List of Home and Away characters introduced in 2025
Home and Away is an Australian television soap opera, which was first broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. The following is a list of characters that appear in 2025, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the soap's executive producer, Lucy Addario. The 38th season of Home and Away began airing from 13 January 2025.[1] Detective Mark Townsend was introduced during the same episode. Eliza Sherwood and Sonny Baldwin made their debuts during February, followed by Lacey Miller in March. Sergeant David Langham arrived in May, and his daughter Jo Langham will follow in June.
Mark Townsend
[edit]| Mark Townsend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home and Away character | |||||
| Portrayed by | Craig Hall | ||||
| First appearance | 13 January 2025 | ||||
| Last appearance | 6 February 2025 | ||||
| Classification | Former; recurring | ||||
| Introduced by | Lucy Addario | ||||
| |||||
Mark Townsend, played by Craig Hall, made his first appearance on 13 January 2025.[2] Hall's casting was confirmed in November 2024, after he was pictured on set.[3] His character is the show's new detective, who investigates the attack on Tim Russell (George Pullar). The prime suspect is Constable Cash Newman (Nicholas Cartwright), who woke up next to an unconscious Tim covered in blood in the 2024 season finale.[4] Susannah Alexander of Digital Spy reported that the episode see Townsend "setting his suspicions on Cash" during his investigation, before arresting him.[4]
Detective Townsend arrives at the Koi Stone River Estate, after receiving a call about two male victims of assault. Cash Newman (Cartwright) identifies himself as a constable and advises Townsend to protect Eden Fowler (Stephanie Panozzo), as she is in danger. Justin Morgan (James Stewart) tells Townsend that he called in the incident and saw Cash leaning over Tim Russell (Pullar), who has suffered a serious head injury. Townsend talks with Eden and Remi Carter (Adam Rowland), who reveals that Cash was not meant to be at the house. Cash explains that he is there because Tim and Eden are in danger from Nerida Mullins (Ellie Gall), Tim's former patient who has made threats against them. Townsend believes Remi is holding something back and advises him to call if he wants to talk further. He then tells Cash that he is a suspect now. He meets with Senior Constable Rose Delaney (Kirsty Mariller) at the police station and she informs him that Cash did not give her a statement, and that he and Tim had had a prior altercation. Townsend speaks with John Palmer (Shane Withington) about a break-in at Eden's house. Remi then comes to Townsend about an argument he saw between Cash and Tim. He says that Cash has a need to protect people, following the death of his sister. Townsend arrests Cash for assault causing grievous bodily harm, and he removes Rose from the case after she lets Eden visit Cash.
Eliza Sherwood
[edit]| Eliza Sherwood | |
|---|---|
| Home and Away character | |
| Portrayed by | Martha Kate Morgan |
| First appearance | 13 February 2025 |
| Last appearance | 1 May 2025 |
| Classification | Former; recurring |
| Introduced by | Lucy Addario |
Eliza Sherwood, played by Martha Kate Morgan, made her first appearance on 13 February 2025.[5] Morgan was three years older than her 14 year old character, who is introduced as Roo Stewart's (Georgie Parker) new foster child.[6] Jennie Curtin of the Blue Mountains Gazette stated "Eliza has been in the foster care system for some years and causes Roo a lot of worry."[6] Eliza comes to Roo after a fire burnt down her previous foster home. Parker said Eliza appears to be "distant, shut down and frightened when she first arrives in the Bay. It's hard to get a read on her so it's hard for Roo to support her."[5] During her early scenes, various hints are dropped that Eliza started the fire and in "a dramatic twist", she begins threatening Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons).[7] Simon Timblick of What's on TV called Eliza "a whole lot of trouble" and found her behaviour "strange and creepy".[8]
A young girl placed with Roo Stewart after her last foster home burns down. Roo introduces her to her father Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) and Marilyn Chambers (Symons) and explains that she only managed to salvage a music box from the fire. Eliza decides to go to her room rather than eat dinner with everyone. Roo tells her that they will go shopping for clothes and things in the morning and asks if Eliza has anything she wants to talk about. Eliza says the fire was intense and Roo is thankful that her foster siblings got out safely. Eliza later goes through the contents of the music box, revealing a lock of hair, a photograph with faces scratched out, a ring and a lighter. In the morning, Eliza takes money from Marilyn's purse, before she and Roo go shopping. Eliza buys Roo a card, but gets defensive when Roo enquires where the money came from. Roo apologises for jumping to conclusions. Eliza becomes obsessed with surgery after talking to Levi Fowler (Tristan Gorey) and steals a fishing knife. She is also fascinated with a pregnant Harper Matheson (Jessica Redmayne) and touches her bump without asking. Roo homeschools Eliza and enrols her in Tane Parata's (Ethan Browne) youth programme. When she takes a photo of Tane's unborn baby from his bag, one of the other participants Scott (Finnian James) urges her to put it back and Eliza punches him. She later threatens him. Marilyn moves out after feeling uncomfortable around Eliza, who makes threats towards her and steals money from her purse again. Eliza is present when Harper goes into labour. She pretends to call for an ambulance and then films the birth, which she is later caught watching. After she withholds Alf's heart medication, Roo has no choice but to find Eliza a new foster placement. Before leaving, Eliza tells Roo that she is worse than all the other carers she has had. Roo later confirms that Eliza is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, and that the doctors suspect that she has conduct disorder and psychopathic traits.
