Home and Away star Patrick O’Connor has teased some drama ahead for the River Boys as his character Dean Thompson returns.

It was recently confirmed that Dean and his girlfriend Ziggy Astoni (played by O’Connor’s real-life partner Sophie Dillman) will return to the soap for a top-secret storyline next year.

The couple relocated to North Queensland in 2023 to be closer to Dean’s son Jai, which is also where O’Connor and Dillman will begin filming their scenes later this month.

While their storyline is being kept under wraps, O’Connor has teased some “action” with the River Boys surfer gang, which Dean used to be a part of before turning his life around.

“There’s a bit of River Boy action, there’s a bit of road trips with them,” he told The Daily Telegraph’s Confidential (via Yahoo Lifestyle).

“I think it’ll be good to see where Dean is now, where they’re at now with their babies living away in Queensland, is all I’ll say.”

Previously discussing their decision to step away from the soap last year, O’Connor said: “It’s a huge commitment and a massive chunk of my life. I felt I changed into six different people in the time we were there.

“There’s a lot of growth both as an actor and a person. It’s a great place to work, but I was ready [to move on].”

“We have both done everything possible with our characters, and it was time to start a new chapter,” added Dillman.