Jack Holden
Jack Anthony Holden (2005-2009)
Paul O’Brien
Episodes: 4020–4772
Date of Birth: 15th June 1981
Date of Death: 19th January 2009
Parents: Tony & Kate (deceased) Holden
Step Parents: Rachel Armstong (stepmother)
Siblings: Lucas Holden; Harry Holden (half)
Marital Status: Martha MacKenzie (2006-2007; 2008-2009); Sam Tolhurst (2007-2008, deceased)
Step Children: Rory Tolhurst (former)
Occupation: Police Officer
Jack Holden was first seen in episode 4020 when he responded to a neighbour’s complaint that the noise at Tasha and Robbie’s party was too loud. Sparks flew instantly as Martha argued with him that he was giving them a lecture and called him a jerk. The following day Martha’s car was pulled over for speeding by the same police officer as the night before who this time introduced himself as Jack Holden. He was seen for the third time at the end of the episode, when much to Martha’s disgust he moved, with his father Tony and brother Lucas into the house next door to the Hunters.
It soon became clear that the Holdens were hiding a secret and Martha in particular became hell bent upon finding out what. When Harry Chambers came to town with the news that Jack was responsible for the death of his daughter, the locals, led by Martha reacted with fury. A town meeting allowed both sides of the story to be heard as it was revealed Jack shot the girl in self-defence as she carried out an armed robbery, the Summer Bay community accepted Jack’s innocence.
Though Martha apologised she still refused to be friends with him, retaining her resentful attitude. Jack however liked her and pursued her with some serious flirting eventually asking her out only to be met with the response: “I’d rather listen to ‘my heart will go on’, on repeat than go on a date with you.” Jack refused to give up though and it quickly became obvious that despite her protests Martha liked him too. A series of practical jokes ensued, a game of pool where Jack pretended to play badly, staking a nude run on the outcome, only to win the final game leaving Martha to accept the dare, which she did and a drinking competition followed which Jack won. In an attempt to even the stakes Martha found out from Tony that Jack was terrified of spiders so planted one in his room but it backfired spectacularly when he found it, coming out of the shower, fell and hit his head and was found with blood pouring from his ear.
After surgery it became apparent that Jack had a problem with his hearing and when more surgery failed to solve the problem he was told that potentially he may have lost his hearing for good, spelling the end of his career. He quickly cheered up though when Martha came to visit him but failed to tell him she was responsible. She was busted later though when Jack found the fake spider and realising what had happened, reacted furiously to her eventual confession. After a pep talk from Tony he decided to forgive her but refused to be friends but this time Martha wasn’t taking no for an answer. She returned with beer and Jack finally caved on the condition she did something for him. The condition turned out to be jumping off a cliff, Martha’s phobia but Jack never thought she would go through with it so as she prepared to jump, he stopped her and they finally shared a kiss.
Their relationship was soon to be threatened again when Jack returned to work, lying about his hearing and Martha found out, insisting he told his superior. When Jack failed to do so, Martha and Lucas told Tony sparking more fury from Jack who admitted he still hadn’t forgiven her for the spider prank and they split up.
Despite his obvious feelings Jack gave his police partner Corey Henderson permission to ask Martha out and they became a couple but Jack’s jealousy merely increased. At Hayley and Kim’s buck and hen nights, Tony made Jack see he was jealous, Corey offered to step aside and Jack declared his feelings to Martha but she declined, saying it was too late.
Martha and Corey stayed together and the gap between Jack and Corey grew with Jack becoming increasingly suspicious of Corey’s lies. Following Irene’s declaration that Corey was poisoning her Jack started investigating and tried to warn Martha off but she thought he was just jealous and accepted Corey’s invitation to move to the City with him. On the day she was due to leave jack finally found the evidence that Corey had been drugging Irene and after saving her went looking for Corey only to find he’d already left with Martha. Martha meanwhile had figured what was going on and Jack arrived just in time to save her.
Afterwards Jack found Martha in Noah’s and tried to comfort her but Martha remained terrified until Jack forced her to confront Corey and cured her fear. At this point the two went back to being friends but they continued to flirt until at Baby Noah’s christening a comment from Matilda and Lucas suggesting that they were meant to be together led to Jack and Martha doing just that, sharing a kiss and reuniting.
