The local lovebirds of Summer Bay invite New Idea to their home to discuss some exciting plans.
Laughter and kisses from their dog, Winnie, are what welcome New Idea at the front door of the house Paddy O’Connor and Sophie Dillman share in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Paddy laughs as he reaches down to pet and scratch the 2-year-old cavoodle, “You’ll have to meet the most essential member of the family first.
Paddy and Sophie first met as friends as teenagers while growing up in Queensland, and then reconnected as adults while filming the Home and Away episode where they play Dean and Ziggy. Off-screen romance rapidly spilled over.
Now that their characters are a part of a significant plot that involves them expecting a child together, Sophie and Paddy admit that real life may soon imitate art once more.
Sophie, 29, says, “We’ve been coming home and talking about what we’d do in that circumstance as Dean and Ziggy have been going through that process, talking about baby names, coping with morning sickness and health difficulties.”
“We now have a clear understanding of what we want,”
Winnie’s arrival in early 2021, according to Paddy, 30, was somewhat of a “trial run” for starting a family as well.
It helped me realise that starting our own family is the path we want to go since “he’s just the absolute best little dude and it was the first time I’ve had someone absolutely rely on me,” he says.
According to Sophie, it also improved their bond.
When Winnie first started teething, she jokes, “it got so awful that I was wearing oven gloves.”
When he grew too cold and one of us wanted a break from caring for him, Paddy and I would alternate caring for him.
Though they disagree on the specifics, the couple acknowledges that wedding bells may be tolling soon as well.
“I recently attended a few girlfriends’ weddings and seen the difficulty they went through.”
preparing major events… Perhaps we’ll just get married in Vegas! Sophie chuckles as she says.
“The complete Elvis drive-through wedding experience in Las Vegas!”
But Paddy jumps in right away.
He continues, laughing, “I don’t think our families will ever forgive us.
Paddy has one wish for his characters’ future, which fans will soon learn as Home and Away resumes airing this week after its yearly summer holiday.
He comments, “I’m hoping Dean and Ziggy have a girl.” Watching Dean attempt to handle that would be hilarious, I thought.