On screen, their character’s love lives are nothing short of dramatic. From cheating scandals, to divorces, whirlwind romances and of course, a classic Home And Away wedding episode is always a winner with viewers.
But what are your favourite Home And Away star’s real-life romances like?
Well, it turns out the cast’s love lives away from the cameras are just as interesting.
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From Lynne McGranger’s decades-long partnership and the reason she refuses to get married, to Ray Meagher finding The One later in life, or Cameron Daddo’s epic love story with wife Ali Daddo, these could have been plot lines straight from Summer Bay.
The show is also a breeding ground for young love with many actors falling for each other on the set of Home And Away over the years.
Just ask Sarah and James Roberts, whose on-screen chemistry between Willow spilled into the actors’ personal lives with the pair tying the knot in 2019.
And then there’s Home and Away sweethearts Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor, who met at a party years before fate brought them together on the Summer Bay set.
Keep scrolling as we introduce you to your favourite Home And Away star’s husbands, wives and partners
9
Lynne McGranger: If it’s not broken, don’t get married!
Her on-screen character Irene may be unlucky in love but in real life, Lynne McGranger has been with her partner Paul McWaters for more than 30 years.
“Aside from being a wonderful man, if it wasn’t for him I’d never have been able to do what I’ve done on Home And Away. He took over as a house husband and primary carer of [their daughter] Clancy,” Lynne revealed to Woman’s Day. “He’s amazing. We still enjoy each other’s company and still make each other laugh.”
Marriage hasn’t been high on their list of priorities, but Lynne doesn’t rule it out. “If we do get married it will probably be a barbecue in the backyard,” she said. The actress and her husband share one daughter together, 32-year-old Clancy McWaters.
3
Penny McNamee: Young love conquers all
After falling in love at a school musical camp, Penny McNamee married her high school sweetheart Matt Tooker in 2009.
“I adored him off the bat. I was a ridiculous 16-year-old girl who totally thought he was dreamy,” Penny, who played Summer Bay’s resident doctor Tori Morgan until 2021, told New Idea.
“She was confident and bubbly,” her husband, who works in marketing added. The couple share two gorgeous children together, five-year-old son Jack and three-year-old daughter Neve.
Sam Frost: A healthy age gap
When Sam and former Survivor star Jordie Hansen went public with their relationship in March 2022, fans were shocked by the unexpected pairing. But through public declarations of love, nonstop laughs and a mutual appreciation for the great outdoors, Sam and Jordie have proved they’re a match made in heaven!
Sam, 33, revealed to radio duo Fitzy and Wippa that she had struck up a romance with Jordie, 26, – who just happened to be her little brother Alex’s friend and Survivor co-star. “When I bailed my brother up and I was like ‘oi is he single or what?'” Sam shared. “He’s younger. I’m a little cougar you know.”
5
Ada Nicodemou: The perfect father figure for her son
Following her split from husband Chrys Xipolitas in 2015, Ada debuted her relationship with Adam Rigby at the 2018 TV WEEK Logie Awards not long after they met and fell in love.
“We met at a work function and he had no idea who I was,” Ada recalled. “It’s kind of cool though, right? I like that he had no idea about the show.” Making their fairy tale romance even sweeter, Ada said her eight-year-old son Johnas and Adam “adore each other”.
8
Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor: From on-screen to off-screen lovers
Sophie and Patrick, who play on-screen couple Ziggy and Dean, started dating in 2019, and have been going strong ever since.
But unlike many of their fellow lovebirds, Sophie and Patrick actually met long before stepping foot into Summer Bay. “We actually knew each other at uni – we went to acting school together years ago,” Sophie said of theorigins of their romance.
“We were friends then, and then we were in different years, so we didn’t really see each other – but then when found each other on the show. And conveniently, our characters got together on the show.”
