Home and Away fans have grown used to dramatic exits from Summer Bay, but few departures have hit quite as hard — for both viewers and cast — as the recent farewell to Tane Parata. Now, Ethan Browne has opened up about the emotional toll of saying goodbye to a character he has embodied for years, revealing just how deeply the moment affected him.

Speaking candidly in a recent interview, Browne admitted that the decision to leave wasn’t taken lightly, and the weight of the final storyline left him feeling “genuinely heartbroken.” Known for his quietly powerful performances and the moral strength he brought to Tane, the actor said the final days on set felt “surreal” and “incredibly heavy.”

“I didn’t expect it to hit me the way it did,” Browne confessed. “Tane has been such a big part of my life. He’s gone through so much, and I’ve grown with him. Walking off that set for the last time… it almost didn’t feel real.”

Browne revealed that the months-long filming of Tane’s emotional exit storyline — which saw the character grappling with personal demons, fractured relationships, and a painful sense of displacement — mirrored, in some ways, the actor’s own internal struggle over closing this chapter of his career.

“It was honestly tough,” he explained. “Playing those scenes where Tane felt completely lost, like he didn’t know where he belonged anymore, made me reflect on the fact that I’d soon be leaving a place where I felt I belonged. The cast and crew, the whole Home and Away family… they’ve been everything.”

Co-stars were reportedly equally emotional, with several struggling to deliver their final lines opposite Browne. One insider described the mood on set as “overwhelmingly heartfelt,” adding that multiple takes were halted simply because “no one could keep it together.”

Browne said those moments will stay with him forever.

“We were all just trying to get through the scenes without falling apart. Everyone was incredibly supportive, but it really drove home that this wasn’t just another big dramatic storyline — this was me saying goodbye.”

Since joining the series, Browne helped turn Tane into one of the Bay’s most compelling modern characters: a fiercely loyal man constantly pulled between love, duty, and his troubled past. Fans watched him evolve from guarded newcomer to a beloved, central figure whose relationships — particularly his romances and the tight-knit Parata family bonds — became fan favourites.

Browne admitted that leaving behind the Parata family story was one of the hardest parts.

“That family dynamic meant everything to me. We created something really special, and I’m so proud of what we brought to the screen.”

Though careful not to reveal specific future plans, the actor hinted he is excited for the next chapter but remains deeply grateful for the years spent on the long-running Australian soap.

“I hope fans know how much Tane meant to me,” he said. “And how much they meant. Their support carried me through.”

As for the Bay? It will feel Tane’s absence for a long time — and judging by Browne’s heartfelt reflections, so will he.