Following Lucas’s rebellion Jack and Martha talked about settling down and being a family so Jack recruited Robbie and Tasha to help him convince Martha he was against marriage in order to put her off the scent. His prank backfired though when Martha failed to show for the dinner after considering ending things but after an explanation from Tasha, Martha surprised a disappointed Jack with rose petals all over the front room and proposing to him.
A near death experience for Jack at the hands of Zoe convinced Martha to bring their wedding forward and the perfect wedding was planned until Zoe crashed the reception by exploding the venue. Jack was seriously injured and rushed to hospital where it was revealed his liver was damaged and he underwent a liver transplant. Martha meanwhile was part of a group of burn victims who Rachel arranged to go to the city for plastic surgery, except that the helicopter crashed in a storm and Martha was missing, presumed dead. In her absence Jack grew closer to Tasha who, with Robbie missing, was feeling the same as him but both were relieved when Martha and Robbie were found alive and JM were reunited.
The reunion was short-lived however and after a series of rows about Jack working too and not putting enough effort into their marriage, Martha moved out.
The split became permanent when Jack, on realising that Peter Baker was still alive, was badly bashed and ended up in hospital. Martha donated blood to help him through surgery but confided in Alf that she no longer loved him. Whilst Jack was in hospital Martha met and spent the night with a man who introduced himself as Ash Nader, he was later revealed to be Jack’s old friend. After much agonising Martha and Ash finally told Jack about their night together and Jack finally realised that his marriage was over.
In the meantime Jack started dating his physiotherapist Sam and became close to her son Rory but Sam was on the run from her abusive, drug dealing ex husband. Jack assured Sam she would be safe in Summer Bay and the two have seemed pretty solid until the recent revelation that Ash was actually married with two children whilst seeing Martha. Add to that Martha’s decision to abort her baby, the fact that she’s chosen to confide in Jack and the fact that he is desperate to help her, seemingly at the expense of his relationship with Sam, it doesn’t look good for Jack’s latest romance.
In the meantime Jack started dating his physiotherapist Sam and became close to her son Rory but Sam was on the run from her abusive, drug dealing ex husband. Jack assured Sam she would be safe in Summer Bay and the two seemed pretty solid until Sam’s psycotic ex turned up after her. Although Jack came to her rescue Sam decided she could no longer be safe in Summer Bay and after a heartfelt goodbye, she and son Rory fled.
With Martha’s heart broken after the revelation that Ash was married, most of Jack’s time was spent trying to convince her to stop her downward spiral into drink. Taking an instant dislike to her new older boyfriend and the fact that she was working in his club, Jack was further horrified, on Peter’s stag night to find Martha working not as a barmaid but as a pole dancer.
Jack attempted to frame Cam for drug dealing but Cam got wind of the plan and planted them instead on Martha who was arrested, forcing Jack to remove the evidence and get her off. With Cam losing the club and Martha after his desperate attempts to save the club by selling her backfired, Cam torched the club, not knowing Martha was trapped inside. Luckily Martha managed to phone Jack in time and he came to her rescue. With Cam now out of the way and Martha seemingly back to normal Jack looked to be hoping for a reconcilliation. His hopes were dashed however when Martha told him she wanted to remain friends.
Jack was involved in trying to rectify the mess between his father and brother in the aftermath of Beth’s death and got revenge on Naomi for hurting his family by reporting her for misconduct. He and Martha began spending time together as friends and both did a good job of convincing the other that they were interested in other people.
They eventually agreed to try a date and went on a picnic in the country but when a farmer started shooting at them Jack went into police mode and chased after him. With it starting to rain, a furious Martha began walking back and when Jack returned for her she was nowhere to be seen. He returned to her flat and shouted an apology to her but Martha wasn’t there, she had crashed down in a barn. She was discovered by Annie and Geoff Campbell and Geoff gave her a lift back into town. She treated them to milkshakes and had a shouting match with Jack, causing Geoff to intervene on her side. Jack tried to make up for it with flowers and chocolate but Martha gave them to Geoff telling him that despite being married Jack still managed to get her flowers she was allergic to and chocolates she hated.
Deciding to stay friends they spent a day skinny dipping before being caught by Lara. They arranged a dvd session together but whilst in Noah’s Jack accidentally found the divorce papers that Martha had received weeks before. Angry with her, he made her believe he really wanted a divorce when the opposite was the case. Convinced that Jack really was over her Martha convinced him that she too wanted a divorce and they both reluctantly signed the papers.
