Leah Patterson’s wild plotlines over the past 22 years prove why she is Home and Away’s ultimate heroine

In possibly her most iconic moment of all time, Leah’s wedding to Vinnie Patterson captivated Aussie audiences. Interestingly, it was later revealed Ada and cast mate Ryan Kwanten (who played Vinnie) chose their wedding outfits themselves – no wardrobe department necessary!

But perhaps they jumped the gun a little – Ada’s chosen form-fitting dress caused her a couple of problems during the two weeks it took to film the wedding scenes. According to the Illawarra Mercury, it bruised her ribs!

After getting married, Leah and Vinnie welcomed a baby boy VJ. The Summer Bay couple’s son remained on the show until his late teenage years, eventually being played by Aussie actor Matthew Little.

Throughout, Leah and VJ’s mother-son relationship remained rock solid (albeit a few bumps along the road). VJ has now left the sunshiney shores of Summer Bay, but we’re hedging our bets he’ll make a return in future.

Yep, our old mates Veej (also previously played by Australian actor Felix Dean) and Leah went through a lot over the years.

Leah’s son scrubbed up to be an admirable lad, and the pair will forever remain mum-and-son #goals.

In one of the show’s biggest storylines ever, Leah became a surrogate mother for Sally Fletcher. She gave birth to Pippa, and of course, the narrative didn’t come without some mixed feelings from all parties involved. It works out in the end, and Sally and Pippa’s mother-daughter relationship continued to warm our cold dead hearts as they weaved in and out of the show over the years.

And there’s no denying Leah and Sally have shared a close bond throughout – we’ve seen many a sweet moment between the two Summer Bay women. Surely Sally will return and she and Leah can live out the ultimate gal pal dream of living side by side as old ladies drinking wine together and gossiping over the latest shenanigans of the local ~youths~.

Vinnie was written out of the soap when he died (or did he…?) whilst in prison. Leah moved on with Peter, and then his brother Dan. Yes, she jumped between brothers, but she and Dan were cute as hell, so we’re willing to overlook that one… just.

In 2009, Leah started a relationship with newcomer Roman – however, the fling was short lived. This was possibly for the best, as the Summer Bay stalwart ultimately chose to focus on herself, as opposed to turning to relationships to solve her problems.

In late 2009, Leah began dating local reverend Elijah. The romance didn’t last long, but the pair sure made a darn cute couple at the time. Elijah later returns to the show with a wife (gasp!), much to Leah’s disappointment, but she stayed away from him this time in the interest of her son VJ, who she feared would get hurt in the inevitable soap-worthy fallout.

In 2011, Leah and Miles embarked on a whirlwind romance that led to a series of twists and turns. While they never went the distance, the pair’s uncanny do-good attitude and kind-hearted nature was a great combo while it lasted.

There’s no denying Leah has been through many a moment, but she eventually decided to put it to use by becoming a guidance counsellor for some of the Bay’s troubled youths. She also started an online blog to help those struggling with mental health.

Leah later began dating Zac, a local school teacher, who proposed to her on the beach in a grand romantic gesture. In a curve ball move, Leah said no, but was later convinced by her son VJ to take a leap of faith. Ever straying from the traditional rule book, Leah then proposed to Zac, who, of course, said yes. Awww.

Leah and Justin’s love story has left many a fan giddy with glee. The pair bonded over an uncanny knack for helping their troubled Summer Bay counterparts through hard times. When they casually started getting together, the Aussie public waited patiently as they umm’d and ahh’d over making things offish. Eventually, Leah kissed Justin in front of everyone in the diner, which ultimately sealed the deal.

Leah became embroiled in Jasmine’s ordeal with her stalker David. Jasmine was kidnapped by David and alerted Leah, but the two of them, along with Roo’s nephew Ryder, were all held captive. A quick-thinking Leah suggested ordering food online. In the comments box, she frantically typed an SOS message, which ultimately saved them.

Poor Leah had her own dramas when she was held captive by a deranged man who not only wants to punish her – but marry her too. The Summer Bay beauty eventually escaped in a wedding dress but Ada admitted it was “creepy” putting on the costume.

“I had actually been in Greece on holidays and the day I returned to work, jetlagged, and we filmed these terrifying cabin scenes [laughs]! I absolutely loved being challenged like this,” she told TV WEEK in 2020.

Still recovering from her hostage ordeal, Leah became the target of a vicious assault at the Diner. After walking inside, she became startled to see a hooded figure stealing money from the register. Leah screamed in fright, but couldn’t move her feet after being paralysed with fear. The robber violently shoved her to the ground, leaving her traumatised and in a heap on the floor.

While Justin struggled with his painkiller addiction, Leah tried to support his road to recovery. But while Leah comforted Justin, he lost his cool and lashed out, destroying everything in sight. He then went on a rampage to prove he’s not an addict, leaving Leah worried about his mental health.