Sonny Baldwin
[edit]Sonny Baldwin, played by Ryan Bown, made his first appearance on 17 February 2025.[9] Bown's casting details were announced on 12 January 2024, along with Sophea Pennington, who was cast as Lacey.[10] Of joining the Home and Away cast, Bown stated "It's like one big wacky family, and everyone welcomed me with open arms. I’m super excited to be working on such an iconic show."[11] Sonny is introduced as a friend of series regular Remi Carter (Adam Rowland). He was billed as being "a 'charming', 'impulsive' and 'fun-loving' party boy",[10] as well as "cheeky and spontaneous".[11]
Lacey Miller
[edit]| Lacey Miller | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home and Away character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Sophea Pennington | ||||||
| First appearance | 13 March 2025 | ||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||
| Introduced by | Lucy Addario | ||||||
| |||||||
Lacey Miller, played by Sophea Pennington, made her first appearance on 13 March 2025.[9] Pennington's casting details were announced on 12 January 2024, along with Ryan Bown, who was cast as Sonny Sonny Baldwin.[10] Pennington told Zara Powell of The Daily Telegraph that joining the cast was both "surreal" and a "pinch me moment", as she had grown up watching the show.[11] She stated "I'm beyond excited, I feel like I've blinked and it truly is a dream come true."[11] Pennington enjoyed shooting her scenes at Palm Beach, the show's exterior filming location and likened the cast to "one big family."[11]
Lacey was initially billed as "the wild child with a heart of gold".[11] Pennington said she and her character shared some similarities, telling Powell: "Lacey is definitely a bad girl, but she has a really good heart. I see a bit of myself in her. It's been a lot of fun to play, though also a bit of a challenge."[11] The character is associated with the serial's River Boys surf gang. Divya Soni of Digital Spy reported that she would "make quite the entrance", while her storyline would be "intriguing".[10] Lacey is introduced as the girlfriend of gang leader Gage Reynolds (Tom Wilson), but she becomes a love interest for Theo Poulos (Matt Evans).[12] The character's father David Langham (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) was introduced in May, followed by her sister Jo Langham (Maddison Brown).[13]
David Langham
[edit]| David Langham | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home and Away character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Jeremy Lindsay Taylor | ||||||
| First appearance | 28 May 2025 | ||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||
| Introduced by | Lucy Addario | ||||||
| |||||||
David Langham, played by Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, made his first appearance on 28 May 2025.[13] Taylor previously appeared in the recurring role of Detective Dylan Carter in 2016.[13] He joined the main cast in late 2024 and filmed for six months before his casting was announced on 25 May.[13] Of re-joining the serial, Taylor stated "It's been a whirlwind It's very, very exciting. It's been a busy six months, and now (my episodes) are just about to come on air."[13] He admitted that he was enjoying his time with the show and getting to know the rest of the cast, who he praised. He called his first scene with Lynne McGranger (Irene Roberts), Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart) and Ada Nicodemou (Leah Patterson) "one of those pinch me moments" and said it made him happy.[13]
David is introduced as the new police sergeant at Yabbie Creek station. Taylor said Langham was his favourite police officer he had played throughout his career.[13] He described him as "very by-the-book", while Clare Rigden of PerthNow said viewers could expect "drama, emotion, and a much-needed moral compass."[13] David is also the estranged father of Lacey Miller (Sophea Pennington), who was introduced a couple of months prior and has been "missing" for a number of months. David and his other daughter, Jo Langham (Maddison Brown) arrive in Summer Bay together. Taylor told Rigden that the family are navigating "trauma, and trying to reconnect, but it's not going really well."[13] He added that David is also dealing with his new working relationship with Cash Newman (Nicholas Cartwright), who has had "a shady career."[13]
David introduces himself to his fellow officers, and admonishes Cash Newman for being late, despite Cash's insistence that his shift does not start for another twenty minutes. David asks Cash to wait in an interview room and he goes through his personnel record, pointing out all the times Cash has gone against the rules, his suspension and involving a civilian in an arrest. He comes across the name Lacey Miller in a police report and asks Cash to tell him about her. Cash says that she was in a coercive relationship with a gang leader, and her testimony helped put him away. David tells Cash to bring her to the station, where it emerges that Lacey is his daughter. She makes it clear that she is not happy to see her father, who reveals that he has spent months trying to find her, and she leaves the station. Tane Parata (Ethan Browne) comes to the station to defend Cash and tells David how his involvement in a recent case was all his own doing.
