Dieter Brummer was a household name in the UK thanks to his role as Shane Parrish in Home and Away, but his life was marred by tragedy and he died at the age of 45
Australian heartthrob Dieter Brummer, best known for his role as Shane in Home and Away, was a favourite among viewers with his blonde hair, perfect tan, charming dimples and pearly white teeth.
The Aussie show attracted millions of fans, including up to eight million in the UK for each episode of the soap, in which he shared the screen with Melissa George, who portrayed Angel.
Together, they became one of the most adored couples on the soap as the characters’ storyline featured a school-age proposal, which left Summer Bay’s older residents in shock and surprise.
However, their on-screen romance was tainted by tragedy, with Angel temporarily paralysed after being hit by Alf (Ray Meagher), and Shane knocked off his motorbike. Despite an initial recovery, Shane tragically succumbed to septicaemia, leaving Angel under the care of Pippa (Vanessa Downing).
Melissa George, who played Angel, welcomed her third child in March last year, at the age of 47. Meanwhile, Tristan Bancks, who portrayed his on-screen mate Tug, now authors award-winning children’s books.
In the 1990s, Dieter graced the covers of numerous teen magazines and bagged two Australian TV Logie awards for his performances. After departing Summer Bay in 1996 following 557 episodes, he appeared in the hospital drama Medivac and later returned to soaps in the short-lived 2001 Sky TV soap Crash Palace, as well as Home and Away rival Neighbours, playing Troy Miller from 2011 to 2012.
Dieter candidly recounted his off-screen tension with former co-star Melissa, telling Woman’s Day in 2019: “We may have been love interests on the show but the chemistry was far from real.
“Mel was incredibly ambitious right from the outset. I don’t think she had much time for the cast of Home and Away.”
He also revealed the façade they had to maintain for the public eye, adding: “We had to look like the perfect darling couple in public. It wasn’t like anything off screen. It was all on screen.”
Reflecting on the unpredictable nature of fame, akin to Neighbours legend Paul Keane who played Des, he expressed: “It can be very fickle. You’re hot one moment and then you’re not the next. You’d have to just deal with it in any way you can.”
Dieter shared his desire for a break from celebrity, stating: “I think I’d experienced so much fame during those years on Home and Away that I did just want to take a break from it and literally try and experience a life as Joe Bloggs and live like normal people do.”
Seeking a new direction, Dieter trained to be a skyscraper window cleaner, finding pleasure in the obscurity the job provided.
However, happiness was short-lived when the NSW government’s Covid restrictions halted construction work, leading to a period of darkness and unemployment for him.
Tragedy struck in 2021 when the former heartthrob took his own life at the age of 45 at his parents’ home in Sydney. The devastating news broke July 24, 2021, leaving fans heartbroken.
His family paid a poignant tribute, saying: “We lost our handsome, talented, funny, complicated and beloved Dieter on Saturday morning.
“He has left a massive hole in our lives and our world will never be the same.”
The funeral, held during strict lockdown measures, was attended by 10 people, a stark contrast to the outpouring of grief from fans around the world.
