Ross Nixon

Home and Away

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television soap opera
Founded	January 17, 1988 (1988-01-17)
Headquarters	Australia
Website	7plus.com.au/home-and-away

Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that premiered on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. The following section outlines characters introduced during 2018, all brought in under the guidance of executive producer Lucy Addario. The show's 31st season commenced on 29 January 2018. Dean Thompson and Colby Thorne made their first appearances in February, with Lance Salisbury and Ebony Harding joining in April. Ty Anderson was introduced in May, followed by Chelsea Campbell in September. October saw the arrival of Dean’s mother, Karen Thompson, while Simone Bedford and Bella Nixon were added to the cast starting in November.

Dean Thompson

Dean Thompson, portrayed by Patrick O'Connor, debuted on 1 February 2018. O'Connor began filming five months prior to the public announcement of his casting in January 2018. Although he had auditioned for other parts on Home and Away before, this marked his first credited acting role. He described joining the cast as an exciting opportunity, especially given the legacy of the River Boys group—originally introduced with the Braxton brothers in 2011—to which Dean belongs. Jonathon Moran from The Daily Telegraph dubbed Dean as "Summer Bay’s new bad boy." O'Connor depicted Dean as "cheeky," an avid Australian Football League (AFL) supporter, and appreciated that his character’s tattoos aligned with his own interests.

Colby Thorne

Colby Thorne, played by Tim Franklin, made his debut on 6 February 2018. Franklin’s casting was confirmed in December 2017 after filming scenes at Palm Beach. He received news of securing the role on his 27th birthday and described it as "the best gift." Colby is a police constable shaped by a challenging upbringing, which inspired his decision to join law enforcement. Previously affiliated with the River Boys surf gang, Colby also serves as a romantic interest for Jasmine Delaney.

Lance Salisbury

Lance Salisbury, portrayed by Angus McLaren, first appeared on 17 April 2018. His casting announcement came shortly before his debut episode aired, with McLaren expressing enthusiasm about joining a well-established ensemble. Lance is an Australian Federal Police agent and close friend to Robbo. He plays a pivotal role in uncovering Robbo’s amnesia and true identity—revealing his real name as Ryan Shaw—and his undercover mission protecting Kat Chapman. Lance aids Robbo in dismissing charges and returning to Summer Bay, encouraging him to either rejoin the AFP or pursue a training instructor position.

Lance returns periodically to assist Robbo during investigations by conducting background checks and attending Robbo’s pre-wedding events. When threats arise against Robbo’s family, Lance leads efforts to place Robbo, Jasmine, and Tori Morgan under protective custody at a safe house. He reinstates Robbo into the AFP before resuming field duties himself. Ultimately, Lance is killed by the Ouroboros Gang as a warning directed at Robbo.

Ebony Harding

Ebony Harding (also known as Easton), enacted by Cariba Heine, was introduced on 19 April 2018. Heine landed the role through a recorded audition while she was overseas. Ebony was presented as an antagonist seeking vengeance against residents of Summer Bay, connected to the abduction of Justin Morgan’s daughter Ava Gilbert and linked to criminal Boyd Easton.

Upon discovering her brother Boyd’s injury and subsequent death, Ebony impersonates a doctor at Northern Districts Hospital. Alongside her mother, Hazel Easton, she vows retribution. Ebony targets police constable Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin), who shot Boyd, attempting to befriend him while undermining his personal relationships. She threatens Justin Morgan’s business by demanding $100,000 over a fabricated injury claim but settles for $30,000 and secures employment at Salt restaurant.

Ebony exposes Colby’s past affiliation with the River Boys gang, leaking information that results in his suspension. She manipulates Colby’s friendship with housemate Robbo, initiating flirtation and sparking romance. Hazel provides Ebony with poison intended for Robbo and Colby; however, Ebony hesitates and does not administer it to Robbo.

