Poignant on-set moment for grieving Home and Away star Jessica Redmayne after family heartbreak

 The actress shared the behind-the-scene snaps just weeks after announcing the news.

There’s a hidden moment in Wednesday’s episode of Home and Away that holds a very special meaning for one star.

A surprise cameo is set to be made by actress Jessica Redmayne’s dad Paul in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment - and the timing is particularly poignant for the family.

Jessica farewelled her beloved mother Christine, who fought a brave nine-year battle with the “invisible” disease of dementia, on October 19.

So her father’s TV appearance has taken on an even greater significance, given the family’s heartbreak.

Jessica shared the news of her dad’s cameo to her family and friends on Facebook, posting a series of photos of Paul on set.

Tonight’s the night! Not one but TWO Redmaynes will share the screen. When you see Alf ordering a coffee from Irene get ready to pay close attention to who is sipping a tea behind Harper’s head!” she wrote.

“Tonight 7pm, Home & Away, Channel 7.”

Photos showed Paul smiling beside actors Ray Meagher, Georgie Parker, Lynne McGranger, Ally Harris and Shane Withington.

Speaking with 7Life ahead of the episode airing, Jessica said it was “not every day you get to bring your real Dad to Summer Bay!

“It was such a joy to have him on set with me and show him my work life.

Jessica’s joy follows a period of deep sadness, with the passing of her mum Christine.

The Home and Away star, an ambassador for Dementia Australia, had been sharing her mother’s journey before informing her 11,000 followers of the development.

“Last Thursday in the wee hours of the morning, Mum’s journey peacefully came to an end,” Jessica began, in a moving Instagram post on October 27.

“How lucky I was to be raised by such an extraordinary woman. She was smart and kind, compassionate, funny and full of love.”

She would do anything for anyone and was the hardest-working person I’ve ever known.

“There is no doubt that I am who I am because of her.

“She consistently encouraged me to reach for the stars and always had faith that I could achieve anything if I put my mind to it.

“When I was a little girl every night without fail she would say to me ‘Good night, love you, don’t forget’.

“Perhaps that was her way of prematurely reminding me that she would never forget how deeply she loved us despite her memory taking her away from us in her last few years.

“Good night Mum, I love you, don’t forget x.

“Christine Rosalie Redmayne, 16.05.1953 - 19.10.2023,” her tribute ended.

Dementia describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain, with one of the most common being Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dementia Australia.

Common symptoms include memory loss, confusion, difficulty with speech and changes in mood.

Jessica shared more about her mother’s story in an appearance on The Morning Show in September.

“My mum was diagnosed with younger onset dementia in 2014, but she showed symptoms many years earlier, so probably when I was 17 or 18,” she said.

At the time, her mother was 61 but she had begun showing symptoms at 55.

“I’ve often described to people that it’s kind of like a toddler going through milestones, but dementia is like going backward in that scenario.

“You start to forget how to get dressed and use cutlery and things like that, and we noticed that in her, along with personality changes.”

Recalling the early years of her mum’s battle, Jessica said that it was “difficult, but in the face of adversity, you just kind of do what you have to do to help them, and so I would learn to better adapt to her”.

The actress said that for her mother’s final four years she “didn’t recognise anyone anymore”, something that Jessica “just kind of got used to”.

As an ambassador of Dementia Australia, Jessica wants to spread the message that “it’s about creating a dementia-friendly community because I think that dementia can be quite invisible as a disease.

“I would often take my mum to the disabled toilets and I felt uncomfortable doing that because she wasn’t old and she didn’t look like anything was wrong, but she didn’t know how to go to the bathroom by herself anymore,” she said.

“I think it’s sort of being aware and having respect, having that broader awareness for people and being kind and knowing that if someone looks like something is wrong, then something is wrong.”

It is estimated by the organisation that there are more than 400,000 Australians currently living with dementia.