Yahoo News Home and Away star Lukas Radovich on Ryder's role in explosion story
Home and Away spoilers follow for UK viewers.
Home and Away's Ryder Jackson fears for the life of his girlfriend Chloe Anderson on UK screens next week, as their food truck mysteriously explodes.
Chloe (Sam Barrett) is in the danger zone when the vehicle blows up, and Ryder is distraught when he finds her trapped beneath debris.
As Chloe is rushed to hospital with her life hanging in the balance, Ryder looks for someone to blame, and even wonders whether his former boss Mackenzie Booth (Emily Weir) could have somehow caused the explosion.
Here, Lukas Radovich – who plays Ryder – explains what's going through his character's mind.
Ryder and Chloe have been going head-to-head with Mac over their rival food businesses for weeks now. How does Ryder feel about the growing tensions?
"Ryder is torn between his loyalty towards Mac and his relationship with Chloe. Mac and Ryder have always had a great relationship that was more than just boss/employee. They were friends, so for Ryder, it's a difficult situation to be in.
"Ryder wants his business to succeed as much as he wants his relationship with Mac to be salvaged. Ryder isn't used to stepping on other people's toes, and Chloe's the driving force when it comes to antagonising Mac.
"He just hopes that things don't go too far, where either the business or his friendship with Mac is lost."
Would you say Ryder and Chloe are really settled as a couple now?
"I think they make a great team. Ryder is very pragmatic and has the skills necessary to build a business, and Chloe is very creative and has a lot of great ideas. I think they balance each other out really well."
What goes through Ryder's mind when the food truck explodes?
"At the time of the explosion, all of Ryder's attention is focused on finding Chloe and making sure she's safe. When he finds her seriously injured, he's absolutely devastated.
"Based on the tension between Mac and Ryder, he jumps to the conclusion that she's involved. I don't think he honestly believes that she's capable of something like that, but he's just so angry that he wants to blame someone and Mac seems like the obvious choice."
What were the explosion scenes like to film?
"It was a really long two-day shoot, but it was lots of fun! We spent most of the days covered in dirt, real and fake, and watching the pyrotechnics come in and light everything on fire – it was pretty amazing.
"I also got to do a small stunt when the truck exploded. I get pushed backwards by the explosion, and I was connected to a pulley system to simulate the blast."
Can Ryder and Mackenzie's friendship come back from this drama?
"I hope so! Mac and Ryder have always had a very special friendship, and I wouldn't like to see it completely disappear.
"It's always fun to work with Emily Weir, no matter whether our characters are fighting or not! We have a lot of fun in scenes where we're talking about our relationship woes and helping each other out too, so I'd love to keep the friendship between Mac and Ryder alive.
"But the most recent scenes where we are fighting have been a lot of fun as well. Emily has impeccable comic timing, so sometimes it was hard to keep a straight face when shooting them!"
What's next for Chloe and Ryder? Will they make it through to the other side of this dramatic incident?
"I think Ryder and Chloe's relationship will withstand the food truck explosion. They are a tough couple and they have a lot of support from the Bay.
"But as with all Summer Bay relationships, there could be someone who shows up that truly tests whether they are meant for each other or not…"
Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.15pm and 6pm on Channel 5 (UK), with first-look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
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