Frost melts fans’ hearts:

Sam Frost (right) made her name on shows such as The Bachelor and now she’s looking for love on Home And Away. Kerry Harvey reports.

Home And

Away actress proves the critics wrong.

Home And Away newcomer Sam Frost began her television career in the cutthroat world of reality TV – but even she admits to being a little daunted by her new role.

Admittedly, her debut as Jasmine Delaney, the other driver in the car crash that killed pregnant Constable Kat Chapman (Pia Miller), did little to endear her to fans.

However, it was Channel Seven’s decision to offer the one-time reality star and acting novice a much-coveted permanent position in the cast of the long-running soap that caused the biggest outcry.

Eight months on, Frost admits that she anticipated some kind of backlash and did her best to ignore the on-line trolls and others who labelled her casting a publicity stunt.

“I put my focus on working hard, studying and making sure I could do the best possible job,” she says.

It paid off. Within months of her screen debut, Frost was nominated for the Logie for the most popular newcomer on Australian television.

“It was a huge honour for my hard work to be recognised and it was even better that I was alongside my beautiful friend and colleague Sophie Dillman (Summer Bay newlywed Ziggy Morgan).”

Frost, 29, is no stranger to the spotlight and the attention – good and bad – it brings. She won 2014’s The Bachelor Australia only to be brutally dropped by Perth auctioneer and former stripper Blake Garvey weeks after he proposed in the final rose ceremony.

Undeterred, she went on to

star in 2015’s The Bachelorette, during which she found love with construction manager Sasha Mielczarek. However, dating in the spotlight proved difficult and they split after 18 months together.

Frost switched to radio, co-hosting two shows with Rove McManus. Poor ratings led to the duo being axed in June last year and Frost returned to reality television, joining contestants on Hell’s Kitchen Australia.

Then, in July last year, Channel Seven announced she would be joining the cast of Home And Away, saying the reality TV star had blown them away with her audition.

“Never had I imagined to land a role in Home And Away,” she says, admitting she never intentionally set out to become an actor.

“I grew up watching the show with family so it is surreal that this is now my job. And I love it so much. It has exceeded all my expectations.

“It was quite daunting in the beginning but Home And Away is such a family environment and everyone has been so welcoming and inclusive, they have made me feel at ease working on set.”

Frost says she has no regrets about her reality television days.

“I have learnt from all the challenges and it adds to the experience that I am living right now,” she says.

All that time on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette has probably equipped her well to deal with the romantic dramas her character has already faced in her time in Summer Bay.

Jasmine was fleeing a stalker she met through an on-line dating site when she crashed into Kat and has yet to find love in Summer Bay – but not for want of suitors.

She had a brief fling with Kat’s replacement, Constable Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin), before setting him free to pursue his hunt for his sister, Bella.

Trainee doctor Mason Morgan (Orpheus Pledger) is infatuated with her and now Robbo (Jake Ryan) – who was ironically in the car with Kat when she and their unborn child died – is making moves.

So does Frost have any advice for her character?

“I think that Jasmine should be with someone who loves and believes in who she is,” says Frost.

“But one of my favourite things is she has still remained friends with Colby and Mason – which I think is pretty cool.”

“I grew up watching the show with family so it is surreal that this is now my job.” – Sam Frost