Two of the show’s most popular characters will be making a comeback.
For many long-time fans of Home and Away, keeping up with every episode can sometimes feel like a challenge. Life gets busy, storylines come and go, and even the most devoted viewers occasionally drift away.
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A recent announcement, however, has made many people declare that they will be tuning back into the long-running Channel 7 series. The network revealed this week that two of Summer Bay’s most popular characters, Darryl ‘Brax’ Braxton (Stephen Peacocke) and Erica ‘Ricky’ Sharpe (Bonnie Sveen), will be making a comeback.
The on-screen couple will return in 2026 for a landmark Home and Away event, which will reveal where life has taken them since 2016. The TV special is being produced in partnership with Tourism Western Australia, and will deliver “high-stakes drama and emotional payoffs set against a stunning backdrop of WA’s rugged outback”.
Brax and Ricky are returning to Home and Away
Stephen Peacocke, who won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actor twice during his five-year stint on Home and Away, said in a statement that he’s looking forward to playing the charismatic leader of the River Boys again.
“I’ll always be grateful to Home and Away for being the launchpad to my career, and I’ve got a sincere appreciation for the fans who’ve followed my work since,” he shared. “When the producers asked if I’d revisit Brax, it felt like a fun opportunity – and one I think the audience will really enjoy. Filming in spectacular outback Western Australia is the icing on the cake.”
Bonnie Sveen added that she never expected to reprise her role of Ricky, which she played from 2013 to 2016, but she’s “beyond thrilled” to reunite with her former scene partner when filming kicks off in October.
“Exploring where Ricky and Brax are now, 10 years on, will make for a very special and compelling storyline – and I can’t wait for our WA filming adventure,” she said.
Bonnie previously told Yahoo Lifestylein 2023 that she would “never want to say a flat no” when asked to return to Home and Away, adding: “I have no plans to go back, and maybe I won’t [get an offer], maybe I should just prepare for myself that it’s not going to happen.”
‘My prayers have been answered’
Fans have since taken to social media to express their excitement, with many admitting that they will be watching Home and Away for the first time in years to check out the special.
“Haven’t watched Home and Away since they left, so I’m excited for them to come back and definitely gonna watch it when they do,” one person wrote.
“I stopped watching when the Braxtons left. Looks like I’m coming back H&A!” another added, while a third said, “Guess I have to start watching again”.
“Back to watching Home and Away religiously,” someone else replied, followed by a different user who commented, “I’m going to have to start watching again. My prayers have been answered”.
“The best era was the Brax era,” one fan declared, with someone else writing, “This is what we have wanted for so long, BRAX to return”.
