Home and Away promo shows Ziggy and Dean’s baby for first time

A new Home and Away promo gives us our first look at Ziggy and Dean’s baby as Ziggy goes into labour early in the new year.

Home and Away has been off Australian screens for just over four weeks, and in that time we’ve been treated to a number of promos teasing what’s in store in the new year.

Previous promos have focussed on the crash which happens as Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) and Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) drive to Flick and Tane’s wedding, but with less than two weeks until the show’s return, a new promo showcases two major new developments.

The new promo teases the arrival of new character Mali Hudson (Kyle Shilling), along with Dean (Patrick O’Connor) and Ziggy’s (Sophie Dillman) own little arrival.

Ziggy Astoni discovered she was pregnant back in September, when Bree suspected that Ziggy’s dizzy spell during a surf session may be due to morning sickness.

Dean Thompson was delighted when Ziggy told him the news, and he realised that his son Jai (River Jarvis) would soon have a baby brother or sister.

The two had a shock at their first ultrasound when they learnt that Ziggy was further along than they thought – 18 weeks rather than the 12 weeks they were expecting.

While Ziggy struggled to juggle pregnancy and her job – made even harder when Justin (James Stewart) gave her a promotion – she finally found a routine that worked, and the final episodes of 2022 saw her and Dean begin to make preparations for the birth, starting with a nursery for the newborn.

Ziggy will give birth early in the new year, and the new promo gives us our first look at her going into labour, before meeting her newborn baby.

The promo shows Ziggy with a panicked look on her face at the farmhouse, as she calls to Dean: “Hello, pregnant woman, in labour!”

“Real labour?” Dean asks – it looks like the moment has taken him by complete surprise.

We imagine a lot of panic ensues as the pair rush to Northern Districts Hospital, but it seems that Ziggy gets through her labour without too much trouble.

The next thing the promo shows is the newborn baby, as a nurse hands him or her to Ziggy and Dean.

Ziggy has a huge smile on her face as she holds her newborn for the first time.

Dean is smiling widely too, before whispering to Ziggy: “I love you.”

Sadly, it seems that Ziggy and Dean may decide that the baby is a good excuse for a fresh start away from Summer Bay.

It hasn’t been confirmed, but scenes filmed in recent months suggest that Dean and Ziggy depart the bay with their newborn. Fans saw the pair filming a goodbye from Summer Bay, driving off in Ziggy’s distinctive car with their boot packed full of their possessions.

While some have speculated that the new parents are simply heading off to visit family, the car was stacked full of their possessions.

With many past characters having left the show shortly after having a baby, it seems safe to assume that we’ll be saying goodbye to Ziggy and Dean in 2023.

However, before they leave, we can expect the return of Dean’s mum Karen, played by Georgia Adamson.

Karen was last seen in March when Dean introduced her to his son Jai (River Jarvis). She’s expected to return early in the new year, where she’ll meet her newest grandchild.

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Ziggy and Dean’s baby isn’t the only new arrival in the promo. We also get our first official glimpse of newcomer Mali Hudson, who is set to arrive in Summer Bay in the first week of the 2023 season.

Mali is being touted as a “fun and cheeky” surfer with links to an existing Summer Bay favourite, though as of yet there’s no info yet on who he’s connected to.

The promo shows him pulling up in a beige campervan, before looking around at his new beachside home.

We also see his tattooed torso as he walks on the beach with his surfboard.

He then gets acquainted with Nikau on the sand, telling him he can “see why everyone talks this place up.”

The news of Mali’s arrival was announced in early December. He’s played by Kyle Shilling, an Aboriginal actor from the Widjabul clan of the Bundjalung Nation, and the Home and Away team have been working hard to reflect his Aboriginal roots in the character of Mali.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Kyle revealed that the entire production team had been involved in creating his character, which he described as “awesome”.

“What this means to me is that they’re wanting to do this right, to tell the story of my character right, and wanting to represent my people and my culture in the right way as well,” Kyle explained.

Producers have been working with an Aboriginal script consultant to craft Mali’s character and his storylines, and the attention to detail extends to things like Mali’s wardrobe, the art in his home and the language he uses.

Home and Away returns to Australian screens on Monday 9th January. It returns to the UK on Friday 30th December on 5STAR and Monday 2nd January on Channel 5.

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Here’s the full spoilers for the return week of Home and Away episodes in Australia:

Monday 9th January (Episode 7946)

Felicity and Tane’s wedding day ends in disaster. Justin has blood on his hands. Has Cash lost his chance to be with Eden?

Tuesday 10th January (Episode 7947)

Remi’s world caves in. Cash faces a painful realisation. Justin blames himself for the crash.

Wedneday 11th January (Episode 7948)

Remi takes matters into his own hands. Bree is trapped. Dean is surprised by a face from his past.

Thursday 12th January

TBC

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