Tricky home truths

Home and Away actress Bonnie Sveen can't help but chuckle at the thought of being caught in what has been dubbed Summer Bay's most complicated love triangle. Although the long-running soap has seen its fair share of complex relationships over the years, the latest lovelorn scenario between Ricky Sharpe and Daryl "Brax" Braxton (Steve Peacocke) has left even the show's most diehard fans on edge.

Having fallen for handsome Brit Nate Cooper (Kyle Pryor) since parting ways with the notorious River Boy, Ricky was ready to move on with life without Brax.

But things were thrown into chaos when Brax recently walked free just months into his 10-year prison sentence after he was cleared of Johnny Barrett's murder.

Following his release, Brax reached out to Ricky in the hope of rekindling their relationship.

It wasn't long before the very protective Dr Nate confronts Brax, warning him to stay away from his new girl.

For Sveen, tackling the dramatic storylines has been no easy feat.

"I was fairly challenged by the storyline because I guess it's so far from where the story arc began," Sveen explained.

"I very much based my original creation of Ricky around her involvement with the Braxton family, so once he cut ties with her, Ricky kind of had to recreate herself.

"And it's become just that - she's a girl who's very lost now and doesn't feel like she belongs in the Bay, and now she's just united with a beautiful fellow lost soul (Dr Nate) who's been her support. And, of course, the last thing she expected was for Brax to return because he was sent to prison."

Although Ricky's feelings for Brax remain strong, she made the heart-breaking decision to tell him she's moved on with Nate.

Adding to the emotional rollercoaster is her struggle to cope with recently losing her baby, which Brax is still unaware of.

"It wasn't ever a situation she saw herself getting into," Sveen said. "I guess I see Ricky as a very loyal young woman and now that she's with Nate she's committed to that in her mind and I guess she is very torn and hurt that Brax is back and that they're in that situation. But she has to be true to the decision she's made even with this huge obstacle thrust in her face."

Things are set to intensify as Ricky prepares to take up the opportunity to move to London to pursue her passion for photography with Nate's support.

In the coming weeks, fans will see just how far Brax is willing to go to win Ricky back.

"His main aim is to try and get her back," Peacocke explained. "The people closest to him have already been taken away, so this is an opportunity for him to stop that from happening again. He understands he needs to make a grand gesture and getting on a plane to London is all that's left for him."

Sveen relished the opportunity to follow Ricky's journey to the bustling streets of London where she and fellow cast members Peacocke, Lisa Gormley (Bianca) and Lincoln Younes (Casey) travelled to shoot the scenes last October.

"I can't even articulate what an incredible experience it was. I just felt like the luckiest person in the world," Sveen gushed.

"I really loved London, I found it a really magical experience."

Peacocke was lucky enough to travel to two far-flung film locations last year.

The 32-year-old spent four months in Budapest, Hungary, shooting the Hollywood blockbuster Hercules: The Thracian Wars alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. A month after returning to Australia he was off again to film Home and Away in London.

"It's incredible; I couldn't believe I was getting back on a flight after being in Hungary," Peacocke said. "I haven't been able to travel much in my earlier life, so getting this job has opened up so many doors for me. I've now been to London twice."

It remains to be seen whether Brax's drastic measures to win Ricky back will pay off but if it were up to Sveen's grandmother, who is an avid fan of the show, reuniting Brax and Ricky would be a no-brainer.

"My nan is really funny, I think she actually had a bit of a cry about Steve coming back. She liked those scenes, which is really sweet," she laughed.

"She's so into it. Her friends all ask her about the inside gossip but she tells them she doesn't want to know."

'The people closest to him have already been taken away, so this is an opportunity for him to stop that from happening again.' Steve Peacocke