Theo Poulos (2021 Character)

''Home and Away'' is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the soap's executive producer, Lucy Addario. The 34th season of ''Home and Away'' began airing on 1 February 2021. Susie McAllister, Chloe Anderson and Mia Anderson were introduced during the same month. Sienna Blake, Allegra Freeman and Emmett Ellison made their debuts in April. Rachel Young arrived in late May, followed by Cash Newman in June. Logan Bennett and Felicity Newman were introduced in August. Theo Poulos made his debut in September.

Susie McAllister

Susan "Susie" McAllister, played by Bridie Carter, made her first appearance on 4 February 2021. Carter's casting details were announced on 10 August 2020. She began filming during the same week. Carter was pleased to be offered the role during the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it unexpected. She stated "I was astounded and ecstatic at the same time. I am very fortunate and very grateful because I have a lot of friends who are sitting in a very precarious position." Carter has previously appeared in the serial as Toni Jarvis and Brooke Taylor in 1995 and 1999. Susan is a real estate agent who relocates from Western Australia to Summer Bay. Carter described her as "a really fun, dynamic woman" and "fiercely independent". She also said Susan "befriends certain people quite particularly." Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy later reported that she would a possible love interest for John Palmer (Shane Withington). The character was killed off in June 2021, starting a whodunnit storyline.

Following her move to Summer Bay, Susie is first required to help Tori Morgan (Penny McNamee) and Christian Green (Ditch Davey) who are in search of a new home. She soon has her eye on John Palmer (Shane Withington) and approaches him while he is dining alone at Salt; the pair initially hit it off and Susie takes keen interest in John's personal life. The two eventually become more involved with one another and when Susie claims she has no where to live, John agrees to let her move in. Susie shows signs of suspicious behaviour when she begins asking questions and searching through John's bank statements, aside from feeling uninterested every time John touches her. Susie then persuades John to run for Surf Club president, much to Alf Stewart's (Ray Meagher) shock as it is unusual for anyone to run against him for president. Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons) confronts John about his sudden change of character since he has started seeing Susie, causing her to clash with Susie on a number of occasions. Fed up with Marilyn's interference, Susie presents Marilyn with divorce papers from John. Following John's appointment as president, Susie persuades him to raise money for the Surf Club's renovation and she attempts to get sponsorship from local businesses such as the diner and the gym.

Leah Patterson (Ada Nicodemou) and Justin Morgan ( James Stewart) decide to enlist Susie's help in finding them a new house, while Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger), having felt that something was not right with Susie since she first arrived, become more suspicious of her. Susie sees Irene as a threat and accuses her of being attracted to John. John urges the women to make peace and invites them to dinner; Susie orders three glasses of wine and drugs Irene's drink, however, she is unaware that Irene is a teetotaler. John drinks the unwanted wine and become violently ill. Irene realises that the wine meant for her was drugged, which sparks her suspicions even further when Susie refuses to seek medical help for John. Justin and Leah receive the news that the house they believe was sold to them is not actually theirs. Irene and Willow Harris ( Sarah Roberts) soon discover that Susie McAllister does not exist when they stumble across a photo of Susie with the name Imogen Simons attached. Susie tries to convince everyone that Irene is spreading lies about her and advises Justin and Leah that there was an administrative error with the house which she intends to rectify. All becomes clear when Susie decides it is time to flee with Justin and Leah's life savings, along with the Surf Club funds. Irene confronts her and Susie drugs her with chloroform. Susie finally makes her escape, leaving John heartbroken, while Justin and Leah realise that they have lost all $90,000 of their money, as there is no trace of anyone by the name of Susie McAllister.

Several weeks pass and Leah is still determined to find Susie, while trying to convince John to help her. She eventually comes into contact with another of Susie's victims, Stephen Tennyson (Bren Foster), via an online forum, who claims that he and Susie had a brief relationship before she ran off with his life savings. Leah, John and Stephen continue their search to no avail, until John receives text messages from Susie. They plan a meeting that proves unsuccessful when she does not appear. Susie's body is recovered from the ocean and it is determined that she was killed by a blow to the head. The police realise that Susie could not have sent the texts to John, as she was already dead. Justin becomes the prime suspect after some of Susie's items are found in his possession. Leah later realises Stephen is the culprit, after finding a burner phone, Susie's laptop, and her and Justin's money in his motel room. She contacts John for help. Stephen tries to escape Summer Bay with Leah in fear that she will turn him in, but is eventually arrested and charged with Susie's murder.

