With a busy schedule and a rising profile, Maddison Brown is a woman in demand. But, amid the chaos of her multi-faceted career, the Home and Away star says her support network

has been a saving grace through it all. “It’s definitely been a big year for my character, Jo, but I’m lucky to be supported by incredible cast- mates who guided me through it,”

she tells TV WEEK. “I couldn’t have done it without them! “Definitely the pace and volume we shoot at was new for me, but you do get used to it. I remember my first 12-scene day and I was like,

‘Oh my God, how am I going to get through this! But I did, and now I don’t get as nervous.”

From awkward family reunions and a killer revelation about her mother’s death, to a shocking train crash in the recent season finale, it’s been a dramatic introduction to Summer Bay.

But alongside Maddison on her journey is co-star and on-screen sister Sophea Pennington. The pair have become fast friends, with many fooled into thinking they’re sisters in real life!

“I love Sophea Pennington,” Maddison gushes. “We really are like sisters. Actually, on his first day on set, Stephen Madsen [who plays Eddie] asked if we were!”

The same goes for the show’s adoring fans.

“The Home and Away fans really feel like they know us as people,” Maddison says. “They really think I’m Jo and Sophea is Lacey. And, I think, because they watch us on TV four nights a week, we do become part of their family.”

After the horrific train crash in the season finale, Maddison won’t be persuaded to share any details about her whereabouts in 2026. But she does have another busy year ahead as she plans to expand her skincare line, Outside Beauty & Skincare.

“I founded Australian sunscreen brand Outside Beauty & Skincare in 2023, and next year will be a big year for us,” Maddison says. “We have two new products slated for launch next year and I think people are going to love them!”

But for now, she’s ready to ‘switch off’ in the picturesque surroundings of New Zealand, home country of her fiancé, Simon Mead.

“We are spending Christmas in the Bay of Islands with his family. I’m so excited to just sleep, play tennis and swim,” she says, adding that she hopes to bring new lessons into the new year.

“You really need community,” she says. “Community will save you, support you and lift you up.

“I am so lucky to work with such a beautiful group of people at Home and Away who foster a sense of community.

“We work so hard, and I think that bonds us together as a tight little family – some days it’s the only thing that keeps the smile on my face!

“Learning to switch off and rest actually is a skill. I’m trying to develop it and use my time wisely to take care of myself.”