The shock secret soapie flings you DID NOT know about - including 'hours of passion' between Heath Ledger and Kate Ritchie

 

Life imitated art for Axle Whitehead and Samara Weaving, who announced their relationship while their fictional romance blossomed on screens 

The Aussie TV industry may be small, but it's had its fair share of romantic interludes over the years.

Yes, Neighbours' Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan got their airtime in the pages, as did her sister Dannii Minogue and the late Julian McMahon after sparks flew in Home and Away. 

But what about the rest? 

Turns out, there is an underground archive of soap stars that slipped into the sheets together and slipped off the tabloid radar without anyone noticing. 

From Neighbours actors that got too neighbourly to Home and Away stars that couldn't leave their feelings in Summer Bay, the TV circuit proves to be a hotbed of hedonism.

The Aussie TV industry may be small, but it's had its fair share of romantic interludes over the years (left picture: Heath Ledger and Kate Ritchie. Right picture: Glayne Blakeney and Stefan Dennis) 

Heath Ledger and Kate Ritchie (Home and Away)

It seems Heath Ledger and Kate Ritchie's on-screen romance spilled into reality after the Gold Logie winner made a telling comment about her time acting alongside the late star. 

Heath, who played bad boy Scott Irwin, and Kate, who played Sally Fletcher, were love interests on the show, both being around 17 at the time. 

In 2018, Kate sat down for an interview to celebrate 30 years of the hit soap and shed light on her relationship with the Hollywood star. 

'Heath was very good looking, very charming,' she said in the trailer.

'There were a few hours of teenage passion.'

While the pair never confirmed a relationship or tryst of any kind, Kate did go on to say that she was 'the envy of all the girls on set' as she got to lock lips with hunky Heath multiple times on the show. 

Tragically, Heath was found dead at a New York City apartment on January 22, 2008, after an accidental overdose, following months of physical and emotional exhaustion. 

It seems Heath Ledger and Kate Ritchie's on-screen romance spilled into reality after the Gold Logie winner made a telling comment about her time acting alongside the late star .

Axle Whitehead and Samara Weaving (Home and Away)

Life imitated art for Axle Whitehead and Samara Weaving, who announced their relationship while their fictional romance blossomed on screens.

Axle, who played Liam Murphy, and Samara, who played Indi Walker, reportedly dated briefly in July 2012.

However, the alliance was over quicker than it started, with both the stars spotted cuddling up with other people in August that year.

Axle was snapped with a beautiful brunette at a Surry Hills bar and Samara was seen getting close to her new man in Sydney's inner west, according to Nine Honey.

The split appeared sugary sweet, with Axle claiming that they remained good friends with a lot of respect for each other.

Samara soon turned her sights to Hollywood, starring in blockbusters Ready or Not, Babylon and Borderline.

Axle, on the other hand, spends his time playing music gigs at small venues across Sydney and selling his used music equipment on Instagram.

Life imitated art for Axle Whitehead and Samara Weaving, who announced their relationship while their fictional romance blossomed on screens .

Lincoln Lewis and Indiana Evans (Home and Away) 

Did you know that Lincoln Lewis and Indiana Evans were an item?

These Home and Away lovebirds also enjoyed a brief stint of dating, but called a time out on their romance in 2008 after just a few months together.

However, their short-lived romance became the talk of the town in 2009 after Lincoln confessed that he had filmed a sex tape the year prior and showed it to his castmates.

At the time, The Daily Telegraph reported that the clip featured a 'teenage TV starlet'. 

Daily Mail is not suggesting that Indiana was involved in the alleged scandal.

'You do stupid things when you are young,' he told the publication in 2010.

'But you learn from your mistakes, that's part of growing up — this mistake, and what I have learnt, will contribute a lot to making me a better person in the future.'

Lincoln Lewis (left) and Indiana Evans (right) also enjoyed a brief stint of dating, but called a time out on their romance in 2008 after just a few months together.

Stefan Dennis and Gayle Blakeney (Neighbours)

Before Stefan Dennis and Gail Easdale lived happily ever after, there was a Gayle of another kind on the scene - and the screen.

Gayle Blakeney, who played Christina Alessi on the show, dated the longtime Neighbours star between 1990 and 1992. 

And while their characters wed on the show, the pair didn't make it to the altar in real-life, instead parting amicably and Stefan moving on to another Neighbours castmate... 

Stefan Dennis and Natalie Imbruglia (Neighbours)

It seems Stefan was quite the fan of the Neighbours watering hole, for pretty quickly he was embroiled in a secret romance with another one of his co-stars Natalie Imbruglia.

Natalie, who went on to enjoy a successful music career with hits such as Torn and Big Mistake, first appeared on the beloved soapie in 1992 as Beth Brennan.

Stefan revealed that the pair struck up a relationship after sparks flew on set, leading to his reputation among the cast as a ladies' man.

Glayne Blakeney (left), who played Christina Alessi on the show, dated the longtime Neighbours star Stefan Dennis (right) between 1990 and 1992.

It seems Stefan was quite the fan of the Neighbours watering hole, for pretty quickly he was embroiled in a secret romance with another one of his co-stars Natalie Imbruglia (pictured)

Because of my relationship with Gayle and later, in a well-kept secret, I was also going out with Natalie Imbruglia, there was a rumour that I was making my way through the female cast,' he told Stellar in 2022. 

The revelation was a shock, not only because it slid under the tabloids' radar, but because Stefan was 17 years her senior.

Beau Brady and Bec Hewitt  (Home and Away)

Bec Hewitt (Cartwright at the time) and Beau Brady's relationship was widely covered at the time, but the early noughties romance may have slipped your minds since it came crumbling down twenty years ago. 

The couple, taking their on-screen relationship off-screen, dated for four years and were hailed as Australia's soapie sweethearts.

Beau even proposed, with the couple enjoying a few months engaged before Bec called off it off in 2004 and broke hearts across the country.

In the ultimate plot twist, Bec moved into WAG territory the following year, dating tennis star Lleyton Hewitt for six weeks before getting engaged in 2005 and then married. 

The pair have now been playing the tennis game that is marriage for 20 years. 

Home and Away royalty Beau Brady and Bec Hewitt (Cartwright at the time) were Australia's most beloved couple in the early noughties, taking their on-screen relationship off-screen and dating for four years .

Speaking with Woman's Day magazine in 2010, Beau broke his silence on their split and also made some shock claims about the fallout of their relationship.

'I'm only speculating, but in the end I'm still not really sure why Bec broke it off. Maybe it was because I didn't own a Ferrari!' he told the mag.

Beau also claimed that Bec started texting and calling Lleyton while they were together and that she disappeared for more than a week before dumping him.

'I thought there was nothing to it because - let's face it - I'm a much better looking dude than Lleyton,' he added.

Sigh... There's nothing worse than when your former tennis partner starts calling fouls.