Further complicating Colby’s relationships, Ebony plants evidence against others and steals medication from the hospital to incapacitate him. She fakes a police call to frame Robbo for Hazel’s murder before fleeing, mistakenly believing she has killed Colby. After Colby recovers, Ebony captures him again and attempts arson but is stopped by Robbo and subsequently arrested by authorities.

Ty Anderson

'Ty Anderson, brought to life by Darius Williams, made his first appearance on 7 May 2018. Williams was engaged for a six-month period, commencing filming in October 2017. This character represented Home and Aways first openly gay role since 2009, highlighting the show's commitment to portraying relevant social themes. Ty is fostered by John Palmer and Marilyn Chambers and develops a close friendship with Raffy Morrison during his stay in Summer Bay. After departing on 15 August 2018, Williams expressed enthusiasm about potentially returning to explore further narrative avenues.

Ty comes to Summer Bay following his grandfather’s illness, residing with John and Marilyn. Initially, he is aloof and ungrateful, leading to conflicts with Raffy; however, they eventually establish a strong connection. Ty stands up for Raffy at school and begins dating her after sharing a kiss, though their relationship encounters difficulties. His bond with Ryder Jackson strengthens when Ty confesses his feelings for him, resulting in confusion and tension. Following a physical fight that causes injury, Ty reveals his sexuality to John and Marilyn, who offer their support despite Raffy’s initial upset.

Seeking to mend their relationship, Ty explains his internal conflict and admits his errors to Raffy. When Raffy is teased over their breakup, Ty publicly discloses his sexual orientation in her defense but suffers a panic attack. With encouragement from friends Coco, Raffy, and Ryder, Ty manages his anxiety and gains acceptance at school by sharing his musical talents. On his sixteenth birthday, Ty initially declines meeting his mother Jodi but later reconciles after understanding the complexities of their past. After coming out to Jodi, Ty decides to leave Summer Bay with her.

Chelsea Campbell

Chelsea Campbell, portrayed by Ashleigh Brewer, debuted on-screen on 18 September 2018. Brewer secured the role while residing in Los Angeles by submitting remote audition tapes and initially signed on for six months. She chose not to extend her contract due to personal plans involving relocating to Los Angeles with her partner.

Chelsea serves as a senior constable connected to established characters within the series. Brewer characterized her as "exceptionally kind with a strong mindset," yet capable of stirring up trouble. A writer from TV Soap described her as a "feisty police officer," noting Brewer's casting as an asset for Home and Away.

Introduced through Alf Stewart at the Summer Bay Caravan Park, Chelsea attracted romantic attention from Dean Thompson but declined his advances. She encountered former partner Colby Thorne at the police station; their strained history stems from Colby’s gang involvement. Chelsea arrested Dean for trespassing and confronted Colby about their past relationship, even returning her engagement ring before asking him to leave. They later reconciled while collaborating on a case involving missing teenagers and agreed to address unresolved issues.

Colby disclosed that Dean took responsibility for a fatal accident they were involved in, complicating Chelsea’s trust in him. After discussing Colby’s gang history with Willow, Chelsea requested a formal proposal from him. Her father Neil Campbell disapproved of Colby and attempted to use information about his missing sister Bella Nixon as leverage to end their engagement; however, Colby resisted these efforts. Following revelations concerning Colby’s stepfather Ross Nixon’s criminal activities, Chelsea ended their engagement and sought a transfer. Despite this setback, she and Colby rekindled their relationship, relocated to the city together, and married after Chelsea was accepted into a detective training program.

Subsequently, Chelsea along with Willow and Bella were kidnapped by Ross Nixon; during an escape attempt Ross shot Willow. Colby killed Ross in self-defense but Chelsea struggled emotionally afterward, returning her rings before leaving for the city. The following year she sent divorce papers to Colby.

