Summer Bay has long been a breeding ground for Home and Away stars to find romance.
Bec Hewitt (nee Cartwright) and Beau Brady, Luke Mitchell and Rebecca Breeds, Chris Hemsworth and Isabel Lucas and the newly married James Stewart and Sarah Roberts are all among the Home and Away stars to thrill fans by dating when the cameras weren't rolling.
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Loved-up co-stars Sophie Dillman and Patrick O'Connor are just the latest to find love while starring together on the iconic show.
But unlike many of their fellow lovebirds, Sophie and Patrick actually met long before stepping foot into the fictional small town.
"We actually knew each other at uni - we went to acting school together years ago," Sophie, 27, told The Morning Show in March.
"We were friends then, and then we were in different years, so we didn't really see each other - but then when found each other on the show. And conveniently, our characters got together on the show."
In September, Sophie and her real-life boyfriend Patrick's on-screen characters Ziggy and Dean's heart-wrenching break-up scenes were aired.
And while many fans grappled with their split, Sophie says they were able to seperate the fictional storyline having any impact on their personal lives.
"We're both actors by profession so our aim was to make it the best work that we could do and we were really proud for doing that," she explained.
Dean and Ziggy look to be moving on from each other – much to the dismay of heartbroken fans. But who knows what 2021 may hold.
"Dean has been put through the ringer this year. But hopefully, fans can see why things have ended up where they are between them," Patrick, 28, told TV WEEK earlier in the month.
The couple, who were both born in Queensland, now live together in Sydney and have worked closely on set for years.
The fun they share spills over into their social life and the couple are never afraid to share lighthearted selfies with their followers.
Scroll on to see Sophie and Patrick's relationship in pictures.
![The loved-up pair [rung in the festive season together](https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/home-and-away/home-and-away-stars-summer-holidays-66335|target="_blank") with Patrick sharing this sweet beach selfie with his girlfriend in the days after Christmas.](https://d3lp4xedbqa8a5.cloudfront.net/s3/digital-cougar-assets/now/2020/12/29/1609207560622_Sophie-and-Patrick.jpg?width=690&height=&mode=crop&scale=both&anchor=topcenter&quality=70)
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