Home and Away to welcome new character Valerie

Home and Away will welcome new guest character Valerie in the coming weeks, played by Hi-5 actress Courtney Clarke.

The character will be closely connected to Leah (Ada Nicodemou), who returns to Summer Bay this week after being discharged from the mental health clinic where she has spent the past few weeks.

Valerie is set to “cause a few waves” when she arrives in the seaside town, as Courtney Clarke revealed in an interview with an Australian magazine which was later posted on Home and Away’s Instagram.

“When I read the brief, I loved that Valerie was a dynamic character,” Courtney explains. “And most importantly, for me, I like to play characters furthest from myself.”

Usually blonde Courtney was asked to dye her hair “either dark or Jessica Chastain red” for the role, which she saw as a “good omen,” considering she had been considering doing so for a number of years.

Valerie is expected to make her debut on Australian screens in the coming weeks, and should arrive on UK screens in March.

7News reveals that she has been working closely with actors Ada Nicodemou, James Stewart (Justin) and Matt Evans (Theo).

  

“I remember having no idea how the ship ran because it’s such a longstanding show, there are all sorts of things regarding how they shoot,” she told 7NEWS.com.au.

“Ada was great, she was cracking jokes between every take and I remember thinking that she seemed so relaxed.

“It wasn’t until we got in the car to travel back from a shoot that I realised she was doing it all to make me feel comfortable.

“She’s incredibly intelligent, some of the things we were talking about I was thinking, ‘how does this little, full-of-energy woman know all this super smart nerdy stuff?’”

Courtney is best known for starring in Australian children’s series Hi-5, and more recently Paramount+ drama Paper Dolls.

She also revealed that Valerie wasn’t the first Home and Away character she auditioned for. The 25-year-old first auditioned for the show when she was 18 or 19, but admits that “it was all pretty new at that point,” and that she “probably didn’t have a clue what [she] was doing.”

The Home and Away quickly cast took to Instagram to welcome her to the show.

Juliet Godwin commented “welcome to the bay gawgus gal,” Ada Nicodemou added “Welcome to the bay beautiful girl and thank you for the kind words,” while Tristan Gorey (Levi) wrote, “The Bay isn’t ready!”

Stephanie Panozzo (Eden) commented “yeahhh babeesss ❤️?”, her fellow Lyrik co-star Angelina Thompson wrote “Hey girl heyyyyy ??”, while Kyle Shilling (Mali) asked, “Will @courtneyclarke__” be trouble or an absolute gem ??‍♂️ Welcome legend ??”

While Valerie may be the first new face for 2024, she certainly won’t be the last. We already know that the show has a new love interest lined up for Bree (Juliet Godwin), despite her currently being in a relationship with Remi (Adam Rowland).

A fan of the show who watched filming at Palm Beach recently saw Juliet Godwin kissing another actor, suggesting that we’re just months away from a Bree and Remi split.

The as-yet-unknown character is believed to be played by Perth-born actor Mahesh Jadu, who previously played recurring character Dr Doug Harris in Neighbours between 2010 and 2011, and Ahmad in the Netflix series Marco Polo.

Mahesh is followed on social media by a number of Home and Away‘s cast and crew, including Juliet Godwin, Jacqui Purvis and Stephanie Panozzo.

There’s no word yet on what causes Bree and Remi to split, and the pair were seen loved up in the Season Finale, with Bree conquering her fear of motorbikes after they took a trip out of Summer Bay together.

However, Remi was then forced to tell Bree that he wouldn’t go with her if she left Australia to work for Doctors Beyond Borders. Will their differing views on a new life abroad lead to a split?

Matt Shirvington, the former Olympian who now co-presents Seven’s morning breakfast show Sunrise, is also set to make a cameo appearance later this year.

The Australian Daily Telegraph reports that ‘Shirvo’ recently spent a day at Palm Beach, shooting scenes alongside Ray Meagher, who plays Alf. While the scenes in question are being kept under wraps, the publication does confirm that he’ll be playing himself.

“I’m so excited to take a trip to Summer Bay and be a part of Australia’s most iconic show, a show I watched as a kid,” Shirvington told the Telegraph.

“To be in a scene with Ray Meagher is so surreal, everyone loves Alf. I’ve been practising my lines, Ray has given me a few tips and I think I’m ready for my acting debut – playing myself – what could possibly go wrong?”

Matt competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, as well as the 1998 and 2006 Commonwealth Games, and held the Australian 100m national sprint title from 1998 to 2002.

We’re also set for at least one big returnee, as Tori Morgan (Penny McNamee) heads back to the bay for a short stint.

Penny, who played Tori on the show from 2016 until 2021, was recently spotted by fans of the show at Sydney’s Palm Beach, where the show films the exterior shots that make up Summer Bay.

Fan Felicity Oliver was lucky enough to meet Penny, who told her that her character Tori would be back on our screens for “a couple of weeks“, leading to speculation that she will be attending her brother’s wedding to Leah.

One of the scenes filmed saw Tori talking with Justin as they walked up to Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) and Remi (Adam Rowland).

Summer Bay hasn’t been a distant memory for Penny since her departure. Over the past year, Penny has added scriptwriting to her list of talents, and has so far written four Home and Away episodes that have aired.

After an eventful five years in Summer Bay, Tori departed Summer Bay in September 2021 with her new husband Christian Green (Ditch Davey) and her daughter Grace.

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Here’s the full spoilers for this week’s Home and Away episodes in Australia:

Monday 15th January (Episode 8180)

Tane misreads Harper’s friendship. Justin asks Marilyn for a favour.

Tuesday 16th January (Episode 8181)

Tane confides in Cash. Alf is conflicted.

Wednesday 17th January (Episode 8182)

Bree is overprotective of her patient. Can Leah keep Justin at a distance? Harper and Tane reclaim their friendship.

Thursday 18th January (Episode 8183)

Levi can’t bring himself to leave Summer Bay. Justin’s plea with Leah backfires. Is the Surf Club under threat?

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