In a twist worthy of Summer Bay itself, Home and Away’s newest star has confirmed the rumours that have been setting fans’ hearts racing — and it’s even more romantic than anyone guessed. After weeks of whispers and secret glances behind the scenes, newcomer Ella Carmichael has officially gone public with her real-life romance with fellow cast member Matt Evans — and the pair have dropped the bombshell that they’re engaged!

“Yes, it’s true — we’re getting married,” Ella told TV Week in an exclusive interview that’s set to send shockwaves through the Home and Away fandom. “We tried to keep it quiet for a while, but love like this isn’t something you can hide.”

Ella, who joined the long-running soap earlier this year as mysterious newcomer Sophie Harlan, first met Matt — who’s been winning hearts as Theo Poulos since 2021 — during early script readings in Sydney. What began as on-screen chemistry quickly turned into something much deeper.

“There was an instant spark,” Matt admitted. “We’d be rehearsing these emotional scenes, and suddenly it just felt real. I think we both knew something was happening, even before we said it out loud.”

According to insiders, the pair were first spotted cosying up between takes during outdoor shoots in Palm Beach — where Home and Away’s iconic seaside scenes are filmed. At first, crew members assumed it was all part of the storyline. But by the time the cast attended a wrap party last month, it was clear the connection had gone far beyond the script.

“They were inseparable,” a source revealed. “Holding hands, laughing together — you could tell they were totally smitten.”

Now, with their engagement officially confirmed, fans are already wondering whether art might soon imitate life. Could the show’s writers bring their real-life love story into the world of Summer Bay?

“I don’t know what the producers have planned,” Ella laughed, “but it would be pretty amazing if Sophie and Theo ended up together too. For now, we’re just enjoying every second — both on and off screen.”

The couple’s engagement announcement reportedly came after a romantic weekend getaway to Byron Bay, where Matt surprised Ella with a seaside proposal at sunset. “It was perfect,” she recalled. “Just the two of us, the ocean, and this feeling that we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.”

As for what comes next, the pair say they’re in no rush to set a wedding date, but promise it will be “something simple, surrounded by the people we love.”

For Home and Away fans, it’s a real-life love story that proves once again that even off-screen, the magic of Summer Bay is alive and well.

“Working on the show brought us together,” Matt said. “It feels like fate — and now, we get to start the next chapter of our story together.”