Home and Away is currently on its festive break in the UK, Ireland and Australia, but when will it be back on our screens in 2025?

Home and Away has been off UK screens since Friday 15th November, while the final Aussie episode of the year ended Wednesday 20th November 2024.

If you’re missing your daily dose of Summer Bay drama, don’t worry, the show is back in just a few weeks’ time.

When does Home and Away return to UK screens?

Home and Away will be back on Channel 5 on Monday 6th January 2025.

The “first look” will air on 5STAR a few days earlier, on Friday 3rd January 2025.

When is Home and Away back in Ireland?

Home and Away returns to RTÉ 2 on Monday 6th January 2025.

When does Home and Away return to Australia?

Home and Away returns to Australian screens on Monday 13th January 2025.

The timeslot hasn’t yet been officially confirmed, but it will almost certainly be back at its usual time of 7pm on 7 and 7Plus.

What’s coming up in Summer Bay next year?

UK and Ireland viewers, scroll down to find out what’s coming up in the first few months of next year.

For Australian viewers, we pick up where November’s Season Finale left off, with Tim’s (George Pullar) life on the line.

While it looked like Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) was responsible for Tim’s injuries in Australia’s dramatic season finale, we already know that Cash continues to live in Summer Bay well into 2025, suggesting there may be more to the story than meets the eye…

Nicholas Cartwright has recently been seen filming new scenes with the River Boys, who are set for a dramatic return next year.

He also seems to have gained a promotion back to Senior Constable, after taking a demotion back to Constable when he returned to Yabbie Creek Police last month.

Craig Hall is also set to join the cast, for what appears to be part of Nerida (Ellie Gall), Cash and Tim’s story. Craig previously Victor Stone on Neighbours.

An Instagram video posted by a cast member earlier this year showed Craig on the set of Northern Districts Police Station, standing behind Rose Delaney actress Kirsty Marillier.

He looks to be standing next to Ellie Gall, who plays Nerida, Tim’s vindictive former client.

It’s not yet known what part Craig will be playing, and whether he’s in the police station in a professional capacity. However, if it is Nerida in the video, then it’s possible that he arrives as part of the fallout from Cash and Tim’s ongoing feud, and Nerida’s search for revenge.

The Aussie season finale also saw Harper (Jessica Redmayne) and her unborn baby in danger, but fans have recently seen filming which seems to confirm that Harper will give birth to her baby boy next year.

Fan Sara Gaze visited Palm Beach as part of the Home and Away Tour, and saw the cast filming a scene featuring Harper, Tane (Ethan Browne) and their newborn baby.

The pair were spotted chatting at the Coffee Cart with their newborn in tow, and were all smiles as they played with their son.

As announced in October, Dean (Patrick O’Connor) and Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) will be returning to Home and Away in 2025, in special scenes filmed in Queensland.

Producers haven’t announced what causes us to be reunited with the pair, simply describing it as “a top-secret storyline that will play out at a yet to be announced date, early 2025.”

We do know that their return will involve the River Boys, with Patrick O’Connor revealing to The Daily Telegraph Confidential that “there’s a bit of River Boy action, there’s a bit of road trips with them.”

The River Boys made a brief return earlier this year, as we were introduced to new leader Rory (Joshua Orpin) and his best friend Dingo (Jk Kazzi).

Rory may now be behind bars, but the gang lives on, and they’re set for another return to Summer Bay in 2025.

Theo (Matt Evans) also looks to find himself caught up in the boys’ drama. Earlier in October, fan Ashton Richardson witnessed a scene being filmed where Cash and his colleagues arrested a number of the new River Boys.

Intriguingly, Theo was front and centre as the gang members were rounded up – what part has he played in the boys’ activities?

The scenes saw Cash and colleagues swooping on the gang, making numerous arrests as they bundled the members into police cars.

Among the new River Boy cast was believed to be actor Tom Wilson, who previously starred as Ryder’s friend Blake Gollan in 2019.

Cash was seen bundling the handcuffed character into the back of his police car before dealing with the rest of the gang.

Also involved was actress Sophea Pennington, who is followed by a number of the Home and Away cast on Instagram, suggesting that she could be a permanent new addition to the show.

Could Sophea be playing Summer Bay’s newest River Girl?

A publicly available audition video has revealed the existence of a character named Lacey, who is expected to hit screens in the first half of 2025.

