The on-screen spark between Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart has spilled over into a real relationship, with the pair spotted getting cosy on a Sydney street on Anzac Day.
An onlooker says the Home And Away co-stars showed up for drinks at an inner-city hotel around lunchtime, where they spent the day enjoying each other’s company before they
were snapped smooching in an alleyway on their way home that evening.
A source close to the stars tells Woman’s Day the pair’s relationship is only new.
“They’ve recently been on a few dates,” says the source, who confirms that Ada, 46, has split from her businessman boyfriend Adam Rigby, 54. “Ada and Adam broke up towards the end of 2023.”
News of the fresh romance comes just weeks after James’ ex Sarah Roberts, 39, confirmed the couple had divorced after five years of marriage.
“Sometimes people grow apart and that’s OK… I got to a point where I realised I couldn’t grow in the way I wanted to within this particular relationship,” she said.
James, 48, has made a habit of falling for his co-stars.
The actor met former fiancee Jessica Marais, 39, with whom he shares daughter Scout, turning 12 this week, on the set of Packed To The Rafters in 2007.
After their split in 2015, he joined Home And Away the following year and started dating his on-screen girlfriend Isabella Giovinazzo, 34. In 2017, he and Sarah also met while working together on Home And Away before tying the knot in 2019.
Meanwhile, he and Ada have known each other for over 25 years, first meeting while filming Aussie drama Breakers in 1998. And their Home And Away characters, Leah and Justin, have been
a couple for four years now.
James has spoken about how he and Ada, who shares son Johnas, 11, with ex-husband Chrys Xipolitas, have bonded over being single parents.
“Children do something to your ego,” says James. “It takes over and makes you define what’s important in your life.
“I think we found that definition at the same time.
“Ada and I like to come to work, know our lines, if you can be a little bit early… have a little idea of what you want to do so we can get home and get to our kids.”
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER
James has also revealed the pair support each other when it comes to parenting their tweens.
“Ada has given me a couple of notes on raising a daughter and she’s got questions for me too, sometimes,” he shares.
Meanwhile, Home And Away devotees had been hoping for the pairing for a while. “They would definitely make a great couple in real life,” one suggested last year.
“You can tell they adore each other.”
