When new parents Ziggy Astoni and Dean Thompson departed Summer Bay for a new life in Queensland with their baby daughter Izzy, the couple’s fans feared they’d never see them again.

But, following two years away, they’ve finally returned to our screens after Mackenzie and Levi paid them a visit – only for the two women to get kidnapped by escaped prisoners!

As the storyline comes to a dramatic conclusion in the coming days – marking the end of Ziggy and Dean’s comeback – stars Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor sit down with Inside Soap to chat about their return, and what the future holds…

Hi both! It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen Ziggy and Dean – what’s changed?

Sophie: “Moving away from Summer Bay means that their life’s a lot more relaxed because it’s the most dangerous place to live in the world! The reason that they moved to Queensland was to follow Dean’s son Jai, as well as have their own family – as all new parents will understand, the lifestyle change is massive.”

During the kidnapping, how’s Ziggy feeling?

Sophie: “Even though this isn’t her first kidnapping, I don’t think it gets any easier! Queensland is their sanctuary – they’ve built a home that feels safe.

“That would be incredibly scary, doubled with the fact that she’s with her sister-in-law, not knowing whether the boys will find them – I can’t imagine what that would feel like.”

Dean then finds out that the kidnapper doesn’t plan to let the girls live! What’s his thought process?

Patrick: “From the outset, he’s just in straight panic. With Ziggy pregnant again, he’s in full dad mode, which we’ve seen with Dean before! It’s a cool storyline, especially with the relationship between Levi and Dean, watching them go through their paces together.”

Does a bit of his River Boy side come out when he’s trying to save Ziggy and Mac?

Patrick: “Definitely – it wouldn’t be Dean and Ziggy coming back if there wasn’t a bit of River Boys flair there somewhere!”

For even more exclusive gossip from Sophie and Patrick, pick up Inside Soap – out now.

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5, with repeat screenings at 6pm on 5STAR and first-look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.

In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7Plus.