Home and Away has graced our screens for almost four decades, and while longstanding characters like Alf Stewart and Irene Roberts will always have a place in our hearts, there’s a little room in there for a new character or two.
As always, the show has lots of twist and turns while new characters join and others leave, so if you’re needing a little explainer, look no further.
Who will be leaving Summer Bay?
Harper Matheson has officially left Summer Bay
After rumours circulated for weeks about her departure, Harper Matheson (Jessica Redmayne) has officially left the Bay.
The rumours started after sisters Harper and Dana (Ally Harris) weren’t seen filming recently, and news dropped of Jessica’s new project, starring as Shelby in Steel Magnolias Australia.
In the end, Harper left Summer Bay with her son Archie and sister Dana as she no longer felt safe, even after her ex-boyfriend, Beau, was arrested when she reported him for abuse.
While Harper’s storyline was an intense one, with the character leaving on heartbreaking and sudden terms to escape Beau, Redmayne has reflected on both the “sad” and “grateful” reality of saying goodbye to this character.
“It’s, of course, sad to see Harper go – especially on terms like these – but I’m grateful as Jessica the actor to have experienced the immense challenge,” she told TV Week. “I particularly love telling true stories and this one was very real and raw.”
Who knows what’s next for Harper! She may return when Summer Bay settles down, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Richie says goodbye (for now)
In one of the most climactic episodes of the season so far, rookie cop Richie (Rocco Forrester-Sach) accidentally shot his boss, David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor), while on duty, sending him to urgent care. Since this (almost fatal) mistake, Richie has been suffering the consequences.
After having his gun license revoked and being let go from his dream job in the force, the aspiring cop spent his days applying for new opportunities, but continued to fall short as he couldn’t provide a reference.
As he sought out Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) for help, he was instead met with some hard truths and made the tough choice to leave Summer Bay and his girlfriend Abby behind in search of a fresh start.
However, this is not the last we will see of Richie! Rocco Forrester-Sach is still filming, signalling to fans that Richie will be back in the Bay later this year.
Abrupt departure for Tane
Tane’s exit is currently playing out on screen, with storylines involving Mackenzie and him sharing the news with others that he’s heading off.
The reason for his swift departure centres around being framed on drug charges by Harper’s mum Kerrie, being imprisoned and ultimately going on the run with Brax’s help.
It leaves the future of his business in jeopardy and his relationship with Jo in shambles.
It’s likely Tane (played by Ethan Browne) will be exiting the show in the next few weeks.
Brax and Ricky
Fan favourites Brax (Stephen Peacocke) and Ricky (Bonnie Sveen) returned earlier this year for a special Western Australia storyline, produced in partnership with Tourism Western Australia.
The couple were reintroduced living on a remote cattle station with their now 10-year-old son Casey, living in hiding after Brax never actually handed himself into police after that dodgy ordeal when he was last in Summer Bay.
The characters were on our screens for 10 weeks and exited on May 15.
Stephen and Bonnie spoke to WHO about their return and said it was a very emotional moment for them.
“I reunited with old crew friends,” Bonnie told WHO. “I shared a lot of hugs and a lot of chats. It was amazing working with old friends again, and then there were the new faces.”
“The dynamic was really beautiful between the new crew and the cast. Home and Away really is a beautiful place to work.”
The new arrivals to Home & Away
Rookie cop Richie
One of the newest faces on the show recently is Richie (played by Rocco Forrester-Sach).
He’s the new police officer at Yabbie Creek Police Station, and despite Constable Cash Newman initially offering to take him under his wing as the new recruit, his rookie enthusiasm is starting to irk his senior.
Richie made his Summer Bay appearance on April 28, and there is love on the horizon as promo footage shows the cop kissing newly-single Abigail.
However, after a recent climactic shooting plotline led to Richie being fired from the force, this new recruit will be taking a small hiatus from the Bay.
Harper’s new beau… Beau
Beau is also a newbie soon to be welcomed to the show, with the character played by Blake Richardson.
While Harper’s new boyfriend hasn’t appeared on the show yet, fans should expect his arrival in the coming weeks.
We don’t know much about their relationship other than footage of Beau and Harper spending time with her baby, Archie, and a pic of the pair kissing at the beach.
However, there’s rumours Harper will be leaving the show, so we don’t know what that means for Beau.
Dr Amelia Carlisle
One of the most hotly anticipated arrivals to the show is Dr Amelia Carlisle, played by Nicole da Silva.
She is best known for playing Franky Doyle in Wentworth, and fans were excited to spot the actor on the Home and Away set back in January.
While she’s not yet appeared on our screens (with no premiere date confirmed), we do know that Amelia will be working at Northern Districts Hospital alongside Levi and Dana, and it’s believed she is a potential love interest Sergeant David!
Why did Stephen Peacocke & Bonnie Sveen return to Home and Away?