Ella home, Bec away

[Andy]

Ella home, Bec away

Herald-Sun

24 August 2005

HOME and Away fans are in for a shock in Tuesday's episode of the Channel 7 soap.

Gone from Summer Bay is Hayley Lawson, played by Bec Cartwright, who has left the show to pursue married life and parenthood with tennis star Lleyton Hewitt.

Producers decided that rather than write the character of Hayley out of the show, they would recast her.

Odd as it seems, the new Hayley is played by anything but a blonde Cartwright clone. Red-haired NIDA graduate Ella Scott Lynch has taken ownership of the character.

Lynch, 22, has had a guest role on All Saints and small roles in Charlotte's Web and Shine.

She also will be seen in the forthcoming telemovie The Silence and the feature Monkey Puzzle.

Lynch says it's a tantalising challenge to take on a soap character that was played by another actor for nearly seven years.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to be able to do something out of the ordinary," Lynch says.

"Taking on such a well-known character will no doubt be challenging but lots of fun.

"It will be great to work with all the other actors -- a huge learning experience."

Hayley is pregnant and in a relationship with Kim Hyde (Chris Hemsworth).

Like her love life, pregnancy hasn't been easy for Hayley.

Hayley has endured the death of her ex-husband Noah (Beau Brady) and breaking up with Scott Hunter (Kip Gamblin). She now battles a heart condition that's caused health problems in pregnancy.

Recasting roles is nothing new at Home and Away.

The role of Pippa has been played by Vanessa Downing and Debra Lawrence, while Flynn has been played by Martin Dingle-Wall and Joel McIlroy.

SOAP

Home and Away, PG

Channel 7, weeknights, 7pm

Beach-side soap

Duration: 30 minutes

[purplesarah]

Thanks Valkyrie.