Home and Away’s Maggie and Ben may have had a happy end to their time in Summer Bay as they patched things up in their marriage and headed for Italy.
But the actress behind Maggie, Kestie Morassi, has admitted she wasn’t particularly fond of her final moments on the show.
WATCH: EXCLUSIVE Interview with Home & Away’s Kestie Morassi
Taking to Instagram, the 41-year-old shared a lengthy post reflecting on her time on the soap and revealed why her final storyline – fighting with on-screen husband Ben (Rohan Nichol) – was so tough.
“The last year or so for me was particularly difficult. I was going through personal challenges of dealing with some health issues, trying to survive the aftermath of an emotionally abusive relationship, as well as major family traumas,” she wrote.
“Going to work every day was my saviour. The energy of cast mates and crew kept me going and gave me something to look forward to every day.”
But then, Kestie’s character’s arc shifted in a more negative direction, which emotionally affected the actress.
“Then, the finale storyline came through which saw Ben and Maggie pitted against each other. The storyline took a toll on myself, more than I could’ve imagined – as Rohan, being a main source of fun and friendship for me on set, had to become not so fun, dark and really nasty at times,” she explained.
“It was hard for both of us. Even though Ben and Maggie ‘make it’ in the end, it wasn’t the most pleasant way for me to say goodbye to The Bay. That’s just how I felt.”
In the eye-opening post, Kestie also shared an insight into what it was like for her to score a coveted role on Home and Away.
“When I went for the audition, I REALLY wanted the job. Getting the role gave me everything I needed at the time – A sea change, a regular paycheque (unheard of for most actors in Oz), and a chance to be involved in something new to me and connect with a fresh group of people in a brand new city,” she revealed.
Kestie’s final scenes aired last week on Channel Seven as Maggie and Ben were given a surprise farewell lunch prepared by Summer Bay residents before the couple headed off to Italy.