In May 2022, Sophie told TV WEEK that it’s been surprisingly easy to separate their personal and professional lives. “We’ve sort of made boundaries of ‘work is work and home is home’. Especially at work, you’re playing a character, you’re not playing yourself. So it’s not like Sophie and Patty are having an argument, it’s Dean and Ziggy. And we’re very different from our characters so it’s most of the time fine,” she said.
Home And Away’s Lynne McGranger speaks with TV WEEK on the 2022 TV WEEK Logie Awards Red Carpet
6
James Stewart and Sarah Roberts: Home And Away‘s poster couple
Like so many couples, James and Sarah met at work. Only their work place happens to be the nation’s most famous soapie set. It was during Sarah’s first scene on the Aussie drama that James, who plays Justin Morgan, first caught her eye. Dressed in leather, her former character Willow rode into Summer Bay with a mean right hook and an agenda. The first person she met in town was James’ character, Justin.
The chemistry between Willow and Justin was electric and they soon became H&A‘s hot new couple. Before long, that spark spilled into the actors’ personal lives with the pair going public with their romance in 2017.
“We became friends and things just evolved. He’s very funny, charming, kind and generous – plus he’s handsome! So all of those things attracted me to him.” Sarah and James tied the knot with two ceremonies in Ireland and Sydney in 2019.
7
Ray Meagher: Secretly married in 2010
Ray married his long-term partner and former nurse Gilly Meagher in a low-key secret ceremony in 2010.
“When you’ve both been there before, you don’t want fuss and carry-on and all that,” Ray told New Idea of his nuptials. “We just went away and did it, and then gradually told a few people who mattered to us. We’re both very happy about it.”
While his H&A character Alf has fathered four children on the show, Ray has previously said he never had his own family because he prioritised his career. However, he has a close bond with his step-daughter.
“I have a stepdaughter Rebecca (the daughter of his wife Gilly) who is in her early 40s and I talk to her at least once a week and see her for brekkie or brunch whenever the Home And Away schedule permits, which is maybe once a fortnight, and I love that.”
4
Cameron Daddo: The perfect match
After meeting in their early 20s, Cameron and model Ali Daddo tied the knot after just three months of dating in 1992. The 90s It Couple have weathered their fair share of bumps over the years – from Cameron’s infidelity, bankruptcy and living abroad but they’ve managed to come through on the other side, stronger than ever.
Cameron, who played Evan Slater on the show, and Ali share three children together, daughters Lotus, 26, and Bodhi, 16, and son River, 22.
2
Georgie Parker: Found her soul mate
Playing the waiting game is nothing new to Georgie Parker, who plays Roo Stewart on the long-running series. She wanted to get things right before approaching motherhood, giving birth at 35 to her daughter Holly, now aged 19.
“I wanted to be a mother for a very long time,” she explained to Good Health. “I just had to wait to meet the right guy! I kept on meeting guys I just didn’t want to be a parent with, then finally I met my husband when I was 33. It was just the way it worked out,” the 55-year-old added.
And the “right guy” turned out to be screenwriter, Steve Worland. The pair married in December 1999 and last year, rung in two decades together as husband and wife.
So, what’s the key to their happy marriage?
“We just give one another an enormous amount of space. We’ve never been joined at the hip, it’s just not the way we operate. I think it’s very healthy to do a lot of things separately, we have our own interests and I think that really helps. We do things independently, but also as a family, and as a couple.”
1
Zoe Ventura: Shock split
Her former character Alex Neilson’s romance with Willow Harris (Sarah Roberts) came to a heartbreaking end on Home And Away and in real life, actress Zoe Ventura’s marriage with Daniel MacPherson also met a similarly tragic fate.
In December 2020, the private couple, who share two-year-old son Austin, made the shock announcement they’d called time on their five-year marriage. “With the greatest respect for each other, Dan and I have separated. Together, we will continue wholeheartedly to raise our beautiful boy Austin. He is, and will forever be, our greatest priority,” the statement said.