The video sees Lacey talking to a ‘bad boy’ character who has recently been arrested for his part in a brawl – though he’s keen to point out that he was only “watching a brawl – there’s a big difference”.

The male character is planning a race day, but runs into difficulties when one of the co-organisers lands himself in trouble after punching a cop. Lacey then offers to take over running the day.

In late October, fan Megsie Johnston saw filming at Palm Beach with what appeared to be two brand-new characters. She later posted on the Home and Away Spoilers & Info Facebook group that the characters were a River Boy and River Girl.

Could they be Lacey and her car enthusiast friend?

Aussie viewers recently saw Xander Delaney (Luke Van Os) leave Summer Bay behind as he headed to Melbourne for a business internship. While he assured Dana (Ally Harris) that he’d soon be back, it’s believed that Xander won’t be returning to Summer Bay.

Following in Xander’s footsteps, it looks like his sister Rose is also leaving Summer Bay behind in the new year.

In early October, fan of the show Belinda Sinclair witnessed Kirsty filming Rose’s departure scene at Palm Beach.

The scene saw Rose driving out of the bay as Irene (Lynne McGranger), Kirby (Angelina Thomson) and Bree (Juliet Godwin) ran up to her, causing her to come to a stop.

Irene could be seen handing over a leaving gift after Rose stepped out of the car. Rose then hugged the trio one by one, before getting back in the car and continuing her drive out of the bay.

Kirby shouts “Go get ’em, Detective!” suggesting that Rose has achieved a promotion from Senior Constable to Detective, and may be heading to the city to pursue her dreams.

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What’s in store for UK and Ireland viewers next year?

UK and Ireland viewers are roughly two months behind the episodes airing on Australian screens, so we already know exactly what’s in store in the first few months of 2025.

UK viewers ended the year with a separate dramatic finale in which Tane discovered that Perri (Cantona Stewart) had killed his father Carl (Matthew Holmes), while Justin (James Stewart) was stuck at a remote house with Claudia (Rachael Carpani).

Upon our return to Summer Bay, Tane has no option but to call the police to report Carl’s death, and Rose and her colleague are soon on the scene.

When Tane goes to get Perri from his room, the teen has disappeared, which only serves to make him look guilty. Perri ends up being hidden in Summer Bay Auto by Theo, whose similarly abusive childhood means he knows the pain Perri has suffered.

Yet Perri’s face is soon plastered all over the news, and after Theo brings Tane to the garage, they manage to convince the teen to hand himself in.

Perri claims that his dad must have hit his head in their struggle, but the autopsy report reveals that there was water in Carl’s lungs, implying that he had drowned and that Perri himself was responsible.

Perri is charged and spends weeks preparing for trial, with little confidence that he’ll be found not guilty.

In the courtroom, things don’t look good, as the prosecutor argues that Tane’s decision to teach him martial arts was arming him with the skills he needed to end his father’s life.

In a break in proceedings, Perri’s lawyer Jane (Charlotte Friels) gets an urgent text and rushes off. When proceedings resume, she calls in a surprise witness – Perri’s mum, Kaia (Akina Edmonds)!

Perri spent years believing his mum to be dead, but, as Kaia takes the stand, she verifies Perri’s story of the years of abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, as she explains that Carl forced her to leave after threatening to harm her son.

Perri is found not guilty, but any happiness he would have felt is replaced by anger – why did his mum let him believe she was dead for so many years?

Perri pushes his mum away, and it takes some time for him to forgive her, but he eventually decides to leave with her for New Zealand.

With Justin stuck at the remote woodland cabin after Claudia threw his keys away, he spends the night in his car.

Back in Summer Bay, Leah (Ada Nicodemou) fears the worst, convinced that Justin and Claudia are having an affair. The following morning, Justin decides to head home on foot, but when he gets back to the bay, he finds his house deserted, and Leah’s belongings gone.

Leah has headed to Summer Bay House, where she announces to Alf (Ray Meagher) and Marilyn (Emily Symons) that she’s left Justin!

After Perri’s departure, Tane realises that he has feelings for Harper after all, and the two begin dating. However, heartbreaking news about their baby is just around the corner…

When Harper’s next scan comes around, Dana attends in Tane’s place. When the sisters meet with the sonographer, she leaves the room to double-check something with the doctor, and when Dr Shaw (Mandy Bishop) arrives, she reveals that there’s some shadowing on the baby’s lung.

