There was plenty of emotion on Nova’s Fitzy, Wippa & Kate as the boys surprised Kate Ritchie with a ‘blast from her past’, Debra Lawrence, who played Kate’s Home and Away character Sally Fletcher‘s mother Pippa.
Debra spoke about their bond is and watching Kate grow up. But then Debra kept the surprises coming with her real-life husband Dennis Coard also joining them in the studio. Dennis played Kate’s on-screen father Michael too!
Wippa: This is a surprise that Fitzy and I have put together for you…would you like to have a guess before we welcome this person in?
Kate: I know exactly who it is, and I was thinking about them this morning, because I need to buy tickets to their show. Is it Debra Lawrence?
Wippa: Yes, it is! Get up and give her a hug…Pippa from Home and Away…Mother & Daughter, beautiful.
Fitzy: Oh, that is so beautiful. Deb is getting a bit emotional.
Deborah: Sorry I didn’t mean to cry!
Kate: I was thinking about you this morning because I haven’t been in touch about coming to the show.
Deborah: No, that’s fine. You’re quite busy!
Wippa: Come up next to the microphone. Even hearing your voice brings so much comfort to so many Australians, because it’s so familiar. We grew up loving it.
Deborah: That’s funny, because you know, I’ve got white hair now, and look completely different. But I’ll be sometimes be at the supermarket, and people say “I know you, I know you”…and they often ask if I was their primary school teacher…and then I say “No…but were you a Home and Away watcher?”.. and they go “Ahh it’s the voice”.
Wippa: What does it mean to see Kate, or when you see some of the other cast members?
Deborah: Well, Kate’s really the only one we, we see, because we have got a very close bond.
Wippa: Kate, one surprise to me is never enough on a day like today. So we thought we’d welcome your foster dad, who’s here too…Dennis are you there mate?
Dennis: Hello darling!
Kate: Awww god!
Wippa: Hugs all round…this is beautiful
Fitzy: Gosh…this is tears all round
Wippa: How are you buddy? I mean, it made sense if Debra was coming in that you were here as well.
Fitzy: Kate has spoken about starting so young in the industry. I mean, it’s tough, like tough to go to school and tough to go to work…then you’re well known all across Australia. Did you feel like you did have to sort of nurture Kate a little bit through this and help her through this period?
Dennis: Far from it. She was, even at that age, much more experienced than I was as an actor, but as she grew, what she shared with me a lot was sarcasm…and I get that from my kids as well, my real kids.
Kate: Hahahaha
The trio have been sharing some great social content reflecting on their pasts recently. Well, everyone except Wippa’s….
Fitzy, Wippa & Kate can be heard from 4pm nationally on the Nova Network or via the daily podcast on the Nova Player.