Campine’s superfan of “Home And Away” brought Australian stars to Antwerp: “They’ve never been to Flanders” (Westerlo)

who adjusts Back and forth You instantly knew who we were talking about when we dropped Dean and Ziggy’s names. The characters, played over the past five years by Paddy O’Conner and Sophie Dillman, are very popular. In three months they will be guests in our country. And this is all because of a woman from Kempen.

The Australian soap has been running on VTM since December 24, 1990. “I was watching the first episode with my grandmother at the time,” Sophie says. Communicating directly with actors from series like this is of course not easy. They rarely, if ever, respond to posts on their Instagram. However, I learned of a certain website where you can book all kinds of actors to do movies within 24 hours that they do. During which I then relay birthday wishes, for example. Then I took the opportunity to ask them if they wanted to come to Belgium. They snapped right away. After that, the negotiations went smoothly and in the meantime Buddy is already making a lot of videos on Instagram to advertise the event in Belgium.

Unique opportunity

The series will undoubtedly have a loyal fan base, but it’s also very young in Flanders. Will this fix? “When I first announced the event on Facebook, I immediately received about seven hundred reactions from people who wanted to come. It is also a unique opportunity, because no actors from that series have ever come to Flanders. The fact that it is now running is also because the actors currently live in London, making the distance easy.”

After all, the two are no longer in Australia for the recordings. Their story recently ended. The last episode hit the screen two weeks ago, but they actually shot it last fall. Since broadcasts on VTM are nine months behind, it can still be seen with us until the end of the year.”

in the picture

The event will take place on the 24th and 25th of June. “We can’t say an exact location yet. Negotiations with some places are still going on, but it’s in Antwerp anyway. The point is that the actors are a know & welcomed Do with the fans. Their manager will also be present to conduct questions and answers, for example at the interview. Attendees can interrupt the conversation at any time to ask questions or pick up on things being said. The cast will talk about their time on the series and what they’re doing now. After that, another two hours will be allotted for a comprehensive photo shoot with all the fans. Currently, four sessions of 220 people each are planned. The event is not free, but you also pay for a concert and then you have nothing in your hands after that. Everyone present can have a chat with the actors if they wish.

For a long time, Sophie dreamed of going to Australia. “We’re going anyway, but that’ll have to wait until October next year. We go with a group of fifteen people, ardent fans of the series, and we go to the beach where the series is filming.”

Ed Sheeran has also been a guest on Summer Bay

The series started in Australia on January 17, 1988. It is a sequel to sons and daughtersa series that garnered a million viewers in Flanders, but is no longer receiving attention in Australia. Back and forth Already calculated 8020 episodes. VTM began broadcasting on Christmas Eve 1990 with a delay of two hundred episodes.

• The stories are set in a fictional setting Summer Bay. The series initially revolved around Pippa and Tom Fletcher. They ran a mobile park in Summer Bay and were a family with foster children. The series was created by Alan Bateman Who came up with the idea while visiting Kangaroo Point in New South Wales. He noted that local residents had problems with the arrival of a children’s shelter from the city. So was the initial title for the soap Shelterbut that name was changed to the friendlier Home And Away.

• Alf StewartRay Meagher’s character has been there since the very first episode. Fun fact: The actor was initially given a two-year contract, but only wanted to sign for six months. Meanwhile, he is in the Guinness Book of Records, because no other Australian has participated in the same series for more than 35 years.

• After six weeks of broadcasting with little success, threatened to cancel the series. The producers begged for an extra three weeks, just enough to see the ratings soar. Since 2000, the series has become more popular than the eternal competitor Neighbour.

• Back and forth It has been sold to all over the world eighty countriesmaking it one of Australia’s most successful television exports.

• External shots are done in Palm Beach in Sydney and Fisherman’s Beach in Collaroy, where guided visits to groups have been taking place for years. Indoor shots will take place at the Australian Technology Park in Redfern.

• a lot celebrities Once a guest star on the set. Think Michael Palin from Monty Python, singer Sia, swimmer Ian Thorpe, former tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, singer Ed Sheeran, and girl group Atomic Kitten.

• They started their career In the series: Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers), Naomi Watts (Birdman), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Guy Pearce (Priscilla, Desert Queen) and singer Dannii Minogue.

Home And Away, VTM2, Monday through Friday at 7 p.m

the tickets: www.nowonlinetickets.nl/shop/Eventdetails/E835cFB33679A38026856Ec44DE576BE