Chloe Anderson

Chloe Anderson, played by Sam Barrett, made her first appearance on 11 February 2021. Barrett's casting was announced in November 2020, after she was seen filming scenes at the show's outdoor location. Barrett told Stephanie McKenna of ''PerthNow'' that she had always wanted to appear in ''Home and Away'', and she auditioned for the show five times, before she was cast as Chloe. Barrett had to relocate to Sydney, where the show's studios are located. She said the process from the audition to filming happened in "just a few weeks". She also said "My first day on set didn't even feel real, it felt a bit like a dream. I learn a lot every day from everyone, and from the crew as well. That's my favourite part about working on the show, everyone's always willing to help you as a new actor." Chloe is introduced along with her mother Mia Anderson (Anna Samson). They both have a connection to established character Ari Parata (Rob Kipa-Williams), who was in a relationship with Mia. Chloe saw Ari as a father figure before he went to prison. Chloe is billed as "a smart and sassy" young adult, who shares her mother's "intelligence and rebelliousness". Chloe comes to Summer Bay with her friend and Ari's nephew Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo), whom she meets in New Zealand. She hopes to reconcile the father/daughter relationship she had with Ari. Barrett felt that when it comes to Ari and Nikau, Chloe is "quite determined to reconnect." Chloe is also a potential love interest for Ryder Jackson (Lukas Radovich). The character's biological father Matthew Montgomery (James Sweeny) was introduced in November 2021. After 18 months in the role, Barrett made her last appearance as Chloe during an episode broadcast on 21 July 2022. The character leaves the Bay to join her mother Mia in New Zealand.

Chloe attempts to order an alcoholic cocktail at Salt, but Ryder Jackson refuses to make her one as she does not have her ID, so she orders a pizza instead. Chloe then meets up with Nikau Parata, who tells her that her presence is going to shake things up. Chloe returns to Salt and gives Ryder unwanted advice about making a good martini. Nikau takes Chloe to see his uncle Ari, her stepfather, who she has not seen in a number of years. She explains to him that she met Nikau while she was backpacking around New Zealand and that her mother, Mia, does not know she is in Summer Bay. Chloe has dinner with the family and is invited to stay for the night. The following day, Chloe and Ari talk about why she is in the Bay and how she felt when he went to prison. Chloe tells him that she was angry with him for missing so many moments in her life, but her mother told her that he did not want to see them anymore, which she knows is a lie. Ari tells Chloe that when he went to prison, he and her mother agreed that it was not a place for children to visit and he thought that she would explain this to Chloe. Chloe says that she and her mother just moved away. Ari urges Chloe to call her mother to let her know where she is. When Mia arrives, Chloe confronts her about the lies she told and refuses to leave with her, as she wants to stay and get to know Ari again. Nikau introduces Chloe to his girlfriend Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller) and helps her secure a job at Salt, after she goes up against Ryder in a cocktail making competition.

Mia Anderson

Mia Anderson, played by Anna Samson, made her first appearance on 11 February 2021. The character and Samson's casting details were announced on 3 January 2021. Mia is introduced as the former partner of Ari Parata (Rob Kipa-Williams) and mother of Chloe Anderson (Sam Barrett). Their arrival helps further exploration of Ari's fictional backstory, as it emerges that he went to prison after his and Mia's baby died. Mia then chose to move away with Chloe, who lost her father figure. Mia is reunited with Ari when she comes to Summer Bay to collect her daughter. She is billed as "an intelligent, gutsy and strong-willed mother-of-one." Samson departed the serial on 28 April 2022, after Mia decides she can no longer remain in the Bay following Ari's death. Chloe decides to stay in the Bay, but understands why Mia wants to leave. Barrett commented "Ari was her mum's soulmate and, in a lot of ways, the glue that held their family together." Ari's brother Tane Parata (Ethan Browne) gives Mia a ticket to New Zealand, so she can start over, and the family say their goodbyes after a pizza party.

Mia comes to Summer Bay after learning her daughter Chloe Anderson has followed Nikau Parata there. Mia's former partner Ari attempts to get in contact with Chloe and Nikau, and later learns that they have gone up the coast. Ari confronts Mia about the lies she told Chloe as they wait. Upon her return, Chloe also confronts her mother about lying about Ari and refuses to leave with her. Mia admits that she never meant to hurt her and she thought she was doing the right thing in order to protect her. Mia asks Chloe how she can fix things, but Chloe wants to stay in order to get her head around everything. Ari also refuses to help Mia, telling her that Chloe can stay for as long as she wants in order to get to know him again. The following day, Mia admits to Ari that she tried to tell Chloe the truth about his departure, but she struggled with all the questions. She tells him that she never meant to hurt either of them. Ari tells her that he understands why she did what she did. Chloe tells Mia that she has the chance of a job at a local restaurant and Mia agrees she can accept it. She then tells Ari that she intends to stay in the Bay too.

