Home and Away fans want to 'get rid' of divisive character: 'Adds zero to the show'

Harper Matheson (Jessica Redmayne) has been a polarising character on Home and Away so far, with some fans calling for her removal from the soap. The social worker was introduced in late 2023 with her sister Dana Matheson (Ally Harris), with a corrupt cop Will Madden hot on their heels.

Eden Fowler (Stephanie Panozzo) was furious with Harper after her actions got her boyfriend Cash Newman (Nicholas Cartwright) suspended from his police job, and even Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger) got caught up in the crossfire. Now, Harper has found herself pregnant to Tane Parata (Ethan Browne) after a one-night stand, which looks to be the final nail in the coffin when it comes to his relationship with his ex-wife Felicity Newman (Jacqui Purvis).

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It seems like not all the viewers are on board with the direction Harper’s storyline is going, with one fan taking to a popular Facebook fan group to air their grievances.

“I absolutely never comment on Home and Away group chats but I seriously want to know why the heck Harper is in this, I know we need newbies but she has zero personality, facial expressions etc,” they wrote. “Dana is great, [but] please get rid of Harper.”

“Harper has to go. Bad acting, bad character and adds zero to the show. Get rid of her,” another agreed.

“I love Home and Away, I have watched it for years. But I can’t take to Harper. Her nose is stuck in everything,” a third pointed out.

“They need to get rid of her and also Kirby Aramoana (Angelica Thomson) and Bree Cameron (Juliet Godwin) as all three are doing my head in,” another remarked.

“Don’t like either of them. Dana just shoots her mouth off and Harper just obsesses over Tane. I don’t believe for a moment that her pregnancy was accidental,” a fan added.

Home and Away fans defend Harper Matheson

On the other hand, there were plenty of viewers who jumped to Harper’s defence. Many believe there are worse characters on the show, and some pointed out that it can take a while to warm up to the newbies that arrive.

“I can’t understand the hate for Harper! I’m not saying she’s my favourite character but she’s a good person. She doesn’t hurt anyone and always tries to help someone in need. The person who does my head in is her sister Dana. She’s an immature drama queen. Xander has his hands full with her. His hair will turn white soon,” one person said.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I happen to like her and the dynamic with Dana and Tane,” another added.

“I actually like Harper. I think she’s great at calming Dana, good balance between the sisters,” a third remarked.

“No way, love Harper. Everyone has a role to play and she is just doing her job, love it,” another wrote.

“That’s very harsh, stop being a bully. Harper is okay,” a fan added.

What's next for Harper and Tane on Home and Away?

Others took to the comment section to predict what’s in store for Harper and Tane now that they’ve conceived.

“I hope there is a good ending to Harper and the baby. Hope she gets to have it and Harper and Tane get together to raise the baby [and] hope they get married as well. Need some happiness in Home and Away. There has been some good storylines [lately] but mostly sad or breakups, need another wedding or a baby, or both,” one person wrote.

“Hopefully when Harper has the baby she’ll go, they usually do,” another predicted.

“She needs to tell Tane soon she will be showing soon,” a third added.

As it stands, Harper has yet to tell Tane about their bundle of joy – but leaked snaps revealed by Yahoo Lifestyle back in May show the two characters cradling Harper’s bump and appearing to feel the baby kick.

What will happen to Tane and Harper's baby?

These scenes should be airing in October or November, but the big question is: does the baby arrive safely, and will the makeshift family be sticking around? Fans haven’t seen a glimpse of the newborn on set out at Palm Beach, but this doesn’t mean the baby won’t be written into the script.

In the past, when babies have appeared on the show – such as Tori Morgan’s baby Grace – glimpses were far and few between. This could be due to strict laws around filming with children in New South Wales.

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According to the Office of the Children’s Guardian in NSW, babies aged under six months are only allowed to work a maximum of four hours per day, for one day per week. From the age of six months to under three years, this increases to two days per week – not long in the scheme of things when it comes to filming a TV show.

If there are any glimpses of a baby or doll out at Summer Bay, we can definitely count on super-sleuth Home and Away fans to snap a photo or two!

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