A new Home and Away promo gives us our first look at Ziggy and Dean’s baby as Ziggy goes into labour early in the new year.
Home and Away has been off Australian screens for just over four weeks, and in that time we’ve been treated to a number of promos teasing what’s in store in the new year.
The catastrophe that occurs as Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) and Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) are driving to Flick and Tane’s wedding has been the focus of previous previews, but with less than two weeks until the show’s return, a new promo highlights two significant new events.
Ziggy Astoni discovered she was pregnant back in September, when Bree suspected that Ziggy’s dizzy spell during a surf session may be due to morning sickness.
When Dean Thompson heard the news from Ziggy, he was overjoyed to learn that his son Jai (River Jarvis) would soon have a baby sibling.
At their first ultrasound, the two were taken aback to discover that Ziggy was further advanced than they had anticipated—18 weeks along as opposed to the 12 weeks they had anticipated.
While Ziggy struggled to balance her job and pregnancy, which was made even more difficult when Justin (James Stewart) gave her a promotion, she eventually found a routine that worked, and in the final episodes of 2022, she and Dean started making preparations for the birth, beginning with a nursery for the baby.
The new ad provides us our first look at Ziggy going into labor before we meet her newborn baby. Ziggy will give birth in the early months of 2019.
The promo shows Ziggy with a panicked look on her face at the farmhouse, as she calls to Dean: “Hello, pregnant woman, in labour!”
“Real labour?” Dean asks – it looks like the moment has taken him by complete surprise.
Although we suppose there is a lot of worry as the couple runs to the Northern Districts Hospital, it appears that Ziggy has a relatively easy time giving birth.
The infant is then presented to Ziggy and Dean by a nurse in the following scene of the promo.
Ziggy has a huge smile on her face as she holds her newborn for the first time.
Dean is smiling widely too, before whispering to Ziggy: “I love you.”
Sadly, it seems that Ziggy and Dean may decide that the baby is a good excuse for a fresh start away from Summer Bay.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed, subsequent footage suggests that Dean and Ziggy leave the bay with their infant. Fans witnessed the couple recording a farewell from Summer Bay and leaving in Ziggy’s distinctive vehicle with the boot loaded with their belongings.
Despite the fact that the car was packed to the roof with their belongings, others have assumed that the new parents are simply going to see family.
We may safely presume that Ziggy and Dean will be leaving the program in 2023 since many previous characters have done so soon after having a child.
Mali is being touted as a “fun and cheeky” surfer with links to an existing Summer Bay favourite, though as of yet there’s no info yet on who he’s connected to.
The promo shows him pulling up in a beige campervan, before looking around at his new beachside home.
We also see his tattooed torso as he walks on the beach with his surfboard.
He then gets acquainted with Nikau on the sand, telling him he can “see why everyone talks this place up.”
Early in December, word of Mali’s arrival was made public. The Home and Away staff has worked hard to reflect the Aboriginal heritage of Mali, who is portrayed by Kyle Shilling, an Aboriginal actor from the Widjabul clan of the Bundjalung Nation.
Kyle said that the entire production team had contributed to the creation of his persona, which he called “amazing” in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
Kyle said, “To me, this means that they’re trying to do this right, to tell the tale of my character right, and to reflect my people and my culture in the appropriate way as well.
Mali’s character and plot lines have been developed by producers in collaboration with an Aboriginal script consultant. Mali’s attire, the artwork in his home, and the language he speaks have all undergone meticulous attention to detail.
Home and Away returns to Australian screens on Monday 9th January. It returns to the UK on Friday 30th December on 5STAR and Monday 2nd January on Channel 5.