Australian Home and Away viewers are about to see the 2022 Season Finale, the show’s final episode of the year. With over a month until we return to Summer Bay, we explore everything we know that’s coming up in 2023.
The wedding day for Tane (Ethan Browne) and Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) finally arrives in the season finale of this year, but unexpected events occur when someone tampers with the ute’s brakes, which Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) and Justin (James Stewart) had spent weeks repairing.
As Felicity and Eden begin their journey to the isolated farm, they quickly come to the realisation that they are unable to brake, causing them to rush recklessly along the back roads.
As they attempt to escape a collision with Justin and Leah (Ada Nicodemou), who are in their way, their car flips. Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) and Felicity are forced to continue driving, which leads to their collision with a gas station. Now that the show is in its usual summer hiatus, it will return to Australian screens in January of the following year.
We now take a look at what’s in store next year. Most of the spoilers have come from fans watching filming at Sydney’s Palm Beach, the real-life home of Summer Bay’s beach, as well as actors’ social media accounts and photos in the press.
While we think everything is accurate, very little has been officially confirmed by the show.
When is Home and Away back in 2023?
Home and Away will return to both UK and Australian screens in January 2023.
It will return to Channel 5 in the UK on Monday 2nd January 2023.
In Australia, the show is expected to return on Monday 9th January, just one week before the show’s 35th anniversary on Tuesday 17th January.
Does Felicity survive?
The final episode will see Felicity’s ute go up in flames with her inside it, after a mystery figure tampers with the brakes.
As they attempt to escape a collision with Justin and Leah (Ada Nicodemou), who are in their way, their car flips. Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) and Felicity are forced to continue driving, which leads to their collision with a gas station.
Now that the show is in its usual summer hiatus, it will return to Australian screens in January of the following year.
As they attempt to escape a collision with Justin and Leah (Ada Nicodemou), who are in their way, their car flips. Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) and Felicity are forced to continue driving, which leads to their collision with a gas station. Now that the show is in its usual summer hiatus, it will return to Australian screens in January of the following year.
Leah ends up injured
When the show resumes, Leah appears to be on track for a significant recovery. She and Justin will swerve off the road in the finale in an effort to evade Felicity and Eden, sending their car flying through the air before it crashes to the ground.
Actress Ada Nicodemou is shown in photos from the production with artificial blood on her dress, indicating that she sustains injuries in the dramatic collision.
Leah, thankfully, is also still filming as seen by recent sightings.
A formal event in Sydney
Whenever the cast don formal attire and head away from Summer Bay for some on-location filming, things don’t tend to end well.
In recent months, we’ve had Iandra Castle and Heather’s (Sofia Nolan) posh brunch, which saw her take Marilyn (Emily Symons) and friends hostage. Then, of course, there was Tane and Felicity’s disastrous wedding.
The official celebration next year may end more happily, but the fact that Cash will be there wearing police gear once more does not augur well.
Cash saved Alf (Ray Meagher), Irene (Lynne McGranger), Leah, and Roo (Georgie Parker) from Heather’s clutches the last time around. Will Cash be called upon to save his buddies the following year?
In early November, a number of the cast headed to central Sydney, filming scenes at a beautiful location with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Leah was played by Ada Nicodemou, Justin by James Stewart, Theo by Matt Evans, Cash by Nicholas Cartwright, and Georgie Parker was present (Roo).
There may have been additional cast members who weren’t included in any of the images that the cast posted on social media.
With everyone in formal attire, and Justin and Theo suited and booted, could the shoot be a wedding, a celebration, a presentation, or the location of yet another emergency?
The possibilities are endless, and only time will tell…
Dean and Ziggy leave?
With everyone in formal attire, and Justin and Theo suited and booted, could the shoot be a wedding, a celebration, a presentation, or the location of yet another emergency?
The possibilities are endless, and only time will tell…
Dean and Ziggy leave?
Filming in November has suggested that Dean (Patrick O’Connor) and Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) have left Summer Bay with their newborn child, though this hasn’t been confirmed and probably won’t be until the scenes air in 2023.
Fans witnessed the couple filming a farewell from Summer Bay and leaving in Ziggy’s distinctive vehicle with the boot loaded with their belongings.
The car was packed to the roof with their belongings, including their prized front cover of the Coastal News from when they won the surf competition last year, despite some people’s speculation that the new parents were simply going to visit family.
We can assume that Ziggy and Dean will be leaving the show in 2023 given the packed car and the fact that many previous characters left the show soon after having a child.
Patrick O’Connor and Sophie Dillman returned to Palm Beach soon after filming the “goodbye” scenes to work on a project with the entire cast, probably a 35th anniversary celebration.
