Cheers to her leading man! Home And Away’s Sophie Dillman pens heartfelt message to boyfriend and co-star Patrick O’Connor on his 29th birthday

They’re the ultimate Home And Away poster couple who found love on the set of the show.

And this week, Sophie Dillman is making sure her longterm boyfriend Patrick O’Connor is feeling the love as he rings in his 29th birthday.

Sophie, who plays Ziggy Astoni on the the show, took to Instagram to honour her partner on his big day.

“Happy birthday to this young stud! You make every day better. ❤️❤️❤️,” the actress penned alongside a slew of snaps which perfectly captured the couple’s fun-loving dynamic.

In the first photo, Paddy poses shirtless on a beach as he holds up a beer. In another pic, the loved-up couple beam in a sweet selfie.

The couple, who play on-off couple Ziggy and Dean on the show, confirmed their real-life romance in 2019.

But unlike many of their fellow H&A lovebirds who came before them, Sophie and Patrick actually met long before stepping foot into the fictional small town of Summer Bay.

“We actually knew each other at uni – we went to acting school together years ago,” Sophie told The Morning Show of the origins of their romance.

“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.”

Meanwhile Patrick has previously said he loves the energy they share together.

“It’s pretty chilled. If we go out as a couple, we get spotted by fans but it [fame as a couple] hasn’t changed us too much. But I think Sophie’s an amazing actress and it’s a good feeling on set to know you’re comfortable with each other,” the 29-year-old told TV WEEK.

Patrick and Sophie’s characters share a dramatic relationship on-screen, which the actors admit can make their jobs easier, but also difficult at times.

“I think we’re both a bit more comfortable around each other at work, which can go either way – but it definitely makes it easier,” Patrick said.

Sophie told TV WEEK that she loved having Patrick by her side at work. Although she admitted kissing scenes can be “awkward”, there was the benefit of easy communication between the pair.

“It’s great working with him – it’s always fun. I can never guess what I’m going to get from him [while filming], which is the best,” she said.

“We can be really straight up. We’ve got a great dialogue, so we can say what we need from each other and it will happen.

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