Home and Away welcomes 2 new characters and one returning

Home and Away is expected to introduce new characters Carl and Claudia, as well as the return of Cash and Felicity’s adoptive father Gary.

Perri’s father, Carl, arrives

Perri Hayes (Cantona Stewart) arrived in Summer Bay a few weeks ago as part of Tane’s scheme for troubled youth, and now her father Carl (Matthew Holmes) is about to join him.

It soon became clear that Perri had a troubled upbringing, and after her mother’s untimely death, her relationship with her father became strained.

Perri eventually confessed to Tane that his father had been beating him for years and forcing him to perform various illegal activities for him. His recent stint in reform school was a result of his father ordering him to break into a house to collect goods to pawn.

When his father asked him to steal some tools a few weeks ago, Perri said no for the first time and was subjected to cigarette burns on his arm as punishment.

This week, Perri’s dad Carl makes a surprise appearance in Summer Bay as he searches for his son.

He arrives at the gym and promises Perri he’s just there to catch up, but it soon becomes clear he has something else in mind: he wants Perri to help him with one last task.

When Perri refuses, Carl threatens to go after Tane if he doesn’t return home with him immediately.

What’s unclear is exactly what Carl wants Perri to do. Will Perri’s fear for his father make him do something stupid, and how will Tane react if he finds out?

A promo that aired after Monday’s episode shows a distraught Tane in an angry confrontation with Carl, while Rose (Kirsty Marillier) and Harper (Jessica Redmayne) do their best to separate the two.

As Carl insists that Tane hit him, Harper drags Tane away, saying he has too much to lose.

Tane’s moment of anger leads Harper to finally confess the secret she’s been keeping for weeks. As he asks her what she possibly has left to lose after Felicity’s (Jacqui Purvis) death, she blurts out: “I’m pregnant, you’re going to be a father.”

Gary Morrow returns

Also this week, Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) and Felicity’s (Jacqui Purvis) adoptive father Gary (Peter Phelps) returns to Summer Bay.

Gary has made numerous appearances over the past two years, first appearing in late 2022, shortly before Felicity and Tane’s wedding.

His last appearance was in April 2023, when Felicity came to visit him while struggling with the car accident she and Eden were involved in on the way to her and Tane’s original, ill-fated wedding day.

Felicity never had a good relationship with her adoptive father growing up, partly because she always denied her biological father’s death.

Although Gary and his wife Katherine loved her unconditionally, Flick never accepted them as parental figures and left home as soon as she was old enough.

Cash was eager to mend their relationship before Felicity’s wedding to Tane, as Flick refused to invite Gary to the wedding.

Flick hadn’t spoken to Gary since leaving home, feeling ashamed of the way she had treated him and Katherine, but she eventually managed to make amends with him and the two ended up forming a bond.

On Monday’s episode, Cash finally made the heartbreaking decision to pull the plug on Felicity’s life support after she suffered a brain aneurysm a week ago.

Later this week, Gary returns to Summer Bay for the funeral, where he helps carry his adopted daughter’s coffin.

Much to the dismay of Felicity’s friends, Cash decides that the funeral should be limited to her family.

“I don’t think Cash has processed everything, and a big funeral would be too much,” Nicholas Cartwright explained to TV Week.

As a result, Mackenzie (Emily Weir) and Justin (James Stewart) begin planning a “Festival of Happiness”, allowing the other residents of Summer Bay the chance to say goodbye to their dear friend.

Claudia Salini arrives

Claudia Salini, played by Rachael Carpani, is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

While little has been officially announced about the new character, an interview with the Australian Daily Telegraph revealed that Claudia will “making waves at the Morgan house”which is currently made up of Justin, his wife Leah (Ada Nicodemou) and his nephew Theo (Matt Evans).

A promo for the upcoming episodes revealed that Claudia will enter the Morgans’ lives while threatening Justin, telling him: “I could sue you for everything you have.”

We first revealed that Rachael Carpani would be joining Home and Away earlier this year. In our May round-up of upcoming arrivals and departures, we confirmed that Rachael’s CV had been updated to add the fact that she would appear as a character called Claudia Salini.

Carpani is best known for playing Jodi Fountain McLeod in McLeod’s Daughters.

She played Jodi in eight seasons of the Nine Network series and was nominated for a Gold Logie for the role in 2007. More recently, she appeared in the comedy-drama Seven 800 words and the Ben Affleck movie The Way Back.

Before gaining prominence in McLeod’s Daughters In 2001, Rachael had a small role in Home and Away as Miranda, one of the waitresses at the restaurant. She has also appeared as an uncredited extra, including as a member of Saul Bennett’s commune in 1997.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Rachael revealed that Home and Away’s script executive Louise Bowes, who was previously a writer on McLeod’s Daughters “were in charge of the design and creation of Claudia,” that Rachael believes made her character “much more real.”

“I know we’re talking about a fun soap opera here, where people get kidnapped, things get blown up and crazy things happen, but there was a reality to this character,” she told the publication.

Rachael is not the only one McLeod’s Daughters alumni have been hanging around the shores of Summer Bay in recent times, with Aaron Jeffery recently making a brief appearance as Jimmy Fowler, the father of Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) and Levi (Tristan Gorey).

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Here are the full spoilers for the week Home and Away episodes in Australia:

Monday, August 19 (Episode 8330)

Dana is sister of the year. Cash makes a tough choice.

Tuesday, August 20 (Episode 8331)

Mackenzie breaks down at work. Cash makes a difficult phone call.

Wednesday, August 21 (Episode 8332)

Kirby crosses the borders of Mali. Harper’s painful truth comes to light. Perri’s father is back in town.

Thursday, August 22 (Episodes 8333-8335)

Is Levi just making things worse? Mali has a different perspective. Abigail needs her big brother.

Levi takes care of his little sister. A special festival is planned. Cash and Eden embark on a dark journey.

Cash makes a rash decision. Carl causes trouble. Tane has more to lose than he could ever imagine.