Patrick O’Connor of Home and Away discusses why Dean is in for a big surprise after meeting Karen’s new man!
Patrick O’Connor, who plays Dean Thompson on Home and Away, has confirmed to whattowatch.com that his mother Karen Thompson (Georgia Adamson) will be paying him a visit this time!
In the past, Dean has struggled with his mum’s irregular behavior. But things have been stable between them since she began treatment for schizoaffective disorder.
When Karen shows up unexpectedly in the Bay, Dean is taken aback by her assertion that she’s fleeing a man who wants to marry her. But what exactly is going on?
“Dean’s pretty shocked! He can’t imagine Karen being someone who wants to be tied down or in a long-term commitment,” shared Patrick.
“But once he gets past that he can see she’s frightened. That shows she really cares about this man.”
Karen may have kept her romance a secret from Dean, but he has his own secrets. He hasn’t informed her that she is the grandmother of a grandson! Karen forces Jai to confess after seeing a photo of him.
“That’s a pretty big secret to keep! Jai’s mum Amber didn’t want him to meet Karen because of her past and that was the deal Dean made so he could see his son,” commented Patrick.
“Karen thinks it’s ridiculous that Amber has banned her from seeing him but when Dean explains the reasoning behind it, she respects Amber’s decision.
“He worries how it’s going to affect his mum and if it will affect her mental health.”
Happily, things turn out for the best when Dean realizes he needs to rethink his strategy and arranges for Karen to accompany him to the beach to meet Jai with his girlfriend Ziggy Astoni (Sophie Dillman).
“When they meet, it’s really nice. It IS Summer Bay but at times there can be happy endings!” Patrick joked.
Dean then swears to fix Karen’s love life by bringing her back together with her enigmatic boyfriend, Brett (Aaron Glenane).
“Dean hacks into Karen’s phone and finds his number and explains Karen’s in Summer Bay,” shared Patrick.
“When he rocks up, Ziggy and Dean can’t believe what they’re seeing! The funny thing about the situation is that Brett and Dean are around the same age!”
Karen, enraged that Brett has tracked her down, tries to throw him off by kissing a surprised John! Brett, on the other hand, isn’t willing to give up on Karen because he thinks she’s simply putting on a show.
Fans may have suspicions that Brett is up to no good, but Patrick has confirmed that Brett is the real deal.
“I think it will take some of the viewers by surprise but he’s a genuine, 100 percent down-to-earth lovely guy.
“That’s what makes Karen so scared. He really does mean the words he says and finding a guy like that for Karen is not a common thing.
Patrick added that now that the romance is back on track, Dean wants it to stay that way.
“He’s super stoked because he’s never seen his mum that happy. That’s what encourages him to be so supportive of their relationship and make sure that Karen doesn’t throw it away.”
Patrick added that, despite Karen’s brief stay in the Bay, it’s been wonderful to move on from Dean’s terrifying crash and subsequent recuperation last year. He also hinted at another major plot coming to the Bay.
“I’m overjoyed Dean is able to get back in the water and stroll about.” He insisted, “It’s always good to see the pleasant side of him.”
“There’s a lot of comedy coming up. We’ve not seen much of that side of Dean, because he can be quite serious.
“There’s also going to be some interesting things happening at Salt, but you’ll just have to watch and find out!
“It involves a lot of characters. I can’t say too much but it gets pretty spicy!”
We couldn’t let Patrick leave without asking him about his dog Winnie, a toy cavoodle, who has a breathtakingly cute Instagram account (cavalier king charles spaniel and poodle mix).
Just over a year ago, he and his fiancée Sophie Dillman (who plays his on-screen love interest, Ziggy) adopted the puppy.
“He’s the cutest! He’s got a bit of an attitude on him though!” Patrick laughed.
“He loves cuddling, loves hanging out, but he gets a bit sassy if you don’t give him a good scratch and a bit of love.
“It was something we’d always wanted to do but we’d never taken the plunge.
“Buying a dog is like that. You’re not really sure if you actually want one. But then we got one and it’s the best thing we did!
“It was right in covid and we were in lockdown and couldn’t have had a better little friend.”
Could Winnie become a new mascot for the Summer Bay cast?
“I think he’d love it! The only problem is if we filmed on the beach he’d run off! I don’t think he’s an actor just yet.”
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