Karen Thompson

Karen Thompson, portrayed by Georgia Adamson, first appeared on 4 October 2018. Introduced to delve into Dean Thompson's (Patrick O'Connor) backstory, Karen is depicted as Dean's estranged mother with a troubled past involving violence and substance abuse issues. Her arrival ignites substantial drama including Dean’s battles with alcoholism and emotional upheaval. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy described her as "reckless" and "unreliable." Adamson reprised this role intermittently through 2019, 2022, 2023, and again in March 2025 alongside Dean and Ziggy Astoni.

Initially refusing contact with Dean causes him distress and erratic behavior. Upon arriving in Summer Bay, Karen demonstrates volatile conduct—helping herself to alcohol, expressing hostility toward Dean’s friends and locals, even attempting to run down John Palmer resulting in an accident. Though resistant to psychiatric treatment, Dean assumes responsibility for managing her care.

Her instability intensifies when she assaults Dean with a frying pan and neglects safety measures leading to police involvement. Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Karen later apologizes to Dean and shares sensitive family details with Colby Thorne. She encourages Dean to seek help after he reveals trauma linked to his stepfather's death.

Karen returns home following hospital discharge aiming to repair her relationship with Dean. She learns about Dean’s father Rick Booth and navigates complex family dynamics involving Rick’s daughter Mackenzie Booth and the Astoni family. After initial mistrust and attempts to leave town prematurely, Karen forms a bond with Mackenzie and accepts employment as a waitress at Salt restaurant. Despite challenges such as medication side effects impacting her work performance, Karen reconciles fully with Dean and secures employment near Reefton Lakes.

Simone Bedford

Simone Bedford, enacted by Emily Eskell, first appeared on 15 November 2018. Eskell is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art who landed her first prominent television role in Home and Away after several auditions. Simone was introduced as a special needs educator who is also training as a chef; she was designed as a romantic interest for the married Brody Morgan (Jackson Heywood). Her character embodies kindness, good intentions, and passion for cooking—a new career direction for her.

Simone wins a charity auction prize of a cooking lesson with Brody which leads to an impressive trial period working at Salt restaurant for one month. Their professional association deepens but becomes complicated due to Simone’s growing affection for Brody who is married to Ziggy Astoni (Sophie Dillman). Despite attempts at boundaries, Simone and Brody engage in an affair that ultimately ends Brody’s marriage. Facing backlash from the community and Brody’s family members, they decide to leave Summer Bay together.

While residing in Summer Bay Simone transitions into a learning support teacher role at the local high school where she works closely with students such as Bella Nixon and Raffy Morrison. The affair causes tension within Ziggy’s family as well as among the Morgans household. After their relationship becomes public knowledge accompanied by community hostility—including graffiti branding Simone as a "homewrecker"—she resigns from Salt restaurant. Brody puts Salt up for sale as they plan their departure.

Prior to leaving Simone organizes Raffy’s sixteenth birthday party despite opposition from Ziggy’s sister Coco Astoni. Although Brody initially hesitates over selling Salt they finalize the transaction before relocating together to Yarra Valley. Two years later Simone and Brody announce they are expecting their first child.