Sienna Blake

Sienna Blake, played by Rose Riley, made her first appearance on 29 April 2021. The character and Riley's casting was announced on 26 April. Sienna was introduced as part of a storyline exploring the world of modelling and photography involving Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo). Daniel Kilkelly noted that she shared a name and a "scheming" personality with a ''Hollyoaks'' character. He also said that as the storyline progresses, Sienna's ruthless side emerges and added "Has Nikau unknowingly made a deal with the devil?" Of Sienna first scenes, Stephanie McKenna of ''The West Australian'' observed: "It's the standard new character intro for this show, they all start out as baddies looking for trouble." McKenna thought Sienna was planning on making Nikau "her toy boy", and later branded her "the master manipulator".

Sienna contacts Nikau Parata after seeing an award-winning photograph of him and arranges a meeting. Nikau's uncle Ari Parata (Rob Kipa-Williams) also joins them and asks Sienna what she wants with his nephew. She offers Nikau a modelling contact, which he initially turns down, until she agrees to provide his girlfriend Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller) with an internship with a top photographer. Sienna is surprised when Nikau and Bella turn up together at SLM Management to create Nikau's portfolio. Sienna takes Nikau off to brief him on what to expect, and they join Bella and Emmett Ellison (Jaime Robbie Reyne) to take his first photographs. Nikau walks out on the session as he is uncomfortable, but soon returns and Emmett gets Bella to give him directions, which Sienna loves and she calls Nikau a natural. A few days later, Nikau is booked for a fashion campaign alongside Allegra Freeman (Laura McDonald), which is overseen by Sienna. She tells Nikau to attend a party thrown by the client and when Bella tries to get him out of it, Sienna tells her to re-read his contract. Days later, Sienna and Emmett turn up at the Parata's house. Sienna claims her PA forgot to call ahead and Ari invites them to stay for dinner. Nikau and Bella take them to Salt for drinks, where Sienna shows Nikau his new social media account. She arranges an impromptu photoshoot for Nikau and she invites Allegra along. Sienna asks Allegra to keep Nikau focused and stop him from looking bad, as he will be good for her career. During the shoot, Sienna makes Bella fetch coffees to get her out of the way, and she later tells Allegra to kiss Nikau which Bella witnesses. Nikau threatens to quit, but Sienna manipulates him by blaming Allegra and then telling him that Bella would also lose her internship. Nikau decides to continue after seeing his first pay cheque.

Allegra Freeman

Allegra Freeman, played by Laura McDonald, made her first appearances on 29 April 2021. McDonald's character and casting details were announced on 23 April 2021. The character was introduced as part of a big storyline set in the modelling industry centred around Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) and Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller). McDonald confirmed the plot would also focus on disordered eating, as well as body image from male and female perspectives involving social media. Of her casting, McDonald stated: "I am a 25-year-old size 10 woman, so when this audition brief came to me I kind of assumed I was past it age-wise. I'm also just not in the right size bracket to even be considered for the role. They have done an amazing job." Allegra was billed as a "sexy and scandalous model" who works with Nikau. She was also called "morally challenged" by Kerry Harvey of Stuff.

Allegra is being photographed by Emmett Ellison (Jaime Robbie Reyne) when he notices Bella Nixon watching on. He invites her to sit in the rest of the session. Nikau Parata is booked to appear with Allegra for a clothing campaign, but he struggles to relax and Allegra advises him to look at her the way he looks at Bella. The rest of the shoot is a success and Nikau thanks Allegra for her help. Their agent Sienna Blake (Rose Riley) arranges an impromptu photoshoot for Nikau in Summer Bay and asks Allegra to take part. Sienna tells her to keep Nikau focused, as he could be good for her career. Nikau finds it hard to focus and Sienna directs him and Allegra to get closer together. She also tells Allegra to bring more sex appeal and then orders her to kiss Nikau on her cue, which Bella witnesses. Nikau ends the photoshoot early to go after Bella. Sienna later tells Allegra not to worry about what happened. Allegra helps Nikau increase his social media presence with some new photos. She gives him advice about body image and then hands him an appetite suppressant made by a friend.

Emmett Ellison

Emmett Ellison, played by Jaime Robbie Reyne, made his first appearances on 29 April 2021. Reyne's casting details were announced on 23 April 2021. Reyne said he "leapt" at the role when it came up after his plans to go on tour with his band were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained: "I had just moved to Sydney from Melbourne and a month later lockdown happened. I had a tour lined up that was going to keep me busy for the year and I remember the week before lockdown happened going out and celebrating the tour. And then, all of a sudden, live music was the first thing to be pulled. I had just moved into a new house and was thinking, 'OK, so where do we go from here?'" Reyne's character is introduced as part of a big storyline set in the modelling industry and centred around Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) and Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller). It also focuses on "body image and the social-media pressure". Emmett is a professional photographer who Bella is invited to work with, however, she realises that "life behind the lens isn't what she expects." Reyne was able to bring personal experience to the role, as he modelled when he was younger, his mother was a model, and his godmother was a photographic agent. Reyne reprised the role the following year, as Emmett returns to the Bay to offer Bella a job overseas.

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