and Brax are now, 10 years on, will make for a very special and compelling storyline – and I can’t wait for our WA filming adventure.”
The special episodes, which will air in Australia and the UK next year, are described as “an ambitious, high-stakes storyline set to be filmed against the stunning natural beauty of Western Australia.”
Need a refresher on Brax and Ricky’s relationship? Read our detailed rundown here.
Big events
Train crash in the finale?
Back in July, a number of the Home and Away cast headed to Cowra, a four-hour drive from central Sydney, in the Central West region of New South Wales.
While there, they filmed a number of scenes at the Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre, prompting fans to speculate that a train crash may feature in the episodes, perhaps around the time of the 2025 season finale.
A large number of cast were at the shoot, with residents of Cowra claiming to have seen Tristan Gorey (Levi), Nicholas Cartwright (Cash) and Ethan Browne (Tane).
A since-deleted post on the ‘Supporters of Lachlan Valley Railway’ Facebook group featured a photo from inside a train carriage which appeared to include James Stewart (Justin), Ryan Bown (Sonny), Ally Harris (Dana) and Maddison Brown (Jo).
Also believed to be at the shoot were Adam Rowland (Remi), Sophea Pennington (Lacey) and Maddison Brown (Jo), as well as new cast members Lach Millar and Stephen Madsen.
Within the last few days, Maddison Brown posted on Instagram from the railway workshops behind Seven’s studios in Eveleigh, in Sydney’s Inner South.
Nothing is confirmed, but with filming focused around various train yards, fans are already speculating that this year’s Home and Away season finale could feature a dramatic train crash.
Could it take the lives of yet more Summer Bay favourites?
The season finale usually airs in Australia in late November or early December, while UK viewers will see it early in 2026.
Cash and Eden’s wedding
After years of heartache, breakups and reunions – including Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) forgetting about her feelings for Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) after suffering localised amnesia – Cash and Eden are set to marry in just a few weeks’ time.
The pair’s wedding will take place in the coming weeks, with this week’s episodes having seen John (Shane Withington) help Eden put the final preparations together while Cash is away.
The wedding scenes were filmed at Wallalong House in the Hunter Valley.
Home and Away is broadcast in the UK a number of weeks after episodes air in Australia. The gap currently stands at six weeks, though it fluctuates slightly throughout the year.
Recent years have seen Home and Away taking the UK’s winter transmission gap into account by plotting a cliffhanger episode to air in Australia in the final months of the year, which later acts as a season finale for UK viewers when Channel 5 take their Christmas break.
2002’s UK finale saw Marilyn’s (Emily Symons) long-lost daughter Heather (Sofia Nolan) lure Marilyn and her friends to a country mansion where she proceeded to take them hostage.
In 2003, Leah and Justin were left fighting for their lives after being left for dead in a derelict warehouse by the Vita Nova cult.
The 2024 UK finale once again saw Justin held against his will, this time by Claudia (Rachael Carpani), while Perri (Cantona Stewart) killed his father in self-defence.
We’re just a few weeks away from the expected date that the UK finale would air on Australian screens, so it seems likely that Cash and Eden’s wedding may form part of the finale week.
A car crash
However, could there also be something much more dramatic planned for the UK finale?
A scene from a recent promo saw a car veer off the road, followed by what appeared to be the aftermath of a car accident.
The brief shots in the promo show a stretcher with a white tarp being loaded into the back of a private ambulance.
A character resembling Leah runs towards the scene, as David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) does his best to stop her.
While nothing is confirmed, could Leah’s presence in the scene, coupled with Theo’s impending exit, suggest that Theo is the victim of the bay’s latest disaster?