Bella Nixon

Bella Nixon, portrayed by Courtney Miller, debuted on 26 November 2018. Miller’s casting was revealed in September; Bella is introduced as the long-lost younger sister of Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin). Colby had been searching for Bella along with their father Ross Nixon (Justin Rosniak) for several years prior to their reunion. Initially traumatized by her upbringing under Ross's influence, Bella threatens Colby with a crossbow upon meeting him again—reflecting her troubled background shaped by misinformation from Ross. Miller described Bella as a "distressed child" molded by her past experiences. Her portrayal earned Miller a nomination for the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent in 2019.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Role Summary
29 January	Nurse	Kate Boladian	Notifies Tori Morgan regarding inquiries about Kat Chapman following an accident.
30 January	Odette	Romy Poulier	Pays Willow Harris for assistance exposing her husband’s infidelity; seeks help again for another friend.
1 February 2018 27 February 2020	Nurse Ruby	Christina Falsone	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital involved in patient care including treatment of Colby Thorne.
1 February	Devera	Mia Karaz	Mother of Kat Chapman, attends funeral services.
1 February	Paulo	Christian Leiva Fuentes	Brother of Kat Chapman, present at funeral.
1 February	Minister	Richard Saunders	Officiates Kat Chapman’s funeral ceremony.
1–22 February	Taz	Jerome Meyer	River Boys gang member assisting Martin Ashford in locating Robbo; involved in altercations resulting in arrest.
1–19 February	Bluey	Alex Jewson	Member of River Boys aiding search efforts for Robbo; arrested following conflict.
1 February	Jimmy Tobias	Kyle Hazebroek	Provides information on Robbo’s location to Dean Thompson and Martin Ashford.
8 February	Bushwalker	Adam Hedditch	Spots wanted individual Robbo and alerts authorities.
8 February	Ambulance Officer Karen	Jerusha Sutton	Responds to accidents involving key characters such as Justin Morgan and Alf Stewart.
12 February	Lauren	Lianne Mackessy	Late wife of amnesiac Robbo, whose family was killed during home invasion.
12 February	Sophia	Ava Rose Bowen
12 February	Lucas	Luca Rochaix
19 February–13 June	Dr Callan	Virginie Laverdure	Oncologist managing chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments for Maggie Astoni diagnosed with high-grade B-cell lymphoma.
20–22 February	David	Jack Ellis	Stalker and former boyfriend of Jasmine Delaney, involved in hostage situation resolved by police intervention.
26 February–17 May	Barry Johnson	Brad McMurray	Previous employer of Dean Thompson, involved in workplace disputes; oversees school sinkhole repairs; hires then loses Ben Astoni.
28 February, 12 March	Professor Pickford	Lisa Kay	Psychiatrist consulting on amnesia case involving Robbo, provides expert testimony during trial.
8 March	Joseph	Ishak Issa	University acquaintance of Mason Morgan, discusses academic plans.
8 March	Li Xue	Indiana Kwong	Assists Mason Morgan with university re-enrollment amid suspension issues.
14 March	Dr Lucas	Grant Cartwright	Treats Dean Thompson following collapse accompanied by hallucinations; investigates substance use concerns.
14 March	Julian Wells	Tahki Saul	Solicitor advising Ben Astoni regarding court matters related to hospital appointments.
20–21 March 2018, 26 August 2020	Ambo Ken	Joshua Morton	Ambulance officer attending injuries sustained by characters including Martin Ashford, later assists treating chemical burns on Justin Morgan.
21 March	Lisa Petrov	Kate Williams	Lawyer representing Robbo, proposes insanity plea which is rejected.
22 March–4 April	Kurt Adams	Tiriel Mora	Defense attorney handling high-profile case involving Robbo, navigating legal complexities during trial.
26 March	Theresa Clarke	Debbie Zukerman	Administrative assistant at Summer Bay High managing liability forms and facility issues.
27 March	Gordon	Haris Mirza	Collaborates with student Raffy Morrison on academic assignments.
3–4 April	Samantha Woodhouse	Charlotte Cashion	Federal agent undercover posing as journalist facilitating arrest of Robbo.
