The return of Patrick O’Connor’s character Dean Thompson to Home and Away has hinted at impending upheaval for the River Boys.
It was recently revealed that next year, Dean and his girlfriend Ziggy Astoni (portrayed by Sophie Dillman, O’Connor’s real-life spouse) will make a surprise appearance on the soap opera for a top-secret storyline.
To be nearer to Dean’s son Jai, the pair moved to North Queensland in 2023. Later this month, O’Connor and Dillman will start filming their sequences there as well.

O’Connor has hinted at some “action” involving the River Boys surfer gang, of which Dean was a member before making a change in his life, even if their plot is being kept under wraps.
He told The Daily Telegraph’s Confidential, “There’s a bit of River Boy action, there’s a bit of road trips with them,” as reported by Yahoo Lifestyle.
“I think it’ll be good to see where Dean is now, where they’re at now with their babies living away in Queensland, is all I’ll say.”
When speaking about their choice to leave the soap opera last year, O’Connor had previously stated: “It’s a huge commitment and a massive chunk of my life.” During our stay, I felt like I transformed into six different persons.
“You’ve grown a lot as a person and as an actor. Although it’s a fantastic place to work, I was prepared to go on.
“We have both done everything possible with our characters, and it was time to start a new chapter,” said Dillman.
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