The prodigal SON!
RETURNING STAR MORGAN BAKER TELLS US WHY CALLUM IN BACK IN ERINSBOROUGH…
Callum can immediately see that his mum is broken…
Callum Rebecchi makes a surprise return to Ramsay Street this week – but sadly his family reunion doesn’t happen under the happiest of circumstances. He’s been called back by his dad to reach out to Sonya. However, when he rocks up in Erinsborough to find his mother living in a caravan with an old drinking buddy, it becomes clear that he’s going to have his work cut out!
While it’s a shocking homecoming for Callum, actor Morgan Baker – who last appeared in Neighbours in 2015 – tells us he was just as surprised to be asked back…
“I was certainly intrigued!” chuckles the star. “I haven’t done any acting since I left Neighbours, so I was interested to hear why Callum was being brought back into the fold. But I do follow the show’s social media, so I knew the gist of what had been going on with Sonya and Toadie.”
After discovering that she was the one responsible for the accident at the backpackers’ hostel, alcoholic Sonya agreed to check herself into rehab. This week, however, Toadie is stunned to discover that his estranged wife has gone AWOL – and the fella is even more gobsmacked to find her living on a campsite with some rather unsavoury characters!
So, with no idea how to help his struggling ex, Toadie calls in the one person he hopes will be able to get through to her…
“When Callum returns, he can immediately see that his mum is broken,” explains Morgan. “There’s been a shift back into her old habits, and it tears him up to see her in such a state. Callum recognises that all other efforts to reach out to her have failed – so if he can’t get through to her, she might never come back.”
Given that last time Sonya succumbed to her addiction was when she lost her son, he’s the perfect person to give her some tough love – and point out the harsh realities of what will happen to her daughter Nell if she doesn’t pull herself together.
“Sonya is obviously very fragile, but she needs a frank discussion about her behaviour,” warns Morgan. “Callum is honest and to the point – if she continues down this path, she will alter the lives of those she loves, especially Nell, in the same way she altered Callum’s all those years ago. Being told you failed your duty as a parent isn’t an easy pill to swallow.”
Whether Callum’s visit will end up being the wake-up call that Sonya needs
remains to be seen – but Morgan informs us that his flying return to the Neighbours set was a welcome break from his current university studies.
“While acting is wonderful when you work, 99 per cent of the time you don’t,” he shares. “So I’ve been exploring other avenues in the industry, and I’m currently undertaking a bachelor of film and television.
“But it was great to be back on Neighbours and catch up with everyone – I get an odd sense of nostalgia when I’m there,” adds 20-year-old Morgan. “I spent a third of my life working at those studios – and it makes me feel old that I started on the show almost a decade ago!”