Home and Away has hinted at romance for Dana and Xander, but it looks like it won’t be smooth sailing for the pair.
Recent Australian episodes have seen Dana (Ally Harris) encourage her sister Harper (Jessica Redmayne) to get back on the dating scene, after Harper discovered that her ex-fiancé had since had a child with his new girlfriend.
Harper had spent the anniversary of what was meant to be her wedding day pining over her ex and thumbing through his social media accounts, as we learnt that she’d jilted her then-fiancé to look after Dana.
Dana, feeling guilty for the part she played in their split, then tried to matchmake Harper and Xander (Luke Van Os), encouraging Xander to take Harper to the ‘Moonlight at Salt’ evening he was organising.
The pair quickly realised that they weren’t compatible – which is a relief, as Dana soon realised that she had a crush on Xander herself.
She admitted to Irene (Lynne McGranger) that she’s developed a crush on someone, but kept their identity to herself.
Tonight’s Aussie episodes saw Dana’s behaviour towards Xander change after realising her feelings, a fact which was quickly picked up on by Xander’s sister Rose (Kirsty Marillier).
“You have a crush on my brother?” Rose exclaimed as she approached Dana, still unable to resist meddling in her brother’s love life.
Dana was surprised when Rose confirmed that her crush really was “that obvious,” but begged Rose to keep the news to herself.
A new promo shows that the news won’t stay secret for long, as Irene spots the pair playfully chatting at the Coffee Cart.
“He’s the one that Dana’s got the crush on,” Irene tells Harper, to a reply of, “wait, what?”.
Harper had no idea her sister had a crush on anyone – word’s spreading fast!
Harper offers her sister some words of encouragement, telling her: “You have to tell Xander how you feel, be brave!”
Another scene in the promo then sees Xander and Dana together in Salt, after Dana seemingly takes her sister’s advice.
Home and Away’s promos are known for deceiving us with out of context quotes, so we won’t believe it until we see it, but we see Dana telling Xander, “I think we can be something more.”
Has she really confessed her feelings to Xander?
Sadly, it does appear that Xander learns of Dana’s feelings sooner rather than later, with spoilers for next Thursday 22nd February asking “Has Xander lost a friend?” shortly after “Dana puts her heart on the line.”
Does Xander not feel the same way, putting his and Dana’s friendship in jeopardy?
Thankfully, we know that the pair do eventually hook up despite Xander’s initial reluctance, as actors Luke Van Os and Ally Harris have been spotted filming scenes in which they get up close and personal.
Photos taken by fan Danielle Stevens at Palm Beach in mid-November showed Luke and Ally filming a scene in which Xander approaches Dana, sitting next to her before the pair share a kiss.
With thanks to Danielle Stevens
With thanks to Danielle Stevens
Hopefully this relationship will go better than Xander’s previous attempts at love.
He briefly dated guest character Stacey (Maleeka Gasbarri) last year, but Stacey’s desire for a polyamorous relationship ended up driving a wedge between them, culminating with Rose (Kirsty Marillier) catching Stacey cheating on her brother in a steamed-up car.
Dana’s own relationship woes got her into more than a little hot water, and saw her hiding from the law, so hopefully she too will have better luck with this new romance.
A new relationship isn’t the only development for newcomer Dana, as she gets herself a new job.
Fresh out of completing her Bronze Medallion, Dana Matheson is set to take on the role of a volunteer surf lifesaver, condemning her to a life of dealing with John Palmer (Shane Withington).
Pictures and video taken by fan Michelle Matthews in early November saw Ally Harris in full lifesaver uniform, filming scenes in which she rushed into John’s prized Can-Am, which had its flashing lights on.
Dana recently took up a job as a nurse at Northern Districts Hospital, after being cleared of the drug charges she faced when she first arrived in Summer Bay.
The kindness shown to her by the locals during the fight to clear her name left Dana wishing to give back to the community, leading her to sign up to the surf club’s training sessions under John’s tutelage
With Dana now in uniform, we can expect to see her taking on lifesaving duties on top of her shifts at the hospital.
Here’s the full spoilers for this week’s Home and Away episodes in Australia:
Monday 19th February (Episode 8205)
Eden’s left out by her brother. Rose influences an influencer. John and Roo press Cash for answers.
Tuesday 20th February (Episode 8206)
Eden pays a surprise visit to Levi. Does Leah still want to marry Justin? Bree receives some unexpected news.
Wednesday 21st February (Episode 8207)
Leah asks Justin for more time. Mac bristles at word of Levi’s other life. Bree listens to her heart.
Thursday 22nd February (Episodes 8208-8210)
Leah has the opportunity to further heal. Dana puts her heart on the line. The anonymous donor is revealed.
Has Xander lost a friend? Alf reveals a secret. Tane makes a startling discovery.
Kirby issues Valerie with a warning. Mackenzie makes her position clear. Mali worries about Tane.
