Only one position is more important to our favourites from Home And Away than the one they play on television, and that is the one they play at home as mothers.
Many of the Summer Bay actresses who play mothers on the show are based on their own experiences.
And you can bet they’re still the overprotective parents.
The mums on Home And Away are some of the most committed around, whether it’s Penny McNamee singing duets with her adorable kids or Sarah Roberts opening up about taking on the role of step-mum to James’ daughter Scout.
Scroll down to meet the stars and their apple-of-their-eyes, both new and retro favourites, in the gallery below.
Sarah Roberts
When Sarah Roberts fell in love with her co-star James Stewart, she was embarking on a journey with not only him, but also his daughter, Scout, whom he shares with actress Jessica Marais from a previous relationship.
Sarah became a stepmother almost overnight.
It’s a role the actress has admitted she adores, despite the fact that it wasn’t always expected.
“I got to spend a lot of quality time with Jimmy and Scout, which was perfect for us as a family unit,” says Covid.
“Scout and I consider ourselves very fortunate to have each other in our lives. She’s teaching me a lot, and I’m sure I’m teaching her a lot as well. I know that our time will come when we will be able to send her a brother or sister.”
Penny McNamee
Penny has to be commended for balancing motherhood and a thriving acting career like a pro.
The 38-year-old is a fan favourite of Home and Away fans, with 201,000 Instagram followers who get daily glimpses into her family life with son Jack, daughter Neve, and partner Matt Tooker.
Last year, Penny spoke about welcoming her first child, Neve, and juggling motherhood and the show.
She told TV WEEK, “I don’t think I felt ready [to return to filming].” “However, I felt confident that I could handle it.” I had a wonderful six months of maternity leave and would have gladly taken another six.
Melissa George
Melissa’s career has gone from strength to strength since she left her position as Angel Parish, which she played from 1993 to 1996.
She has two children, five-year-old Solal and six-year-old Raphal, and has become an international celebrity while doing so.
She has joint custody of her children with her ex-husband, French entrepreneur Jean David Blanc, and is unable to leave the country with them without his permission due to a court order.
Melissa claims that as a result, all of her career decisions revolve around her children, and that if anything doesn’t work out for them, she would rather stay at home with them.
Ada Nicodemou
Ada and her only brother, Johnas, eight, whom she shares with her ex-husband Chrys Xipolitas, have an unbreakable bond.
On social media, the 43-year-old often shares gushing tributes to her son, as well as candid images from sweet mother-son moments.
Johnas is Ada’s top priority, no matter what.
“When he comes home from school, all he wants to do is spend time with me, but I’ve got two loads of laundry to do, dinner to prepare, a script to read, or emails to answer, and you’ve got to set all aside for a second and tell, ‘Of course,'” she told Now To Love.
Lynne McGranger
Since fighting her own personal demons with alcohol, Irene hasn’t always been the best mother to her own children on television. However, Lynne, her real-life counterpart, is the polar opposite.
Lynne and her husband Paul have a daughter named Clancy McWaters, whom she is very proud of.
Clancy, 29, not only looks like her famous mother, but she also has a creative streak and enjoys singing, dancing, and acting.
“She’s a triple threat; she sings, dances, and acts,” Lynne told Sydney Confidential in 2015. “At the moment, she seems to be moving toward more singing and dancing.”
Bec Hewitt
Bec has devoted her time since leaving Summer Bay to her three children, Mia, 15, Cruz, 12, and Ava, 10, whom she shares with her husband Lleyton Hewitt.
“I just wanted to make sure they got to find out what it is that they love, and we want to cultivate that,” Bec said of encouraging her children to pursue their dreams on TV WEEK.
Cruz has already made a name for himself in the world of tennis, while Ava’s passion is dance.
Bec says, “You have to pull him off the tennis court.”
“He’s dedicated and passionate about tennis. When he’s not playing tennis, he’ll be watching tennis videos on YouTube. As a result, he’ll undoubtedly follow that course. We’re happy as long as he enjoys himself.”
Kate Ritchie
Kate Ritchie, who played iconic character Sally Fletcher on Home And Away, grew up in front of their eyes.
It’s almost impossible to believe she’s now an adult with her own beautiful daughter, Mae.
Mae was born in August 2014 to Kate and her estranged husband Stuart Webb, and shortly afterward, Kate admitted how much she enjoyed becoming a mother.
“My only fear is that I’ll become a hermit and never leave the house because I adore being with her and want to spend every minute with her and talk to her,” says the author.
Kate expressed her love for Mae and opened up about how much her life changed when she had her daughter in a heartfelt open letter written in 2018.
Georgie Parker
Georgie aka Roo Stewart, Summer Bay’s golden girl, decided to get everything right before marrying and starting a family, giving birth to her daughter Holly, now 20 years old, at the age of 35.
“For a long time, I wanted to be a mother,” the two-time Gold Logie award-winning actress told Good Health.
“All I had to do was wait before I met the right man! I kept dating guys I didn’t want to have children with, until I met my husband at the age of 33. It was just how things turned out “Added the actress.
Steve Worland, a screenwriter, author, and actor, turned out to be the “right guy.”
“I knew I didn’t want it with anyone, so I told my husband, ‘Let’s get this train started!'”
Emily Symons
After years of unsuccessful IVF cycles, Emily, who has played stalwart character Marilyn on the show, admitted she’d “given up” hope of having a child of her own.
But in 2015, the 51-year-dream old’s of becoming a mother came true when she and her then-partner, Paul Jackson, welcomed their son Henry Richard Francis Jackson.
“I was convinced it couldn’t happen because I was too old,” Symons said.
“It seems to be unlikely, but it isn’t. I’d given up, actually, because I felt I’d exhausted all of our options. If you’re feeling a little confused by the whole process, my advice is to keep going.”
Emily was concerned that Henry would be born prematurely due to a high-risk, stressful pregnancy caused by a problem with her placenta and high blood pressure as a result of her advanced age. Henry was delivered by caesarean at 38 weeks after being placed on virtual bed rest for the last few weeks of her pregnancy.
Since then, the adorable little boy has become the centre of Emily’s universe, and it’s easy to see why!
Bonnie Sveen
Since she left Home And Away in 2016, life at her home in the far south of Tasmania has changed dramatically.
Bonnie and her partner Nathan Gooley have identical twin daughters, Myrtle May and Emerald Lois, who we can only imagine are quite the handful.
Bonnie says she “loves” being a mother to her two daughters, but it hasn’t always been easy.
In 2020, she admitted to TV WEEK that “having a baby is a big change for most women.”
“I’m going to be completely honest. The first year was very difficult; there is no way to prepare for it. Having two was a big, huge thing for me in terms of energy and physicality.”
She’s finally seeing the light at the end of the eating, sleeping, and nappy-changing tunnel, thanks to her “incredible and very hands-on” husband Nathan, an assistant director, and her family!
Bonnie admits, “When the girls turned one, I began to feel like myself again.”
“I got a few moments of independence and became more confident in myself as a parent.”