Jo Langham
[edit]Jo Langham, played by Maddison Brown, will make her first appearance in June 2025.[14] The character and Brown's casting was announced on 18 May 2025.[15] Brown secured the role shortly after returning home to Australia from Los Angeles. She commented: "It was everything I'd ever wanted – to be in Sydney and be with my family."[16] Brown described it as a "full circle" moment, as she had wanted to be on Home and Away since she was a child.[14] Brown, who has joined the main cast, said she was enjoying playing Jo and filming on-location in Palm Beach, which she called "a pinch-me moment".[15][16] Jo was billed has having a "complicated backstory".[16] She also has "family ties in Summer Bay", but should not expect "a happy family reunion" when she arrives in town.[15] Brown commented that her character's family has "a very fractured, complicated relationship. There's a lot of drama to come as the storyline evolves and I'm excited for fans to get to know Jo and her backstory. It's Home And Away, and Summer Bay wouldn't be Summer Bay without high drama and conflict, so it's going to be super exciting."[14] It was later announced that Jo's father David Langham (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) would be introduced before her, while her sister Lacey Miller (Sophea Pennington) made her debut in March.[13]
Others
[edit]| Date(s) | Character | Actor | Circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13–14 January | Dr Anita Khurana | Emily Havea[17] | An obstetrics surgeon, who assists Levi Fowler in the removal of a cyst from Harper Matheson's unborn baby. Dr Khurana notices Levi pause and he tells her that he cannot decompress the cyst and must cut it up. As Harper becomes hypertensive and the baby's heartrate increases, Dr Khurana steps in to help. She later warns Levi that if Harper's blood pressure rises, she will deliver the baby and tells Levi to work fast. She later advises Levi to consider removing the baby's lung if he cannot remove the cyst. Levi succeeds and leaves to talk to Harper's relatives, while Dr Khurana closes up. She later visits Harper with Levi. |
| Anaesthetist Harry | Paul Hughes[18] | Levi Fowler introduces Harper Matheson to Harry, who tells her that he knows her sister Dana Matheson, before he administers the anaesthetic. During the procedure, he informs Levi that Harper's vitals are stable, but the baby's heartrate is elevated, and he advises Levi to hurry up. Harry soon informs Levi that Harper is hypertensive and Dr Anita Khurana steps in to help. Harry praises Levi when he is able to remove the cyst from the baby's lung. | |
| 13 January | Paramedic | Mitchell Gilmour[17] | One of the paramedics sent to the Koi Stone River Estate after receiving a call about two assault victims. Bree Cameron tells Dylan that Tim Russell has suffered a head strike leading to an extradural haematoma, which she has drained with a burr hole. |
| 5–10 March | Scott | Finnian James[8] | A teenager who introduces himself to Eliza Sherwood as they enrol in Tane Parata's youth programme. He tells Eliza that he took his uncle's car for a joyride, but she is not interested in talking with him. Scott sees Eliza take something from Tane's bag and urges her to put it back, or he will say something. Eliza tells him to shut his mouth. When Scott confronts her again and goes to speak to Tane, she punches him. Tane treats Scott's bloody nose and when he goes to get ice, Eliza threatens Scott. |
| 12 March– | Gage Reynolds | Tom Wilson[19] | A member of the River Boys surf gang. Gage is drinking in Salt when he overhears Theo Poulos and Sonny Baldwin talking about Theo spending all his savings on a car. He presumes they are both mechanics, and says he is interested in people who want to make money, before leaving his phone number with Sonny. The pair turn up at the River Boys hangout in Mangrove River and Gage shows them around. They see various people stripping and modifying cars. Gage asks Theo and Sonny to fix his car for a fee. He then breaks up a nearby fight by hitting one of the men with a wrench. As Theo and Sonny look on, Gage kisses Lacey Miller. He pays Theo at the end of the day and promises them more work. |
| 15 April– | Archie | Various babies | Harper Matheson and Tane Parata's son.[20] He develops a small cyst on his lung, which requires surgical intervention before he is born. While they wait for the surgery to go ahead, Harper and Tane name their son Archie Wiremu, with his middle name coming from his late uncle Ari Parata. Months later, Harper goes into labour a day before her scheduled caesarean and Archie is born naturally with Levi Fowler's assistance. He reassures Harper and Tane that Archie is okay, before the pair are taken to the hospital. Harper haemorrhages, but undergoes successful surgery. She asks Tane to leave, but later relents after seeing the Korowai Tane has gifted to his son. Tane later shows Archie off around Summer Bay and introduces him to his friends. |
