Love is in the air for Home and Away stars Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart – both on-screen and off!
Just weeks after their characters Leah and Justin tied the knot, the co-stars were spotted kissing each other in real life following a fun afternoon at a Sydney pub on April 25.
First, they enjoyed some Anzac Day drinks with friends at the Royal Hotel Randwick. As day turned into night, the group headed to dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant. Afterwards, James and Ada took a stroll, where he pulled her in for a passionate kiss.
A few days later, the pair were photographed getting touchy-feely again, this time between scenes on the Home and Away set in Palm Beach, NSW. James placed his hand on Ada’s waist as he squeezed past her chair, which he also later pulled out for her.
New Idea’s exclusive source tells us that Ada, 46, and James, 48, have been on “a few dates” in recent weeks. It comes after Ada quietly ended her long-term relationship with wealthy entrepreneur Adam Rigby, 54.
The well-placed source confirms to us, “Ada and Adam split at the end of 2023.” They debuted their romance at the 2018 TV Week Logie Awards.
Meanwhile, James’ ex-wife Sarah Roberts, 39, confirmed their long-rumoured divorce in an interview with Stellar just last month.
A few days later, the pair were photographed getting touchy-feely again, this time between scenes for Home & Away.
Sources say it’s not surprising that Ada and James have started dating, given the natural chemistry they bring to their scenes as Leah and Justin.
“Working with Ada is always so easy,” James told us in January, when we paired him and Ada together for a photo shoot to celebrate Home and Away’s 2024 return. “It’s a joy.”
Ada similarly shared that she finds “Jimmy” an amazing actor.
“It’s lovely to work opposite someone who you can bounce off really easily, and he offers so much to each scene,” Ada revealed.
“He’s very passionate about work, so it means I have to be too!”
While they’ve been Home and Away co-stars for seven years, Ada and James first met each other filming Aussie drama Breakers way back in 1998. James readily admits he keeps forgetting that they’ve known each other for some 25 years!
“It’s full circle to do Home and Away with Ada,” he admitted in our chat.
Both stars are now parents to 11-year-old children – Ada has soccer-mad son Johnas, while James is dad to daughter Scout. James told us that Ada has even given him a “couple of notes” when it comes to parenting a girl.
“I’ve got questions for her, she’s got questions for me…” he dished.
James and Ada are the latest in a long list of Home and Away cast members who have fallen for each other in real life.
These couplings include Debra Lawrence and Dennis Coard, Dannii Minogue and Julian McMahon, Beau Brady and the then Bec Cartwright, Rebecca Breeds and Luke Mitchell, and more recently, Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor.
Clearly there’s something in the Summer Bay water!
