From the moment Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor first locked eyes, and ultimately lips, on the set of Home and Away, their hearts started beating a little faster.
As their characters Dean and Ziggy fell hard and fast for each other, so did they, rekindling an old friendship into something stronger.
WATCH NOW: Home & Away’s Sophie Dillman and Ray Meagher do the TV WEEK 2 Minute Challenge. Article continues after video.
In the years since debuting their romance, the couple have gone from strength to strength, leaving the shores of Summer Bay behind them for a new life in London earlier this year.
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From reel life to real life, these lovebirds have been dating for over four years now, and are stronger than ever before!
When did Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor start dating?
Surprisingly, the set of Home and Away wasn’t the first time Sophie and Patrick crossed paths, the pair actually meeting long before they each started working on the long-running soap.
“We actually knew each other at uni – we went to acting school together years ago,” the 30-year-old revealed on The Morning Show in March 2021.
“We were friends then, and then we were in different years, so we didn’t really see each other – but then we found each other on the show. And conveniently, our characters got together on the show.”
Sophie made her debut as Ziggy on Home and Away in June 2017, with her future partner Patrick arriving on screens in February 2018.
In September 2019 the budding young actors made their relationship public, although it is unclear when things became official between the two, with fans and paparazzi spotting the pair out and about on dates in the months prior.
Three years on, Sophie reflected upon the decision to date her co-star in her column with Yahoo Lifestyle, writing: “We decided to give the relationship a go, and thank goodness we did.”
“We have a few years under our belt, a fur baby, many crazy holiday stories, and have moved across the world,” she added.
“Thank goodness Ziggy and Dean found each other. Not many people get to be so lucky.”
What have Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor said about their relationship?
Speaking with our sister publication TV Week, Sophie made the unsurprising admission that she loved having her boyfriend by her side at work.
“It’s great working with him – it’s always fun. I can never guess what I’m going to get from him [while filming], which is the best,” she said.
“We can be really straight up. We’ve got a great dialogue, so we can say what we need from each other and it will happen.”
In a follow-up interview, Sophie shared how having a friendship first, helped build strong foundations for their relationship.
“At the core, we are best mates first and we treat each other like that, but it’s also made our relationship stronger starting out that way,” the actress mused.
Doting partner Patrick has also shared just how in awe he is of Sophie’s acting talents.
“I think Sophie’s an amazing actress and it’s a good feeling on set to know you’re comfortable with each other.”
Why did Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor leave Home and Away?
In January 2023, the actors departed the shores of Summer Bay for a cooler climate, making the move to the United Kingdom for a new chapter of their lives together.
Fans were left devastated, but for Sophie and Patrick, it was an easy decision.
“For so long we essentially played someone else far more than ourselves. Now we just want to see the world,” Sophie divulged to our sister publication Woman’s Day in May 2023.
Breaking the news of their character’s on-screen departure in a March 2023 interview with TV Week, Sophie added that their storylines in the drama had come to a natural end
“We have both done everything possible with our characters and it was time to start a new chapter.”
Do Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor have any kids?
The young couple have yet to start a family of their own (despite their on-screen counterparts taking this exciting next step together) but did adopt a cavoodle which they named Winnie whom they adopted in March 2021.
Speaking with New Idea in 2023, Patrick explained how adopting Winnie was like a “trial run” for him and Sophie in expanding their family.
“He’s just the absolute best little dude and it was the first time I’ve had someone totally relying on me, so it definitely helped me know that starting our own family is the direction we want to move to,” he shared.
Are Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor engaged?
Alas – there is no news to report on this front however Sophie has previously hinted to New Idea what type of wedding she and Patrick will be having?
“I’ve recently had a few girlfriends wed and seeing them go through all the stress of planning bid days…maybe we’ll just elope in Vegas!”
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“The full Las Vegas Elvis drive-through wedding experience.”
But Patrick has other plans, “I don’t think our families would ever forgive us,” he joked at the time.
We’re sure Home and Away fans will be waiting with bated breath!
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