In the dramatic world of Home and Away, Eden Fowler’s life is constantly on edge—be it dangerous crashes, kidnappings, or complicated love stories. But behind the screen, actress Stephanie Panozzo, who brings Eden to life, is living a much calmer and heartfelt romantic tale of her own. This apoiler gives you an intimate look into the true-life love story that unfolds far from the beaches of Summer Bay.
Stephanie Panozzo made her Home and Away debut in 2022 as Eden Fowler, a strong-willed and musically gifted character who quickly became central to the soap’s band storyline, Lyric. Since then, she’s experienced more than her fair share of drama—from rekindling past romances with copper Cash Newman to nearly losing her life in terrifying accidents. Eden’s journey has been wild, to say the least.
But for Stephanie, reality couldn’t be more different. Hailing from Melbourne, the talented actress had built up a solid acting résumé even before joining the long-running soap. She first gained attention playing Angela Petrides in Hide and Seek, followed by standout roles such as Jenny in The Newsreader, Jade in the short film Button Man, and Delia in the TV movie Hell Patrol. Her formal training at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts gave her a strong foundation for her rising career.
When the opportunity came in 2022 to join Home and Away, Stephanie packed up her life in Melbourne and moved to Sydney, where the show is filmed. But that transition wasn’t entirely easy—especially since it meant living apart from her longtime boyfriend, Josh Kelly. The couple has been together since around 2017, and Josh, a talented cook, runs his own pizza truck business called Lil Ellen’s Pizzeria back in Melbourne.
Navigating a long-distance relationship while juggling the demands of a fast-paced TV career hasn’t been without its challenges. In a candid 2024 interview with Stuff, Stephanie opened up about the emotional rollercoaster that comes with maintaining a romance across cities. “It can be really challenging at times,” she admitted. “But we’re both really committed and we do a lot of visits back and forth. We’re just making it work, which is great.”
She went on to say, “Sometimes you just want to go home and have your person be there, but we’re in a good groove with it now.” The couple’s dedication to one another has helped them find stability even amid their physically distant lives. And there may be brighter days ahead for their love story—Josh is reportedly planning to spend part of the year in Sydney, especially during the winter months, to be closer to Stephanie.
Their story began in the most unexpected way. When Stephanie was working as a receptionist, a friend suggested she should meet Josh. Intrigued, she did a bit of “harmless stalking” by searching his name in the gym database—something she now laughs about. That innocent curiosity led to a heartfelt connection that’s lasted through the years.
While her Home and Away alter ego Eden deals with non-stop drama, Stephanie finds peace and support in her grounded, real-world romance. Though the road hasn’t been entirely smooth, their love has withstood the challenges of distance and busy schedules.
As viewers continue to follow Eden’s wild journey on-screen, it’s heartening to know that behind the chaos, Stephanie has a love story that’s truly thriving—one pizza slice and road trip at a time.
Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes insights and exclusive movie apoilers!