She brings in Levi (Tristan Gorey), who explains that the baby has a small cyst on its lung. It’s putting pressure on its organs, which could result in heart failure if they don’t fix the issue.

Harper prepares for surgery after Levi explains that the cyst is still growing. However, Levi hides his fears about carrying out the operation, having never done it before. UK viewers will find out whether Harper and her unborn baby survive the operation in early March 2025.

The final week of UK episodes saw Alf suffer a heart scare after collapsing outside the Surf Club. Bree froze when it came to administering the life-saving drugs, and it was on Levi to step in and save Alf’s life.

Marilyn explained to Levi that Bree was at fault, and Levi decided to report Bree, after explaining that her hesitation could have cost Alf his life.

When her disciplinary hearing arrives, Bree turns the tables. She claims that Levi has control issues and that he swept in and took over Alf’s case, and references the time that he forcefully took over after Remi’s (Adam Rowland) accident earlier this year.

Levi then finds himself suspended – will Bree see sense before she ruins his career forever?

We met Remi’s wealthy parents Graham (Brian Meegan) and Nicola (Kate Raison) earlier this year, as it was explained that despite Remi’s privileged upbringing, he decided from a young age that he wanted to make his own way in the world.

In mid-February, his life changes forever when he discovers that a trust fund set up by his grandmother has matured and he’s about to receive $5 million!

After taking a couple of hours to think it over, he invites Bree, Lyrik and Justin to a lavish party of his own, where he reveals that he wants them to decide together how to spend the money together.

He also wants to get Lyrik back together, his riches meaning that they can play for pleasure without having to worry money. Lyrik are officially back together!

The new year sees Abigail (Hailey Pinto) bag herself a job at the board shop, and her new boss Mali (Kyle Shilling) soon realises that he’s developing a crush on her – yet, there’s a problem. Abby has developed a crush on Theo!

While Theo and Abby organise a first date, it comes crashing down when Justin fills Theo in on Abby’s history of drug use. With Theo having gone down a dark path with Valerie (Courtney Clarke) earlier this year, he reluctantly calls the date off, explaining to Abigail that he can’t risk relapsing.

That leaves the path clear for Mali. When Abigail organises a Gala Day for Manta Ray Boards, Mali is blown away, and he leans in for a kiss, which Abigail reciprocates. It seems a new relationship is set to hit the bay in 2025!

In late February 2025, it’s time to say goodbye to Xander Delaney (Luke Van Os).

Recent months have seen him enrol on a business course, and he explains to Mackenzie (Emily Weir) that he needs to find an internship before he can graduate. As he’s neglected to find one, he needs some urgent help sorting a placement.

Mac hits up her contacts, and soon finds him a 6-week internship in Melbourne, starting in a matter of days. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity, Xander packs his bags and says goodbye to Summer Bay, but not before he and Dana exchange their first “I love yous”.

Despite its low-key nature, Xander’s departure is expected to be a permanent exit, as Luke Van Os is believed to have finished filming and is currently travelling abroad.

Elsewhere, Levi manages to convince Abigail to begin seeing a counsellor to get to the bottom of her addiction issues. We’re introduced to friendly counsellor Tim Russell, who manages to make progress with Abby, but before long Tim ends up falling for her sister, Eden (Stephanie Panozzo)!

When Tim turns up at the Lyrik house shortly after Eden has said an emotional goodbye to Cash (more on that below), they end up sharing a kiss!

Expect major fireworks when Abigail finds out that her sister – who she has always believed abandoned her during their teenage years – is now in a secret relationship with her counsellor!

In late January, after Mangrove River police station is shut down, Cash reveals that the only place he can get transferred to is a small country town. Small-town policing has always been his dream, so he embraces the opportunity and decides to leave Summer Bay behind.

He and Eden share an awkward goodbye, but soon after, Levi convinces him to remain in the bay.

When Cash later heads over to the Lyrik share house to check things are okay between him and Eden, he’s shocked to spot her and Tim kissing in the back garden!

Despite Cash claiming to have left Eden for her own safety, as soon as he discovers that she’s dating Tim, he diverts all his energy into digging for dirt on her new boyfriend. 