The couple, who are actually dating, then took off for a trip to the middle east. Soon after, Patrick O’Connor posted a picture of his new haircut with bleach-blonde hair.
Even though a dramatic new look can occasionally be incorporated into a plot, a new hairstyle doesn’t necessarily indicate that Dean will be saying goodbye. Actors have been known to make radical changes after leaving their roles.
We can anticipate Georgia Adamson’s portrayal of Dean’s mother Karen returning before they depart.
When Dean introduced Karen to his son Jai in March, she was last seen. Now that Ziggy is expected to give birth early in the new year, she will soon get to meet her newest grandchild.
A photo from the set shows Georgia Adamson posing alongside Patrick O’Connor, Sophie Dillman, Lynne McGranger and Emily Symons, with a pram clearly visible at the bottom of the picture.
Bella returns
Bella Nixon is also rumoured to make a brief appearance in 2023.
After 3 and a half years on the show, Courtney Miller announced her departure earlier this year. Her farewell episode aired in Australia in early June.
For a three-month assignment, her character Bella travelled to New York to assist photographer Emmett Ellison (JR Reyne).
Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) broke up with her for her protection after the Paratas got involved in gang turmoil, and she chose to stay in New York even though she had intended to go back to Summer Bay.
Now, it appears from pictures shot by a fan in Palm Beach, the actual location of Summer Bay, that Bella will be making a comeback.
Lynne McGranger (Irene) and actress Courtney Miller were spotted together at the coffee cart.
Kawakawa Fox-Reo, who plays the role of Nik, was nowhere to be seen, but we anticipate that Bella and Nik will reunite; nevertheless, it is unclear how fruitful this reunion will be.
That leads us on to the next potentially huge spoiler…
Nikau leaves?
It appears that Bella’s homecoming could mean Nikau Parata’s stay in Summer Bay is coming to an end, similar to how Emmett’s departure caused Bella to leave.
Kawakawa Fox-Reo travelled to Los Angeles shortly after Courtney Miller was photographed on the set, then she posted a radical hair change on Instagram.
He has bleach blonde hair dye, just like Patrick O’Connor!
Kawa’s trip to LA and drastic transformation raise the possibility that he may be leaving Home and Away the following year, assuming there won’t be an influx of bleach-blonde male characters on the show.
Additionally, it has been nearly three years since Nikau made his debut on January 28, 2020, and it is not unusual for an actor to leave a role after three years.
Could Bella’s arrival in Summer Bay be the cause of Nikau’s departure?
Ava returns
Justin’s daughter Ava Gilbert was last seen in 2020, when Justin had surgery to remove his spinal tumour. At that point she was played by Alice Roberts, having originally been played by Grace Thomas when she first arrived back in 2016.
Now, Ava is set to be recast a second time, with the character set to return in 2023.
The Home and Away Tour’s organizers, CelebTime, posted a video of an older Justin and Ava chatting while placing a coffee order at the Coffee Cart before Ava leaves.
Theo (Matt Evans) has recently expressed concerns about their future, but the video also shows Kirby (Angelina Thomson) and Theo (Matt Evans) walking by hand in hand. This suggests that the couple will remain together well into the new year.
Ava might find a new romantic interest as well.
Early in October, viewers of the Home and Away Tour saw scenes in which a mysterious new character ran off the sand while carrying a surfboard, then set the board down and joined Ava, who was sitting in the back of a light blue camper van.
There’s no news yet on who the new male character is, or whether they’re a guest or a permanent character, but we should expect to see these scenes on screen in the first few months of the year.
Romance for Mackenzie with a newcomer?
Esther Mackenzie, a fan, witnessed sequences being shot at Palm Beach in October during which Mackenzie (Emily Weir) interacted closely with a new character.
Before they hugged, the man placed his hands on Mac’s face as the two became close. Since moving to Summer Bay, Mackenzie has only had awful luck finding love. Will the newcomer be her lucky break, or will she experience more heartache?
These scenes were shot in early October, therefore they should appear on screen in three to four months.
Actor Kyle Shilling joins Home and Away
Kyle Shilling, who has been acting in the show since August, will be bringing in yet another new character. Although nothing about his character has yet been revealed, he has been seen filming alongside Rose’s actress Kirsty Marillier.
When he makes his debut at the beginning of next year, could he be Constable Delaney’s new love interest?
A new character named Jordan
Dylan Hare is set to make another appearance on Home and Away. The actor was previously seen playing Kurt Bentley, Ziggy Astoni’s strict boss when she began her internship as a mechanic for a race team back in 2019.
He’s now set to play a character named Jordan, according to a recent update to his CV.
He most recently starred as Nash Malouf in Underbelly: Vanishing Act, based on the story of Melissa Caddick, a high-rolling Australian woman who vanished in November 2020.
