Hollywood legend could return for Home and Away reunion 17 years after exit

 Hollywood heartthrob Chris Hemsworth could be returning to Summer Bay more than 17 years after he left the Australian soap alongside his former co-star Kate Ritchie.

One Hollywood legend may be returning to Home and Away for an overdue reunion with their former co-stars.

Loyal fans of the Australian soap will remember how Marvel favourite Chris Hemsworth got his first break on the show when he landed the role of Kim Hyde back in 2004 at the age of 23. After three years on the program, the beloved actor, now 40, bid farewell and swiftly became a household name on the silver screen.

Since then, fans have seen the superstar go from strength to strength, landing roles in major blockbuster movies such as Thor and The Cabin in the Woods. But after 17 years away from Summer Bay, the star could be returning to the show to “help out” his former co-star Kate Ritchie.

It was revealed on Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa podcast with Kate Ritchie that the plan is to welcome back the actress alongside a huge Hollywood star on the long-running show. According to co-host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, Kate needed an “audition partner” before her return could be made “official”.

After announcing he had a written script, Wippa then teased to the veteran actress that he had organised a former Home and Away star to film scenes with her. And on Friday (June 28), Wippa revealed that he had received a voicemail from a Hollywood star about Kate’s audition.

Adding to the mystery, the co-host played back the message for listeners using a decoder to hide the identity of the actor. They said: “Look mate, I’ve read through that script you just sent me and it’s insane.

“That stuff, that storyline, that’s a Bay bombshell. And I love it, and I love the idea of you guys, you know, just sort of getting into it.” The actor then asked if there was any more time they could take to “prepare” for the role.

They went on: “So is there any chance you could just give me a little bit longer to perfect the character so I can, you know, do the scene justice? Because I think we’ve got something good on our hands here, and I’ve love for it to go out properly. Call me back Wip.”

It was at this point that Kate guessed who the familiar voice belonged to – instantly believing it could be one of her former co-stars. She said: “I know who I think it sounds like.

“It’s a man with quite a deep, husky voice... He doesn’t work on Home and Away anymore. It’s not Chris Hemsworth, is it?” Wippa attempted to dodge her questions but noted: “I can’t answer your questions.

“It’s a big name. You’ll find out when the scene’s on.” Kate first rose to fame when she landed the role of Sally Fletcher on Home and Away, which she played from 1988 to 2008.

The actress has often talked openly about returning to Summer Bay in the future, but no official word of her rejoining the cast has been made by Seven or Home and Away producers.

Suspicions that Kate could be returning to the soap sparked last week when the star took part in an epic Home and Away reunion for her co-stars at Ray Meagher’s 80th birthday celebrations. She took to her Instagram Stories to give an insight into the fun-filled celebrations, just two weeks ahead of Ray’s big birthday on July 4.

Last month, Kate reunited with Chris after he made an appearance on her radio show to promote his new film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The brunette beauty was all smiles as she posed alongside Chris and his co-star Anya Taylor-Joy, 28.

Fans will have to stay tuned to see if the Hollywood favourite will return to the Bay this summer.