After learning that Tim was Abigail’s counsellor, he looks up reviews on his online profile, and comes across a ‘Nerida Mullins’, who has left a review describing him as ‘Best Counsellor Ever ❤️❤️❤️’.

Cash gets in touch with Nerida, who claims that she was a former client of Tim’s but that they began dating, and Tim asked her to keep their relationship a secret.

Cash goes to Eden with his newfound knowledge, and she fears that he’s telling the truth. Tim denies having ever dated a patient, but Eden struggles to believe him, considering Cash has never lied to her before.

Cash convinces Nerida and Abigail to report Tim to his bosses for his repeated ethical issues, and Tim is suspended. Yet shortly after, Abigail begins to doubt Nerida’s version of events, and when she tries to get more details out of her, Nerida’s story begins to fall apart.

Cash realises that he’s made a massive mistake when Nerida doesn’t deny fabricating her story, as she warns him to “tell your ex to watch her back, I’d hate for her to get in the way.”

In episodes airing in the UK in March, Remi organises for Lyrik to rehearse at a mansion house on an island resort, with Justin, Bree and Tim coming along for the ride.

Meanwhile, Cash heads to the Lyrik sharehouse to find it’s been trashed, and he realises that Nerida could be dangerous.

He makes his way to Lyrik’s island retreat, where he tries to warn Tim of the danger he and Eden are in. However, by this point Tim is fed up of Cash’s constant interference, and the two end up in a slanging match, which is witnessed by Remi.

The following morning, a groggy Cash awakens to find Tim lying next to him, unconscious and covered in blood. Has Cash seriously injured Tim, or has Nerida had anything to do with it?

Aussie viewers are currently on their festive break, and will find out Tim’s fate when the show returns on Monday 13th January 2025. UK viewers will see the scenes in early March.

Dana completed her lifeguard training earlier in the year, and has been working alongside John (Shane Withington) ever since. In early February, Dana asks John if she’s ready to drive the Surf Club’s Cam-Am buggy, but John turns her down.

Dana jumps to the wrong conclusion when she realises that all of the male lifeguards have driven the Can-Am, and that she’s the only one who hasn’t.

She accuses JP of sexism, but John retorts by explaining that he’s sent her multiple emails about completing her training to ride the buggy, but that she hasn’t read any of them.

Dana realises that she was the one at fault and apologises to John, but John is deeply hurt that his friend and shift buddy would accuse him of sexism. He ends their friendship on the spot, and changes the rota so that he and Dana no longer have to work together.

Is Dana and John’s friendship over for good?

Meanwhile, Kirby (Angelina Thomson) ramps up her efforts to grow Manta Ray Boards by hosting a Gala Day. She and Mali spend weeks planning the big event, with Kirby commissioning a photoshoot for use on their promotional materials.

However, Kirby faces a huge shock when the new posters arrive, as she realises that the agency has altered the images to whiten her skin and make her thinner.

The agency explain to Mali that their changes would better appeal to their target demographic, which leaves Kirby heartbroken.

Mali pulls the event and scraps the posters, but the agency’s words have a profound effect on Kirby, and she begins shying away from photographs, and shouts at one of her surf students as they try to record the session.

Also coming up, Alf’s trusty Bait Shop is under threat when the landlord decides to hike the rent. He has no luck negotiating with the realtor, and decides that his only option is to shut up shop.

Roo (Georgie Parker) returns from her cruise in the new year, and decides to fight on her dad’s behalf. She writes a heartfelt letter to the Coastal News, hoping that it’ll help convince the landlord to have a change of heart.

However, online trolls soon pounce on the article, making it clear that it’s time for Alf to move on. He begins clearing out the shop, and emails his clients to let them know the business is over.

After a talking to from John and Mali, Alf eventually decides that there’s still life in his business, and begins looking for its new home elsewhere in the bay.

After realising how expensive real estate has become, he decides that an old storage shed on the site of the Caravan Park would be the perfect place for the new bait shop. Yet Roo believes he deserves better, and starts looking into new sheds – until she realises they cost some $30,000!

So, she comes up with a new plan: Justin can build one from scratch instead! Wanting to keep the plot a secret, she, Leah, Maz and Justin face the task of building Alf a new shed on his caravan park without him knowing!

Home and Away returns to UK and Irish screens on Monday 6th January 2025, and to Australian screens one week later, on Monday 13th January 2025.