Home and Away Spoilers – Dana’s painful goodbye as Xander leaves
Next week on Home and Away in the UK, Xander’s new career path leads him away from Summer Bay, leaving Dana facing a heartbreaking farewell.
After months of working towards his business course, Xander (Luke Van Os) finally gets a major opportunity—but it comes at a cost. His journey into entrepreneurship began when Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) turned down his offer to buy Felicity’s (Jacqui Purvis) half of Salt, pushing him to develop the necessary skills to start his own venture.
Despite his busy life balancing bartending at Salt, surfing, and supporting his girlfriend Dana (Ally Harris) through her struggles, Xander has overlooked one crucial aspect of his studies—securing an internship to complete his course requirements.
Realizing the deadline is looming, Xander approaches Mackenzie (Emily Weir) for help. He confesses that he was supposed to arrange a placement but failed to do so in time. Mac, ever resourceful, reaches out to her connections, hoping to secure him an opportunity.
The next day, Xander anxiously waits for news, knowing that without an internship, he risks failing the module. Dana remains optimistic, encouraging him to stay hopeful as Mackenzie waits for a response from her contacts.
Later, as Dana and Mackenzie chat at Salt, Mac receives a message that changes everything. With a beaming smile, she announces that a friend who owns a hotel has an open internship spot. The catch? It’s in Melbourne, starts in just two days, and lasts for six weeks.
Xander and Dana exchange uncertain glances—this isn’t what they expected. While Mac insists it’s a fantastic opportunity, Xander hesitates, worried about the short notice and the distance. Dana tries to be supportive, reminding him it’s only an hour’s flight away, but the sadness in her eyes is undeniable.
Torn between his future and his relationship, Xander considers looking for a closer placement, but Dana urges him to take the opportunity. She reminds him how difficult it was to find this one and insists that six weeks will pass quickly. Though Xander is surprised at how composed Dana seems, she is quietly struggling with the reality of their impending separation.
When they later gather with John (Shane Withington), Rose (Kirsty Marillier), and Mackenzie at Salt, Xander announces his decision—he’s taking the internship. As Rose helps him pack, John promises to keep Dana busy so she doesn’t feel his absence too much.
The next morning, it’s time for Xander to leave. Rose reassures her brother, expressing pride in how far he’s come since starting the course. Before he gets into his car, he shares a heartfelt goodbye with Dana, finally telling her that he loves her for the first time.
“I love you more,” Dana replies, fighting back tears as they kiss goodbye.
With that, Xander drives away, leaving Dana to grapple with her emotions. While his plan is to return in six weeks, Australian episodes airing soon reveal that Xander ultimately decides to stay in Melbourne permanently. This leaves Dana with a life-changing choice—should she follow him, or stay in Summer Bay and move on?
