Home and Away spoilers follow for Australian-paced episodes, which some UK viewers may prefer to avoid.
Home and Away star Jessica Redmayne has spoken out following her character Harper Matheson’s exit from the Australian soap. Sisters Harper and Dana Matheson (played by Ally Harris) left the show in scenes that aired in Australia this week.
Harper decided to leave Summer Bay and begin a new life with her son, Archie, and Dana, after being hunted down by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Beau.
Channel 5
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Despite Beau being arrested by police, Harper knew she would never feel safe in the town and decided to start again somewhere new.
Speaking to TV Week, Jessica shared how “sad” it was to see Harper leave under these circumstances, but said she was “grateful” to have played the part since 2023.
“It’s, of course, sad to see Harper go – especially on terms like these – but I’m grateful as Jessica the actor to have experienced the immense challenge,” she explained. “I particularly love telling true stories, and this one was very real and raw.”
Discussing the importance of the storyline, she continued: “This story is so devastatingly prevalent within our Australian communities as domestic violence in Australian families is at an all-time high.
“It was certainly difficult to embody a woman who has found herself in a psychologically toxic and physically violent relationship that she can’t escape.”
Channel 5
Jessica went on: “Truthfully, it did leave me feeling uneasy as I left set each day. But that is the job of an actor, as it is paramount that these stories get told in Australian homes in order to shed light on the true dangers Australian families are facing from domestic violence.”
She also heaped praise on her co-star Lynne McGranger, who plays Irene, describing saying goodbye to the character as a “career highlight.”
On working with Ally, she added: “I’m incredibly lucky to call Ally my on-screen sister. That girl is so talented, and she taught me a lot.
“She kept me calm and we became a wonderful support system for each other. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
Home and Away drops new episodes on weekdays at 6am on 5’s streaming service, with a 6.30pm screening on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.
In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7Plus.
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