Home and Away has brought us not only some of the best storylines in soap history, but also some of the best characters, including Gypsy Nash, Donald Fisher and Bobby Simpson
Home and Away has been on the air since 1988 and over the 37 years, we have seen countless characters come and go.
Many have been fan favourites that broke viewers hearts, like Belle Taylor, Bobby Simpson and more.
Here is what some of our fan favourites stars are up to now:
Belle Taylor played by Jessica Tovey
The 37-year-old actress left viewers devastated when she left the soap in 2009 after joining it in 2006.
During her time in Summer Bay, Belle struggled with drug addiction, she went on a search to find her birth mother and had an up-and-down relationship with husband Aden Jefferies before dying of cancer.
Since then, Jessica has starred as Maya in the 2014 movie Lemon Tree Passage.
She also played Dani Varvaris in the TV series Wonderland from 2013 until 2015 and Kirsty Hill in the web show Wolf Creek from 2016 until 2017.
The actress has been in a relationship with fellow actor Damien Strouthos since 2017.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Scarlett in October 2021.
She announced that they were expecting a second child together on social media in September 2024.
Sharing a picture of herself with a baby bump and her daughter on the beach, she wrote: “Three years ago today I became a mum to the coolest, funniest, loveliest little kid I know. Happy Birthday S. 10/10 would recommend, would do it again. Well, we are.”
She gave birth in December of that year.
Vinnie Patterson played by Ryan Kwanten
The 48-year-old actor took on the role of lifeguard Vinnie way back in 1997, but decided to leave the soap in 2002.
The character went through some hard times on the show from developing testicular cancer to faking his death after getting married and welcoming his son VJ.
However, many years later it was revealed to Leah by Reverend Elijah Johnson that Vinnie had actually passed away in a farming accident 18 months earlier.
Taking up the role wasn’t Ryan’s first appearance in Summer Bay as he first played a boogie boarder briefly in 1992.
Since leaving Home and Away, Ryan has starred in the hit vampire drama True Blood from 2008 until 2014 as Jason Stackhouse.
He also starred in the TV series The Oath from 2018 until 2019 as Steve Hammond.
The actor has been dating a woman named Ashley Sisino since 2014 and it is believed that they tied the knot in recent years.
It was reported that the couple welcomed their first child together last year after they were spotted out and about in Sydney in June 2025.
Gypsy Nash played by Kimberley Cooper
The 45-year-old was a fan favourite while on the show from 1998 until 2002 and her brief return in 2011.
From lying about the father of her baby, nearly dying in a car accident and separating from her husband Will, Gyspy had some very dramatic storylines.
Since leaving the soap, Kimberley has starred in the 2015 production of Natural Injustice as Jessica Hunter.
She was previously married to Nick Sacco from 2010 to 2013. The actress went on to get married again during the summer of 2024.
She and her new husband Bryan Crocker had a wedding at the Ojai Ranch House in California’s Ventura County.
Bobby Simpson played by Nicolle Dickson
Nicolle appeared in 935 episodes of Home and Away after appearing in the show’s first episode in 1988.
However, the now-56-year-old decided to call it quits in 1993 when her character was killed in a boating accident.
She is still remembered in Summer Bay after making her final appearance as Bobby in 1995 when she appeared to Ailsa Stewart in a hallucination.
The former actress left the industry in 2006 and has since become an accountant and bookkeeper.
Her last role was as Agnes Kelly in the feature film Wishbone, however, she did appear as herself in the documentary ‘Endless Summer: 30 Years of Home and Away’ in 2018.
Nicolle has been married to her husband James Bell since 1990 and the couple share two children together.
Donald Fisher played by Norman Coburn
The 88-year-old was one of 16 original cast members when he appeared in the pilot episode back in 1998.
He continued starring in the show until 2003 but returned sporadically between 2004 and 2007.
Donald had a difficult time on the soap as he played the principal of Summer Bay High School and is known for his heartbreaking relationship with Marilyn Chambers.
The couple married and later welcomed a son named Byron, who passed away after battling cancer.
His daughter Nana Coburn also appeared in Home and Away to play two different characters, Vicki Baxter and Lisa Matthews.
Norman retired from acting in 2008 and currently lives a quiet life on Bruny Island in Tasmania.
He has made an exception to his retirement and played Gareth in 2019’s Rosehaven.
