Veteran Australian actress Rachael Carpani recently made her Home and Away debut and her character is already causing tension in the relationship of an iconic couple.
The 44-year-old McLeod’s Daughters star plays villain Claudia, who arrived in Summer Bay with a bang when she threatened to sue Justin’s (James Stewart) garage for fitting faulty brakes to her car.
Her fiery arrival has already put a strain on Justin’s marriage to Leah, played by real-life lovebirds James Stewart and Ada Nicodemou.
Fans have been speculating on social media about what the temperamental character could mean for the beloved character’s already rocky marriage.
“I can see this lady coming between Justin and Leah’s wedding soon,” one fan wrote.
“Is her character going to disrupt Justin and Leah’s marriage here?” a second person asked.
Another person suggested that the wily Claudia could be making a very inappropriate request to Justin in exchange for dropping the legal action: “Is this insinuating to anyone that this woman is asking Justin to sleep with her in exchange for not pressing charges?”
“I hope they don’t force him to cheat on Leah, please leave them alone,” a fourth person pleaded.
Veteran Australian actress Rachael Carpani (pictured) recently made her debut on Home and Away and her character is already putting a strain on an iconic couple’s relationship
Meanwhile, others begged the writers to finally give the long-standing characters a happy story after they had overcome so many adversities.
“Can we have some more happy moments, no more crime, lies and deceit,” one person pleaded, with a second adding, “Another con artist! We need new stories.”
Last week, Rachael Carpani revealed that viewers were in for a few surprises when they saw her on the Channel Seven show – her character is a far cry from the sweet-natured Jodi she played in McLeod’s Daughters.
“This is a very interesting character on the surface. She’s a bit of a villain and very easy to condemn, but I think this will be a good exercise in playing a very flawed human being.”
Fans are worried about how Claudia’s arrival will affect the already rocky marriage of iconic Summer Bay couple Leah and Justin, played by James Stewart and Ada Nicodemou. Both pictured
“She’s introduced in a negative way, comes charging in with a bit of attitude. Like you would if your brakes went out and you ended up with a broken arm,” Rachael said.
Lovebirds James and Ada, 47, revealed their relationship off-screen when they were photographed kissing on Anzac Day this year.
During a recent appearance on Sunrise, Ada confirmed that she is in a relationship with her co-star James and raved about the actor.
‘Look, you know, or [our romance] “Whether it’s there or not, it doesn’t really change, you know, our relationship. Um, you know, we’re happy. We’re together,” Ada said, her face lighting up with a smile.
Lovebirds James and Ada, 47, revealed their relationship off-screen when they were photographed kissing on Anzac Day this year
“James is just such a great actor. I love working with him. That hasn’t changed either. Yeah, so whether it’s known or not, it doesn’t really change anything for us.”
Since James and Ada’s romance came to light, it has been rumored that they are considering moving in together.
Ada and James have known each other since 1998, when they appeared on the Australian drama Breakers, and they have starred together on Home and Away for seven years.
The couple started dating after Ada split from her ex-partner Adam Rigby just before Christmas last year and James finalised his divorce from Sarah Roberts in March.
The couple faced rumours of a potential rift in the Home and Away cast when their romance came to light, but the pair have since dismissed the claims.
Earlier this year, a source close to the actress told Woman’s Day that stars including Ray Meagher, Lynne McGranger and Emily Symone are all “keeping an eye on” Ada.
