It’s been rumoured for months, but Ziggy and Dean’s upcoming exit from Home and Away has finally been confirmed.
Fans of the television series Home and Away got to see some intriguing filming in late 2017 at Sydney’s Palm Beach, which serves as the real-life Summer Bay and the location for many of the show’s exterior shots.
They saw Ziggy (Sophie Dillman), Dean (Patrick O’Connor), and, presumably, their infant going away in Ziggy’s car, which was stuffed with all of their possessions, including their prized framed Coastal News front cover from when they won the Summer Bay surf competition.
After more than five years on the show, the characters were rumored to be leaving after the scenes, and this information was officially confirmed in an interview with the actors in this week’s TV Week.
Together with the rest of the Astoni family, Sophie Dillman debuted as Ziggy in the 2017 season of the show.
The family, which consisted of mom Maggie (Kestie Morassi), dad Ben (Rohan Nicol), and kids Coco (Anna Cocquerel), and Ziggy, was the first new resident of Summer Bay since the Sutherlands moved there in 2000.
Dean, meanwhile, arrived in early 2018, as the leader of the River Boys summoned by Ash (George Mason) to help him find Robbo (Jake Ryan).
It was mid-2019 before Dean and Ziggy became a couple, but now the pair, who are also in a relationship in real life, are departing together.
Sophie tells TV Week that the decision was “incredibly hard,” but that “we have both done everything possible with our characters and it was time to start a new chapter.
“It’s bittersweet and emotional, but we realise how lucky we are to have had such an incredible run.”
Of his five years playing Dean, Patrick says: “I felt I changed into six different people in the time [Sophie and I] were there. There’s a lot of growth both as an actor and a person. It’s a great place to work, but I was ready [to move on].”
The couple has left Summer Bay and Australia behind them as well.
Following Sophie and Paddie’s tour of Mykonos, London, Italy, and Qatar in recent months, fans of the show have been following their travels through Europe via Paddy’s Instagram account. After their tour, they returned to Australia and were spotted reuniting with their former co-stars Emily Weir (Mackenzie) and Lukas Radovich (Ryder) for Lukas’s birthday.
The couple has left Summer Bay and Australia behind them as well.
Following Sophie and Paddie’s tour of Mykonos, London, Italy, and Qatar in recent months, fans of the show have been following their travels through Europe via Paddy’s Instagram account. After their tour, they returned to Australia and were spotted reuniting with their former co-stars Emily Weir (Mackenzie) and Lukas Radovich (Ryder) for Lukas’s birthday.
However, their new interview hints that they may be planning to move back to Europe.
TV Week says that the pair plan to call London home, using it as a base while they travel around Europe.
“We’re going to travel somewhere new every month,” says Sophie.
Last week, the pair, who have both revealed new looks since filming their final scenes, were in Scotland, before heading to Ireland.
As for whether they’ll return to acting, they’re keeping an open mind.
“We definitely want to keep acting,” Paddy confirms. “[Home and Away] gave us that confirmation. But we’re also happy to take a break.”
Sophie appreciates how hard it can be to score a regular acting gig, and how lucky they’ve been to have regular work on Home and Away for so long.
“I think the statistic is that only a certain percentage of actors are living above the poverty line, so getting an acting gig is tough,” she says. “It may not be easy to keep doing it, but we hope we can – that’s the dream.”
Moreover, they both had positive things to say about the program that has served as their home for the previous five or so years.
“I was a bit overcome on the last day because Home and Away has been such a big part of my life,” Patrick told the magazine, with Sophie adding: “It’s been the best part of my life. Everyone who was involved allowed us to do the best job in the world. I’m so honoured.”
They also haven’t written off a return to the show in the future.
“Never say never,” Patrick says. “Who knows what the future could bring?”
There’s no news yet on exactly when the characters are leaving, but it’s expected to be within the next few weeks.
Could Dean’s lovely family be torn apart, speculate spoilers for this Thursday’s episode? While on Monday, “Dean’s family comes first for Ziggy.”
Could the demise of the beloved characters be on the horizon as a result of these spoilers?
There are more departures nearby besides theirs. It’s also anticipated that Nikau (Kawakwa Fox-Reo) may depart Summer Bay soon, possibly in the coming week.
Recently, Bella (Courtney Miller) visited Ziggy, Dean, and their little daughter Izzy after traveling back from New York.
Bella has also used the chance to reconnect with Nikau, who abruptly broke things off with her over the phone a year ago in an effort to shield her from the bikie gang that was in town seeking retribution against his family.
While Bella claimed she had no issues with bumping into her ex, she soon found that she still had feelings for Nik, and there was still a spark between the pair.
With Kawakawa Fox-Reo confirmed to have left the show, it’s widely expected that Nikau will leave with Bella this week or next and head to New York with her.
Is it possible that Dean and Ziggy will do the same?
We’ll have full tribute articles, looking back at the three characters’ time on the show, when their exits air in Australia in the weeks to come.
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