| 12 May– | Debra Fowler | Tammy MacIntosh[21] | Eden Fowler, Levi Fowler and Abigail Fowler's mother, who is invited to a gathering at Gary Morrow's farm to watch Cash Newman propose to Eden. Before the proposal, she catches up with Abigail and meets Levi's partner Mackenzie Booth for the first time. Deb tries to talk to Abigail about her life, but she is evasive and Levi causes a distraction to allow Abigail to leave. Deb thanks Mack for employing her daughters and making Levi happy. She admits that her husband leaving her was the best thing that happened to her, although it did not feel like it at the time. She then jokes that his former wife was on the dull side and gets Mack to tell her the name of Abigail's boyfriend, who she plans to meet. |
| 29 May– | Avalon Bracken | Gemma Dart[22] | A singer who watches Kirby Aramoana's recording session, distracting her. She introduces herself to Kirby's friend and producer Remi Carter, and Kirby reveals that she was forced to listen to Avalon's album by her former manager. Avalon tells them that she is recording her second album next door and suggests adding some backing vocals to Kirby's track. Avalon later watches Remi playing the guitar and invites him to join her and some of the other studio musicians for drinks, but he declines. She tells him that he looked like he was having more fun playing the guitar than sitting at the mixing desk. The following day, Kirby and Remi find Avalon going through notes in their studio and she quickly leaves. |
References
[edit]- ^ "Home and Away to return in January 2025 on Seven and 7plus". Mediaweek. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ "Craig Hall". Showcast. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Tia (28 November 2024). "What can fans expect in Home and Away 2025? Seven teases an emotional goodbye, romance and new faces". Woman's Day. Archived from the original on 1 December 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ a b Alexander, Susannah (6 January 2025). "Home and Away to bring in Neighbours star for Cash's storyline". Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ a b Cullen, Tamara (15–21 February 2025). "New kid on the block". TV Week. No. 6. pp. 4–5.
- ^ a b Curtin, Jennie (10 May 2025). "Teenage 'veteran' makes her mark on small screen". Blue Mountains Gazette. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (19 March 2025). "TV soap issues ominous warning over new character: 'It's all about to explode'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 22 April 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b Timblick, Simon (22 April 2025). "Home and Away spoilers: Who does Eliza attack?". What's on TV. Archived from the original on 22 April 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b Cullen, Tamara (17 February 2025). "Home and Away has two new faces – and they're set to shake up Summer Bay". TV Week. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d Soni, Divya (12 January 2025). "Home and Away announces two new characters for 2025". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 12 January 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Powell, Zara (13 January 2025). "Home and Away welcomes new wild child, Sophea Pennington". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (19 May 2025). "Here's how Home and Away's Theo and Lacey are caught out by Gage". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rigden, Clare (25 May 2025). "Bad cop to good cop: Jeremy Lindsay Taylor returns to Home And Away. And he's playing a copper again!". PerthNow. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Rigden, Clare (18 May 2025). "Headed to Summer Bay: Maddison Brown joins the cast of Home And Away". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Finn, Rachel (18 May 2025). "Home and Away casts new regular Jo – with "explosive backstory" and link to Summer Bay". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ a b c White, Robert (18 May 2025). "Maddison Brown quits LA to make Home and Away debut". news.com.au. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ a b Series producer: Lucy Addario; Director: David Gould; Writer: Brooke Wilson (13 January 2025). "Episode 8406". Home and Away. Seven Network.
- ^ Masterson, Eugene (28 January 2025). "Former Irish boyband star Paul Hughes lands role in hit soap Home and Away". Sunday World. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Cullen, Tamara (15–21 March 2025). "Start your engines!". TV Week. No. 10. pp. 4–5.
- ^ Cullen, Tamara (19–25 April 2025). "'The baby is coming!'". TV Week. No. 15. pp. 6–7.
- ^ Cullen, Tamara (17–23 May 2025). "'Marry me, Eden'". TV Week. No. 19. pp. 4–5.
- ^ "Gemma Dart". Showcast. Retrieved 10 May 2025.