Two Home and Away fan favourites are set to make their grand return!
Beloved characters Ziggy Astoni and Dean Thompson, portrayed by Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor, will be back on the shores of Summer Bay.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Home & Away stars Sophie Dillman & Paddy O’Connor say goodbye to Summer Bay.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
The actors will begin filming in the Whitsunday Region of tropical north Queensland for a top-secret storyline that will play out.
The air date is yet to be announcement, but fans can expect to see them on screens early 2025.
Prior to their on-screen departure, Ziggy and Dean were long-standing residents of Summer Bay, whose on-again-off-again romance took Home and Away fans by storm.
After a turbulent pregnancy in 2023, Ziggy and Dean welcomed baby girl Izzy into the world.
The trio were last seen on screens in March 2023, when they made the difficult decision to say goodbye to the Bay and head north to Queensland so Dean could be closer to his son, Jai.
On returning to Home and Away, Dillman says: “It feels so good to be home!”
O’Connor added: “I can’t wait for the action, and for fans to see this storyline play out.”
The on-and-off-screen couple left together in 2023 and moved to the UK to work and treat themselves to some well-earned travel.
The couple, who began dating in 2019, have continued to share updates from their travels on social media and it was previously unknown that they had returned home.
Sophie Dillman’s character, Ziggy, first arrived in Summer Bay in 2017, and Patrick O’Connor’s character, Dean, was introduced in 2018.
Characters Ziggy and Dean became close and soon fell in love after her separation from her ex-husband Brody (played by Jackson Heywood).
While the specifics of their return remain under wraps, the announcement is expected to spark excitement among the show’s audience.
More details regarding their guest appearances are expected to be released soon.
Watch Home and Away Monday to Thursday at 7pm AEDT on Channel 7 and 7plus.