Home and Away stars Rohan Nicol and Kestie Morassi look back on their time in Summer Bay as Ben and Maggie Astoni leave Summer Bay
Can it really be only three years since Ben and Maggie Astoni moved to Summer Bay? The Home and Away family, which includes daughters Ziggy Astoni and Coco Astoni (who moved away in 2019), have seen almost a lifetime of drama since their arrival!
From Maggie’s battle with cancer to Ben’s depression there have been a lot of tears - but also laughter - for Home and Away's most tight-knit family.
Now Ben and Maggie have resolved their recent marriage troubles - after Maggie's shock revelation of an old affair with Ben's brother Marco - they’re leaving their girls behind for a new life in Italy.
Actors Rohan Nicol and Kestie Morassi chatted to whatsontv.co.uk about their time on the soap.
Home and Away fans will be very sad to see Ben and Maggie Astoni go! Will you miss playing them?
Rohan: “From the moment the Astoni’s landed in the Bay all the way up until our drive off into the Italian sunset, Ben's been a pleasure to play. I will miss playing Ben but I also know that life is full of adventures and you never know what’s around the next corner.”
Kestie: “Maggie was a part of me for three years and I’ll always look back on my time playing her with a lot of love and gratitude. She actually taught me a lot about myself. At the same time I’m always looking to do new things and I feel our time on the show reached a natural end.”
Ben and Maggie have been at the centre of some huge storylines. What’s been your favourite?
Rohan: “There are so many storylines that were such a massive part of the Astonis’ journey! Personally I really enjoyed working though Ben’s mental health challenges, as this is such an important issue to shed light on. When airtime is dedicated to such an important issue which affects so many people, it’s an honour to work on and to share.”
Kestie: "I don’t really play favourites with storylines. I guess some of the best times for me were any dinner table scenes, they were always cheeky or odd and funny and always brought out a family dynamic that I loved. Actually that brings to mind the storyline when my mother Diane drops into town for the first time… I love how we all banded together to try to get rid of her! Hilarious.”
Ben and Maggie’s marriage has had lots to test it! Why do you think they’ve managed to stay together?
Rohan: “Ben and Maggie genuinely love and respect each other. There have been times when their trust has been tested but they have worked hard at listening and understanding each other. They are physically very attracted to each other and they have shared hopes and dreams which ultimately is what leads them to their next chapter together.”
Kestie: “They work hard at it, respect each other and one another’s dreams and fears, they listen to one another, like really listen. Also they still found each other terribly attractive after 20 years of marriage too, so that helps, hey!”
Can we expect to see Ben and Maggie back in the Bay in the future?
Ben: “How great is it to think that they have driven off into the sunset and they are living it up in Italy! It’s really a dream come true for Ben and Mag. Having said that, with Ziggy and Coco back in Australia, they will always have a huge part of them there so you never know...”
Kestie: “Anything’s possible I guess! At the moment it’s nice to think of them as living it up in Italy and having an absolute ball just being free, doing something they’ve always dreamed of doing and just living their best life together. Good for them I say!”
Watch Home and Away every weekday at 1.15pm and 6pm on Channel 5
