Next week on Home and Away in the UK, as Rose considers her future in Summer Bay after Xander’s departure, Abigail suspects Mali is cheating!
Dana (Ally Harris) returns from her trip to Melbourne next week, but the bad news she brings with her inadvertently sets off a whole chain of other events.
Dana had made dashed interstate to see boyfriend Xander (Luke Van Os), after he announced over the phone last week that he wouldn’t be returning to Summer Bay following a six-week work placement.
Although the placement had only been a requirement of a business course he was undertaking, whilst there Xander had been offered his dream job of becoming events manager of a large hospitality chain.
Xander asked Dana to move to Melbourne so they could still be together, but Dana was adamant that she wouldn’t be leaving Summer Bay.
She had sister Harper (Jessica Redmayne) to think about—who is currently many months pregnant and about to get married to Tane (Ethan Browne)—as well as her nursing job at Northern Districts Hospital, and her volunteer lifesaving duties at the surf club.
Xander’s sister Rose (Kirsty Marillier) was also thrown by his declaration, and as she and Dana discussed a way forward, Dana decided that the only option was to head to Melbourne in order to remind Xander, in person, of all the things he would be giving up.
Alas, when Dana heads back to the bay next week, she tells Harper that she and Xander did nothing but go around in circles with their conversation.
As such, he is staying in Melbourne, and their relationship is over.
The two head up to Salt, where Dana soon finds herself coming under the roving eye of newcomer Sonny (Ryan Bown) as she sits at the bar after a few strong drinks.
Remi (Adam Rowlands) and Kirby (Angelina Thomson) soon step in, not believing Sonny to be the sort of rebound she’s looking for.
Dana instead ends up following Rose back to her place, hoping to continue drinking whilst putting the world to rights—or, more specifically, criticising Xander.
The next morning, Rose is surprised to return home and find Dana packing up all of Xander’s things, a job that he had already entrusted to his sister.
As Dana continues to make barbed remarks about packing it all off to a charity shop, Rose eventually snaps and warns Dana to reel it in—this is her brother she’s talking about, and she’s hurting too.
“You’re not the only one he walked out on,” Rose reminds her, before storming out.
Dana later finds a reflective Rose taking some time out on a bench in the park, and apologises for being selfish.
Rose points out that she only ever came to Summer Bay because of Xander, and now that he’s gone she isn’t sure what she’s doing in the bay any more.
For those that need a reminder, Xander and Rose came to town back in 2022 in search of Xander’s half-sister Jasmine (Sam Frost).
The pair had only learnt of the existence of Jasmine following the death of Xander’s father (Rose’s stepfather), Alexander Sr.
With Alexander having walked out on Jasmine when she was little, following the death of her mother, Jasmine was thrown to learn that he had gone on to start a whole new family.
Although it was a rocky start, Jasmine asked the two to stay in Summer Bay for a while so she could get to know them, with Xander subsequently deciding he’d like to settle there permanently.
Rose eventually decided to follow her brother’s lead and put in for a transfer, not wanting to be apart from her brother.
But Xander and Rose’s move soon turned out to all be for nothing, when Jasmine left the bay two months later to help in-laws Ian (Frankie J Holden) and Wendy (Amanda Muggleton) on their farm.
Unable to leave the memories of late husband Robbo behind when the time came, Jasmine cut off contact with boyfriend Cash (Nicholas Cartwright), and didn’t return to Summer Bay.
The abrupt ending to Jasmine’s story had come as the result of actor Sam Frost’s own decision not to return to the show, following what was planned to be a temporary break.
Back in the present, Rose, Dana and Bree (Juliet Godwin) all pitch in to pack up Xander’s belongings, and whilst Rose says she’s fine, it’s clear she’s putting on a brave face.
When Mali (Kyle Shilling) receives word that Xander isn’t coming back, he’s quick to go and check on Rose who again insists that she’s okay. But once Mali has gone, Rose finally begins to crack and expresses her anger at Xander just upping and leaving her.
Still concerned for his ex, Mali puts off a dinner with girlfriend Abigail (Hailey Pinto), telling her that he needs to go and help out “a mate”.
Mali listens to Rose as she explains her frustration, having supported Xander through all his issues following their move.
Mali points out that she can now take the time to focus on herself, and what she wants to do with her life.
The pair head up to Salt for some dinner, and when they depart later that evening, Rose thanks Mali for listening.
Just at that moment, Abby walks around the corner, and finds herself confronted with the sight of her boyfriend sharing a hug with his ex, on the very night he’d cancelled their dinner plans!
Abby slips away unnoticed and returns home, telling brother Levi (Tristan Gorey) that she just saw Mali all over his ex before retreating to her room.
After Mali walks her home, Rose tells him that she’s made a decision based on his advice, and finally knows what she wants to do. But Mali already knows exactly what she’s going to say—she wants to become a police detective!
It’s something that Rose has wanted ever since she was a little kid, and after Mali encourages her to go for it, she tells him she’ll start the application right away!
Whilst Rose looks towards her own fresh start, the following day sees Mali left with the aftermath of the night before, when he finds Levi knocking on the door of his caravan.
“Why did you lie to my sister?” Levi demands to know, pointing out that Abby saw him and Rose last night.
Mali fails to see the big deal, until Levi explains that Abby is now under the impression that Mali is cheating on her… will Mali be able to convince Abby otherwise?