Home and Away's Jacqui Purvis breaks silence on dramatic exit: 'Had to take the plunge'

Home and Away viewers were shocked on Monday night when fan-favourite character Felicity Newman (Jacqui Purvis) collapsed abruptly. The episode threw viewers for a loop, with all signs pointing towards Felicity getting back together with her ex-husband Tane Parata (Ethan Browne) at Cash Newman (Nicholas Cartwright) and Eden Fowler's (Stephanie Panozzo) engagement party.

During one of their emotional conversations in the restaurant Salt, Felicity's vision went blurry and she suddenly fell to the ground. Her brother Cash rushed to her side and upcoming promos confirm the Summer Bay resident isn’t going to get through this medical emergency.

Jacqui Purvis told Yahoo Lifestyle that she absolutely loved her time working on the show, but it was the right time for her to depart the soap.

“I’ve had an incredible time on the show. Some of the best years of my life. However, I knew I wanted an international career, so, I had to make the decision to leave and take the plunge,” she tells us.

“I owe so much to the show, [and] because of it, I feel confident and ready to take on the international stage. I'm so grateful to the fans for supporting me through my years on the show.”

Yahoo Lifestyle understands the actor is hoping to head to Hollywood, following in the footsteps of ex-Home and Away stars such as Chris Hemsworth, Isla Fisher and Samara Weaving.

What’s in store for Felicity Newman on Home and Away?

The death of Felicity was less dramatic than many fans had predicted – with no gunfire or weapons in sight. While Jacqui previously said she wanted an extremely “intense and gory” death, her drop to the floor was dramatic but clean.

Fans have been busy speculating online and many believe she suffered from a brain aneurysm, with a nurse writing: “I’m thinking brain aneurysm, subarachnoid haemorrhage. Just a thought from a nurse, don’t know what [the writers will] come up with.”

Upcoming promos show Tane and Cash at Felicity’s side in the hospital, as she lies there unconscious but hooked up to life support.

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Cash tells Tane that the prognosis is “bad”, with Cash saying he’s “not ready” to say goodbye. In response, Tane says: “I know. But it’s time.”

In a touching upcoming scene, Cash is seen walking with hospital nurses alongside Felicity’s body through the hospital, which is known as an honour walk. This entails hospital staff commemorating patients who have chosen to donate organs after their death.

It looks like Cash will finally decide to turn the life support machine off on Monday, August 19, with the episode synopsis reading: “Cash makes a difficult choice.”

Fans devastated by Jacqui Purvis’ exit from Home and Away

Of course, Home and Away fans have been flooding Facebook fan groups with their disappointment. Many were sad to see Jacqui’s character being killed off, because it puts a stop to any storylines where she could return.

“I’m choked [up]. I know it’s [the] actors’ choice [to leave] and totally get they have to do what’s right by them, but killing her off leaves no chance of return. I’m not ready,” one person lamented.

“Honestly thought it would be a lot more dramatic than that. I know she wanted a HUGE exit and my mind had a really dramatic exit for her… she was one of my favourites so I’m sad to see her go,” another added.

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“So sad to see Flick go, such a good actress, love love her,” a third wrote.

“This hurt so bad, even though it’s a [TV] programme, it’s a true warning that anything can happen in any given moment,” another said.

It’s unlikely Jacqui’s character will return, but for those fans holding out hope – Home and Away has been known to bring back characters from the dead in the past. Darryl ‘Brax’ Braxton returned in 2016 after plunging to his death in a lake in 2015, claiming he had faked his death. This won’t work in Felicity’s case, but there’s always the trope where a secret twin makes their way to Summer Bay!

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