A few days later Jack was assumed missing in a boat in a storm and a frantic Martha destroyed the papers. The occupants of the boat later turned up safe and well but Jack wasn’t with them, he had never been on the boat. Martha went round to his house to tell him she didn’t want a divorce but found him with his ex girlfriend Sam installed in the front room. Jack had decided that it was fate and that it was Sam he was meant to be with.
When her psychotic ex returned to town and kidnapped Rory Jack took off in pursuit and broke several rules whilst rescuing Rory safely but was only spared disciplinary action by Lara lying for him. Jack confided his work troubles in Martha infuriating Sam with the fact that he and Martha remained so close whilst he was keeping stuff from her. She demanded that Jack break off his friendship with Martha and Jack reluctantly agreed.
Jack, Sam and Rory moved in with Rachel and began building a home. They were shaken when Rory went missing on a day trip from school but relieved when they were picked up by Cassie and Henk. Sam upset Jack though by shutting him out of Rory’s parenting but after a long chat she agreed to let him in more and he proposed to which she accepted.
He was furious to find out though that Martha had destroyed the divorce papers so that they were still married, leaving him desperate to get the divorce through before Sam found out. They were told they needed marriage counselling but their counsellor, Dan refused to grant them his permission, saying the had unresolved issues and leaving Sam furious.
After a heart to heart with Jack, in which he admitted he cared for her but his future was with Sam, Martha contacted Morag and got her help in pushing through the divorce. Martha was to cause him more problems though when he began getting blackmailed about hiding evidence for Martha earlier in the year. With the new cop in town, George, finding out, Jack was forced to toe a line and allow his dodgy colleague to get away with crooked deals. With Martha on his case Jack issued George an ultimatum but George was already plotting to set him up at work. Finally coming clean to Sam and at her suggestion, Jack managed to remove the evidence that implicated him.
He was set up by George to look like he was involved in a bank robbery but when he finally clicked he was shot and wound up in hospital. With Sam refusing to leave his side, Jack didn’t wake up until Martha came to visit him. With his memory doubtful he believed himself very firmly still in love with Martha.
Jack had a nightmare and raced round to see Martha who sent him away. The next day she confronted him and told him she didn’t think he should be marrying Sam. Unfortunately Rory overheard and Jack was forced to explain to Sam, who banned Martha from the wedding. Relations further deteriorated when Sam caught Martha trying on her wedding dress and insisted on buying a new one.
When Martha was attacked by the hospital stalker, Jack blamed Sam and later refused to leave Martha’s side causing Michael to hit him. Handed an ultimatum by Sam, Jack met Martha where they kissed before she ran away. The next day he asked her to meet him but he was held up by Rory and by the time he arrived she had given up and headed off so Jack headed to the church, preparing to go ahead with the wedding rehearsal. With Martha and Michael due to leave the bay, Jack was warned off attending their farewell by Michael and they left without Jack telling her how he felt. With Martha out of the picture, Jack went ahead with his wedding to Sam.
After returning from his honeymoon Jack was involved in the search for Johnny Cooper and comforted Sam after she was declared a hero for knocking him out and putting him in a coma.
Johnny died a few days later and, following his death, Jack found a letter that he had left at Tony’s house. The letter explained the truth about Sam’s past and said that she was the one who had helped him. Jack was devastated and confronted Sam. Sam admitted the truth but said she did it all for Rory. When she told Jack she was pregnant, Jack was torn about what to do but following a fight, Sam fell to the ground and lost the baby. She then ran away from the hospital and the truth about everything was made public. Jack then went to the city to see Rory but he didn’t want to see him so Jack made his way back to the bay. In the meantime, Sam’s body was found washed up on the beach and a murder inquiry was launched. When Jack found out, he broke down as he thought he had drove her to kill herself. He was admitted to hospital so he could be sedated but when he was released he was immediately questioned by the police. They thought that he and Martha had plotted together to kill Sam. The situation brought Jack and Martha closer together as they fought to clear their names. Morag’s theory, about Sam killing herself and setting it up to look like Martha had killed her, was eventually proven to be true and they were officially off the hook.
After Rory said he didn’t want Jack at the funeral, Jack continued to bond with Martha. They then had a heart to heart and talked about their relationship. It resulted in them getting back together but they worried about what everyone else would think, as it was so soon after Sam’s death. Alf was happy for them but Morag and Tony were not. Jack and Martha then decided to go away for a while to get away from the gossiping and disapproval. Following their return, Tony gave them his blessing and Morag eventually accepted their relationship.
