Shocking revelation: Home and Away star Patrick O’Connor was scammed out of a huge sum of money, causing a rift between his wife and him

From Sydney’s eastern suburbs 
to East London, Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor are loving their new home on the other side of the world.

The Bondi couple, who played Summer Bay lovebirds Ziggy Astoni and Dean Thompson, chose the area because they have a network of Australian friends nearby.

When Woman’s Day caught up with them, their beloved toy cavoodle Winnie had just arrived from Australia, shaking off his jet lag by chasing squirrels.

“It was fine just the two of us, but we always felt something was missing,” says 30-year-old Paddy. “So when he joined us it did make it feel like a home.”

After a well-earned break, Sophie – whose dream is to perform on the West End stage – is itching to get back to work.

“I was told by an acting teacher that I don’t have the look for television because I had a fat face,” she reveals. “That was a great confidence booster for 
a 21-year-old trying to find themselves! So I assumed I’d only be doing theatre and character work. Lo and behold, I got TV anyway. But I would love to be in theatre here.”

In the meantime they won’t forget their Summer Bay roots – excited fans are flocking to meet them!

“One man travelled seven hours with his puppy Ziggy in his backpack so we could get a photo together,” says Sophie. “It’s been quite overwhelming to see just how much people love the show.”