Summer Bay is bracing for one of its most disturbing exits in recent memory as Home and Away prepares to air Eliza Sherwood’s dramatic departure next week.

What began as subtle unease surrounding the troubled teenager has now erupted into a full-scale reckoning, leaving the Stewart family shaken to its core

and forcing a painful decision that no one wanted to make. Eliza’s time in the Bay ends not with redemption, but with revelation.

The tension reaches boiling point when Roo Stewart finally confronts the truth she has been reluctant to see. Her suspicions intensify after Alf suffers alarming chest pains — and Eliza stands by, doing nothing to help. For Roo, the moment is chilling. Alf is the heart of her world, and the idea that someone in her own home could watch him struggle without intervening sends a cold wave of dread through her.

Conflicted and deeply unsettled, Roo turns to Harper Matheson for guidance. Harper’s background as a social worker gives her a professional perspective, but this time, the crisis hits painfully close to home. As Harper listens, the conversation takes a shocking turn when Tane Parata reveals a secret he has been holding back.

Eliza secretly recorded Harper while she was in labour.

The revelation lands like a bombshell. Harper had never been told. In the chaos of childbirth and the days that followed, no one found the right moment to disclose the unsettling truth. Now, with Roo’s concerns escalating, the disturbing pattern of behaviour can no longer be ignored.

At Tane’s urging, the group examines Eliza’s phone records and makes a horrifying discovery — she lied about calling emergency services during Harper’s labour. Her inaction placed both Harper and baby Archie in serious danger. What might once have been dismissed as teenage misjudgment now appears calculated and sinister.

Back at the Stewart house, Roo’s worst fears are confirmed when she searches Eliza’s music box — a personal keepsake she had once believed held harmless trinkets. Instead, she uncovers deeply troubling items: a photograph of Harper mid-labour and Alf’s missing heart medication.

The pieces fall into place in the most devastating way imaginable.

When confronted, Eliza does not deny her actions. In a moment that sends shockwaves through the household, she admits she may have wanted Alf to die. The words are delivered without visible remorse, leaving Roo stunned and heartbroken. For a woman who has dedicated herself to providing vulnerable teens with stability and compassion, the admission feels like a personal failure.

As Roo presses further about the strange “souvenirs” Eliza has collected, the teenager confesses that she lied about their origins. The carefully constructed façade crumbles completely. What Roo once viewed as trauma-driven eccentricity now appears deeply dangerous.

Recognising the severity of the situation, Roo makes the agonising decision to file a formal report. It is agreed that Eliza cannot remain in the Stewart home. She requires urgent psychiatric intervention, and her placement in Summer Bay must end immediately.

The emotional fallout is immense. Roo attempts to part on compassionate terms, offering Eliza heartfelt advice and reassurance that help is not punishment. But the gesture is met with venom. In a final act of defiance, Eliza lashes out, branding Roo “the worst foster carer” she has ever had.

The accusation cuts deep.

Those close to Roo know her motivation has always been rooted in love and responsibility. She has opened her home repeatedly, determined to give vulnerable young people the chance she believes they deserve. Eliza’s cruel parting words strike at the very core of that identity.

Insiders reveal that the confrontation leaves Roo visibly shaken, questioning not only her judgment but her future as a foster parent. Has this traumatic experience broken her resolve for good?

For Harper and Tane, the revelations reignite unresolved tensions of their own. Tane, already struggling with the emotional distance growing between him and Harper, finds himself grappling with guilt over not exposing Eliza’s behaviour sooner. The shared ordeal forces them into difficult conversations about trust, responsibility, and the safety of their son.

Summer Bay as a whole feels the ripple effects. In a community built on support and loyalty, the idea that such darkness was unfolding behind closed doors is deeply unsettling. The Stewart household — long regarded as a place of warmth and refuge — has been irrevocably altered.

Eliza’s exit promises to be explosive, but it is not a triumphant departure. It is a sobering reminder that good intentions are not always enough to heal complex trauma. The storyline pushes Home and Away into darker psychological territory, exploring themes of manipulation, suppressed anger, and the limits of compassion.

As Eliza leaves the Bay “with a bang,” viewers are left grappling with unanswered questions. Was there ever hope for redemption? Could the warning signs have been caught sooner? And most heartbreakingly, will Roo recover from this emotional betrayal?

One thing is certain: this is not just another character exit. It is a storyline that will leave lasting scars on the Stewart family and reshape dynamics across Summer Bay.

In typical Home and Away fashion, the drama is as raw as it is unflinching — and the consequences will echo long after Eliza disappears from the shore.