Home and Away has teased a mystery surrounding Valerie, as both Justin and Kirby become suspicious of the newcomer and her interest in Theo.
It was revealed that Valerie Beaumont (Courtney Clarke), who arrived in Summer Bay at the start of the week, was Leah’s (Ada Nicodemou) roommate from the mental health center that she had previously visited.
Since their previous contact before the 2023 Season Finale, in which she brandished a knife at Justin (James Stewart) in the diner, Leah has been finding it difficult to get back in touch with him after returning from the clinic. She fears that being around him could lead to another episode.
The couple’s reunion has been made possible in large part by Valerie’s visit. Initially, she persuaded Leah to let Justin stay for dinner at Summer Bay House, and then she urged Justin to persist when his over enthusiasm drove Leah away once more.
Her efforts appear to have worked, and despite a couple of missteps along the way, the latest Australian episode ended with Justin and Leah walking hand in hand together, after agreeing to take things slowly.
Valerie and Theo (Matt Evans) have also been getting closer in this week’s episodes. Valerie was thrilled with Theo’s guitar strumming as he played a song while the four of them had dinner at Justin and Leah’s old shared house.
Leah then did her best to give Theo and Valerie some alone time together, and in a less-than-subtle attempt at matchmaking, suggested that her nephew take Valerie out and “show her the sights”.
The pair headed to Salt to enjoy a drink together, and things were going well – until Theo began to ask Valerie questions about her past after she mentioned a death in the family had caused her to put her career on hold.
Valerie shut him down, and Theo was forced to apologise the next day for making things awkward.
Valerie apologized to Theo in the most recent Australian episode for keeping him in the dark and made the decision to be more forthcoming. She said that no one, not even Leah, had ever questioned her about her past.
She revealed that even though she was close to her brother, he would constantly criticize her for her partying when she was a teenager. After being ejected from a party one evening, she had to call him to arrange for his pickup.
Things got ugly on the car ride home when Valerie’s brother started his customary onslaught of judgmental remarks. When Valerie lost patience and attempted to open the car door while they were still driving, her brother briefly looked away from the road.
Valerie realized that the two were pinned and upside down the following moment. She called out to her brother repeatedly, but he would not wake up and there was no response. At the scene, he was declared deceased.
After that, her parents severed their relationship with her and haven’t spoken to her since. She stays in the same mental health hospital as Leah because she continues to hold herself responsible for what happened.
Now, a new Home and Away promo questions who Valerie is, and suggests that she’s hiding a secret, as some of Theo’s closest friends become suspicious of his growing relationship with the new arrival.
“I still don’t know you that well,” says Justin, as he walks with Valerie on the beach.
“What’s your story?” he asks, to a surprised look from the new arrival.
In another scene, Leah asks Justin what he’s worried about, telling him, “I trust Valerie, that should be enough.”
Just why is Justin suspicious of Valerie so soon after her arrival in Summer Bay, and is he right to be worried?
Kirby (Angelina Thomson) is the second person who is worried, but is she genuinely concerned or is she just envious of her ex-boyfriend’s budding bond with the enigmatic new face?
Following a surf, Kirby turns to her left as she goes back across the beach and notices Theo and Valerie sitting together on the sand, Theo with his arm around Valerie.
Heading back to the Surf Club, she tells Rose (Kirsty Marillier), “I just saw Theo and Valerie getting all cosy on the beach.”
“Who’s Valerie?” asks Rose.
We then see more shots of Theo and Valerie getting close, as Theo reassures her, “whenever you need to talk, I’m here.”
“What’s she hiding?” asks the promo, giving us our first hint that she’s keeping a secret close to her chest.
As Kirby and Theo prepare to play another gig at Salt, Kirby asks her ex, “what’s going on with her?”, causing Theo’s eyes to light up.
The promo’s voiceover tells us that “her eyes are set on one person,” before a shot of Valerie and Theo collapsing back onto Theo’s bed, before sharing a kiss.
“But, it could destroy him,” the voiceover teases, as the pair walk along the alleyway next to Saxon Avenue.
“Wanna know my secret?” Valerie asks as she comes to a standstill.
Spoilers for next week tell us that “Valerie leads Theo astray” as “Theo and Kirby clash”, before “Kirby issues a warning to Theo” the following day.
Is Theo about to get himself into serious trouble with Summer Bay’s newest character?
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