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The cast of Back To The Rafters have made quite the impression on a few lucky fans this week, dropping in on Zoom meetings to pull off the ultimate surprise.
The series is set to return this Friday, September 17, on Amazon Prime. In celebration of the long-awaited reboot, stars Rebecca Gibney (Julie Rafter), Erik Thomson (Dave Rafter) and George Houvardas (Nick “Carbo” Karandonis) dropped in on the Zoom meetings of two unsuspecting families.
George Hourvadas surprises the McLeish family.
(Image: Supplied)The reason for the unexpected appearances? Connection to family, of course. New research by Amazon Prime showed that 62% of Aussies have missed a major milestone during the pandemic, while 71% of Aussies say they couldn’t have made it through the last 12 months if it wasn’t for their families.
To help celebrate these virtual moments of connection, the stars of Back To The Rafters surprised competition winners and joined in the party.
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Rebecca and Erik joined the Denton Family, to celebrate Kandis and Lee’s one-year wedding anniversary, which they spent at home in lockdown. Surprising the group with a delivery of love heart cupcakes and balloons, the pair also shared some sage advice on the special occasion.
“All of us from Back to the Rafters understand how tough it is for families to mark these important milestones so it was so lovely to spend time with the Denton family, even virtually, and lift their spirits,” Rebecca said of their catch-up.
Rebecca and Erik celebrate with the Denton Family.
(Image: Supplied)“This year has presented more challenges for Aussies trying to stay connected to their families than ever before, and we see this reflected in the new series with the Rafters family,” Rebecca continued.
“Whether they are crammed under the same roof, or spread out across different cities, we see that, even as life moves on, family doesn’t.”
Meanwhile, George brought his signature Carbo charm to the McLeish family celebrations, where Tom, Yajaira, Janet, John, Madelyn and Jackie were celebrating Greg’s 30th birthday in lockdown.
A speechless Greg stared at the screen in disbelief saying, “is that Carbo?” while his family laughed at the surprise. Bonding over Carbo’s signature catch phrase – “walla walla wincha” – the actor’s surprise appearance brought some much-needed joy to the day.
WATCH: The cast of Back To The Rafters drop in on lucky fans
Of living in lockdown, Erik thinks the most important thing is to keep the quality time going.
“A number of Australians are either dispersed, or everyone is living under one roof and completely packed to the rafters,” he said.
“However, that doesn’t always mean connections are strong, so it’s important to take time to continue to spend quality time together.”
Back To The Rafters premieres on September 17, on Amazon Prime Video.
