Tessa acts out her teen dreams

[Jamey-Maria]

Tessa acts out her teen dreams

TESSA James has the job every teenage girl wants - she gets paid to act like a prima donna and kiss a bunch of hot blokes on Australia's favourite soap.

The 18-year-old actress moved to Sydney from Melbourne two years ago to play Home And Away's resident vixen Nicole.

James says her Paris Hiltonesque, boy-crazy character is about as different to her true personality as you could get,

and she loves it.

"I think she's the best character," she says. "I get to have so much fun being a princess and a prima donna. She doesn't mind pushing the boundaries. She's very high maintenance, which is fun to play."

After a hiatus over the non-rating summer period, Home

And Away returns to screens on Monday and Nicole will be back, feistier and flirtier than ever.

After dumping her boyfriend, Nicole's relationship with Aden (Todd Lasance) looks bound for a second try after the pair share a steamy kiss in jail

"I seem to have a different boyfriend every week," James laughs. "I get to pash Axle [Whitehead], Todd [Lasance]

and Robert [Mammone]. In fact I don't think there is anyone I haven't kissed yet. I've really hit the jackpot. I told Robert, before I kissed him, that he is actually two years younger than my dad. He loved that."

But Nicole and Aden aren't

the only ones causing waves in Summer Bay with Marilyn (Emily Symons) breezing back into the seaside town to cause a stir, while love appears to be a common theme on the program this year.

While Aden and Nicole attempt to rekindle their romance, Martha (Jodi Gordon) survives her season-ending kidnapping only to explore her feelings for Liam (Whitehead).

Fans will also be shocked at the possibility of popular character Hugo (Bernard Curry) being involved in people-smuggling

The show's longest surviving cast member Ray Meagher, who plays Alf Stewart, says the program will return to its

core values this year after

a series of high-tension dramas. "We've had too many guns and balaclavas and bank robberies and that sort of thing," Meagher said during a break in the hectic UK Christmas pantomime schedule last month.

"We're going back to a family show. We'll still have teenage angst. What I've been agitating for is to have a good belly laugh, at least a nice warm smile each quarter hour in there."

The charm of Home And Away and the secret to its 22 successful years are the teens and the issues they face, including body image.

But when it comes to love scenes and wearing a bikini for the show, James doesn't see either as a "big deal". "What's the point in worrying about whether my bum looks big or if I look fat?" she says.

"You just have to get on with it."

Packing her bags and relocating to Sydney was a huge deal for the teenager, who left school, family and friends behind to follow her acting dreams.

It was this move that has seen her grow up faster than many of her peers.

"I didn't even have my licence so I had to get buses everywhere and they are horrible," she says.

"At least in Melbourne there are trams and trains but in Sydney [you rely a lot on] buses. Mum would come up four or five times a week to see me."

Adjusting to a life away from home and juggling the demands of a job, James says her castmates played a big part in helping her settle into her new life.

During her two years on the show she has formed close relationships with many of her co-stars and counts Jodi Gordon, Luke Jacobz, Rebecca Breeds, Josh Quong Tart, Lasance and former co-star Jessica Tovey among her closest mates.

"We are really close," she says. "We get on so well - it's like a family. We support each other no matter what."

Home And Away, weeknights, Seven, 7pm

source

[Georginaa_x]

That's cool. I think Nicole is a great character Marilyn returning will be something to look forward to aswell. She should cause quite a stir

[Ashleigh <3 Lincoln]

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I really enjoyed reading through it

[Stephanie]

Thanks posting Jamey-Maria. It was a good read.

[theAdellefan]

Thanks for that article

I enjoyed reading it

[Zetti]

Thanks for the article