According to new images from the set of Home and Away, photographer Emmett Ellison will return to Summer Bay in 2022.
Emmett, played by JR Reyne, had a pivotal role in one of the year’s most important plotlines: Nikau’s (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) doomed modelling career.
He was a top photographer for Sienna Blake (Rose Riley), freelancing for her modelling agency and helping to produce the photos that propelled Nikau to the top of the industry’s sexiest models.
Sienna decided to grant Bella (Courtney Miller) an apprenticeship with the fashion photographer as part of the deal to persuade Nikau to join the team.
It was the ideal opportunity for her to obtain real-world photography experience, and Sienna knew Nikau would never allow his girlfriend pass up such an opportunity.
Bella took to her new career quickly, liking it even more than Nikau, who had trouble adjusting to the world of modelling at first.
Emmett eventually confessed to Bella that Sienna only handed her the apprenticeship to attract Nikau to join the team. Bella was taken aback when she learned that her appointment had nothing to do with her photographic abilities. Worse, her tutor soon advised her to avoid the profession altogether, fearing that it would suffocate her creative ambitions.
She, on the other hand, decided to stay on as his apprentice, and the two became fast friends.
Emmett saw Bella’s immense skill and quickly got them a joint exhibition, which included a tiny pre-show at Salt a few weeks before the final glamorous event in Sydney, which was packed with the industry’s top movers and shakers.
Emmett received flash burns to both eyes when La Cucaracha, Ryder (Lukas Radovich) and Chloe’s (Sam Barrett) Mexican food truck, burst the day after the pre-show, jeopardising his entire career.
Emmett’s sight recovered after a few weeks of eye patches and dark glasses.
He was quickly headhunted by a renowned New York agency, which encouraged him to relocate to the United States. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and he knew he had to seize it. He withheld the information from Bella until after their performance, knowing that another setback would shatter her heart.
He was last spotted travelling for America in late July (early September in the UK), preparing to take up the new role in New York. Before he went, he assured Bella that if she ever needed anything, he’d be there for her. “A reference for a gallery, a sofa to sleep on in NYC,” he said.
Bella soon decided to give up photography altogether, since it reminded her too much of Nikau’s treachery.
It wasn’t until the last few weeks of the year that she had the bravery to take up a camera once more. With the Surf Club as her first customer, she decided to establish her own freelance photography company.
She and Nikau appear to be eager to put the past behind them and go on with their modelling careers as if it never happened. That, however, will be easier said than done, as Emmett appears to be returning to the bay next year.
JR Reyne, who plays Summer Bay, recently posted a photo on Instagram of himself back at Palm Beach, the beach in Sydney’s north where the exterior shots of the film are shot.
He is wearing a blue jumper and a white jacket and is seen under a large umbrella. Overlaid on top is a GIF of a raincloud with the caption ‘Yup, still raining.’
While it’s conceivable that JR came to set solely to reconnect with old friends, it appears more probable that Emmett will return to Summer Bay next year.
JR was seen on site again a few days later by the Instagram account @theking.j.r. He was dressed in the same black leather jacket as Emmett this time, lending credence to the theory that the figure may return in the new year.
But why has he returned? Some fans believe it might signal the end of Bella’s relationship — would Edward return to give her the job of a lifetime in New York?
What does this mean for him and Mackenzie? They had a brief but intense relationship, and while Mac’s instability following her split from Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams) quickly put an end to it, the two were still on good terms by the time Emmett departed.
Could the two scandals pave the way for a Mackenzie and Emmett reunion? According to speculations for next year, Mac’s new boyfriend Logan (Harley Bonner) is scheduled to kiss another lady and reconcile with someone from his past.