3 April	Prosecutor, Magistrate, Court Officer, Foreperson, Dr Lucy Dobson	Various actors	Key figures involved in court proceedings related to Robbo, including trial management and medical updates provided to Astoni family.
3 April–25 June	Hazel Easton	Genevieve Lemon	Mother of Boyd Easton; involved in ransom demands culminating in staged death implicating Robbo.
16 April	Herself (Newsreader)	Natalie Barr	Broadcasts appeal concerning missing child Ava Gilbert.
18 April	Nurse	Adeline Lee	Assists with stem cell collection procedure for Ziggy Astoni.
19 April	Police Officer	Murray Scarce	Leads raid searching Hazel Easton’s residence for Ava Gilbert.
30 April	Rick	Ben Purser	Welcomes Ben Astoni into workforce; advises workplace conduct standards.
3 May	Dominic Pfeiffer	Uncredited	NSW Fair Trading inspector investigating Summer Bay Auto following vehicle safety concerns linked to Ebony Harding's accident.
7 May–4 July	Catherine	Lisbeth Kennelly	Caseworker overseeing foster care arrangements for Ty Anderson; mediates between foster parents and biological mother.
9–10 May	'Gus' / 'Raj' / 'Suz'	Alex Nicholas / Bali Padda / Bianca Magistro	Various roles interacting with Hunter King among social or workplace settings.
6 June	Matt "Spider" Sullivan / Roach / Roach's Offsider	Andrew Shaw / Michael Handley / Todd Williams	Associates providing information or confrontation related to Boyd Easton's crew activities.
26 June	Dance Teacher	Sally Dangar	Provides Ben Astoni video instruction on waltz dancing steps.
27 June	Danielle	Natalia Ladyko	Performs at Brody Morgan's bachelor party event.
28 June	Rhea / Celebrant	Kirsty Marillier / Gil Balfas	Rhea dates Hunter King; Celebrant officiates wedding between Brody Morgan and Ziggy Astoni.
4 July–8 August	Brett	Graeme McRae	Lends money to Dean Thompson; enforces repayment leading to criminal consequences including arrest.
16 July–	Abbi	Kaitlyn Boye	Bully targeting Raffy Morrison over personal matters; involved in school conflict resolved medically.
17 July–30 August	Christina Harrison	Jessica Clarke	University lecturer engaged in complex relationship with Hunter King; accused of misconduct amid power imbalance concerns.
6–15 August	Jodi Anderson	Sara Zwangobani	Biological mother of Ty Anderson seeking reunion post-foster care placement; facilitates Ty's return home.
9 August	DC Jane Berkin	Julia Billington	Deputy Commissioner overseeing tribunal concerning Colby Thorne; addresses concerns about associations but reinstates him ultimately.
14 August	Tony	Ryan Brown	Confronts wife Christina Harrison over infidelity involving Hunter King.
12 September	Claudia	Cassie Sloan	Socially interacts with Dean Thompson at caravan park setting.
13 September	Court Officer	Ben MacLaine	Serves subpoena on Willow Harris during legal proceedings.
27 September,1 October	Meredith	Lenore Munro	Conducts pre-IVF counseling sessions addressing family trauma experienced by Robbo and Tori Morgan.
4 October	Stephen	Christian Willis	Food blogger whose positive review enhances Salt restaurant's reputation.
18 October	Intruder	Joseph Taylor	Attempts home invasion against Karen Thompson; removed by Dean Thompson and Colby Thorne intervention.
24–25 October	Kayla Booth	Audrey Blyde	Engages with Dean Thompson regarding family matters linked to Rick Booth lineage.
24 October 2018–22 July 2019	Rick Booth	Mark Lee	Father figure navigating complex relationships involving Dean Thompson amid paternity revelations.
25–31 October	Neil Campbell	Steve Nation	Father of Chelsea Campbell challenging Colby Thorne over relationship concerns; shares intel regarding Bella Nixon’s location.
1 November	Edwina	Briony Williams	Department of Education official managing academic appeals related to Ryder Jackson's exam performance amidst personal challenges.
1 November	Fertility Doctor	Devora Lieberman	Performs embryo transfer procedure supporting Tori Morgan’s fertility treatment plan.
12 November	PI Holsten	Sean Barker	Private investigator hired by Dean Thompson & Colby Thorne tracking Bella Nixon & Ross Nixon movements; supplies crucial intelligence info.
15 November	Psych Nurse Bridget	Amanda Stephens-Lee	Facilitates psychiatric evaluations of Karen Thompson; manages group therapy sessions during investigations involving Colby Thorne & Dean Thompson.|}