Jack then made the decision to quit the police force but he was soon forced back into action when Ric needed his help to bring down Noel Anderson and the illegal fights. Jack organised a sting but it went wrong at the last minute and they had to improvise. Along with Lara, Jack raided the fight and arrested Noel. Martha then persuaded Jack that he belonged in the police force and he got his job back.
Jack and Martha then decided to get engaged again. At first they wanted to keep it a secret but they eventually told everyone. They celebrated with their friends and family at their engagement party but unfortunately the party was ruined by Jazz and Christine Jones having a fight.
Soon after, Jack found out that Martha was pregnant and he was overjoyed. However, he wasn’t aware that the baby was possibly Roman’s and was devastated when he found out. Eventually he calmed down and the three of them decided to wait until the baby was born to have the DNA test.
Despite possibly not being the father, Jack was thrilled at the first ultrasound but his joy soon turned to despair when Martha found a lump in her breast. After some tests and an anxious wait they found out that Martha had breast cancer. Jack supported Martha as best he could but wanted her to have a termination so she would be able to have chemotherapy. Martha refused to give up her baby and also decided to have a mastectomy which shocked Jack. Jack contined to support Martha through her ordeal but they decided to have the DNA test after all. It was revealed that Roman was the father, which devastated Jack. He took his frustration out on Roman and ended up arresting him for assaulting a police officer. Charlie persuaded him to drop the charges and he eventually began to resolve his feelings about the situation when Martha confided in him and showed him her scars.
When Jack and Martha were helping Tony to look for Rachel, Martha’s health began to deteriorate. She was diagnosed with a blood clot on her lung so Jack and Martha decided to get married that day in the hospital grounds. Following the ceremony, Martha collapsed and nearly died. Jack thought he had lost her and struggled to contemplate life without her so was very relieved when she pulled through. However, during the ordeal Martha lost her baby and Jack wanted her to have chemo immediately. Following a memorial service for the baby, Martha decided to go ahead with the chemo, much to Jack’s relief. Jack supported her through every stage of her treatment but struggled to see Martha in so much pain. When Martha didn’t want to have the last round of chemo, it was Jack who talked her into it and told her she needed it to give her the best chance of survival.
Jack then became involved in the development site investigation when he found out that the toxic waste underneath it could have been responsible for a cancer cluster in the Bay. When Martha found about this she decided to go away to a retreat to recover properly. Jack was worried about paying for it but had to swallow his pride and accept a loan from Roman.
While Martha was away, Jack became determined to get to the bottom of the situation at the development site and continued to investigate, despite Tony asking him to ease off.
When Martha returned she bought Jack a boat to say thank you for being there for her. Jack was thrilled as he had always wanted a boat to renovate. They also slept together for the first time since Martha’s operation which cemented their relationship further.
However, Jack still continued to pursue the developers and came to Angelo and Belle’s rescue when they were about to be killed by a gunman. This made Jack even more determined to pursue the truth and, suspecting Angelo was corrupt, decided to follow Angelo to the development site. In the darkness, Angelo heard a noise and immediately fired his weapon. He was then distraught when he discovered that had shot Jack through the heart.
When Jack was nowhere to be found, Martha was worried so Tony went out to find him. Tony turned up at the development site and was devastated to discover Jack lying on the ground. He called an ambulance but it was too late Jack was already dead. When they got back to the hospital Martha arrived and spent the night with Jack in his room. In a dream type sequence Martha and Jack talked about what they should have done differently. Martha then said that she had so many regrets about their relationship and not focusing on them. Jack said that they shouldn’t have any regrets and told her that being her husband made him unbelievable happy. Martha didn’t want to leave Jack so Tony had to drag her away so they could transfer Jack to the morgue.
At Jack’s funeral his family, friends and work colleagues gathered to say goodbye. Tony made a moving speech about his son and Angelo read the police valedictory, despite being the one seemingly responsible for Jack’s death. Martha knew about this so struggled to maintain her composure throughout the ceremony. At the wake she couldn’t keep it together and Tony forced her to tell him what was wrong. When she told him that Angelo was Jack’s murderer he flew into a rage and attacked Angelo. Despite being dragged off him twice, he forced Angelo to confess “I did it! I killed Jack!”.
Thanks to Nicom for help with this profile