Justin Morgan (Home and Away)
On 5 December 2015, Jonathon Moran from "The Daily Telegraph" reported that James Stewart had joined the cast of "Home and Away" as Justin Morgan, alongside actors Jackson Heywood and Orpheus Pledger who play his brothers Brody and Mason Morgan respectively. All three began filming their first scenes during the following week, ahead of their on-screen debut in 2016. Stewart was contacted by his agent and Julie McGauran, the head of drama at Seven Network, about a role in the show. After hearing the pitch, Stewart accepted the audition. "Home and Away" marks Stewart's second television appearance since he took time away from acting to be a stay-at-home dad. He commented, "I got to the end of three years of raising my daughter and just thought, 'Oh, I need to work. I've got to get her through school.'" New Zealand actor Benedict Wall also auditioned for the role of Justin, before he was later cast as Duncan Stewart. Stewart made his first appearance as Justin on 7 June 2016, alongside Heywood and Pledger.
Justine Jones
The name 'Justine Jones' had been mentioned in dialogue for several weeks before it was announced in September 2005 that "Home and Away" star, Laurie Foell would be arriving to the show to portray the character in a short term stint. The following year Foell was offered to reprise the role with the intention of expanding the character so as to introduce a family unit. Foell was happy to return to the role, "It was a great experience being on "Shortland Street". It can be a nerve-wracking going into a new show but everyone was really very welcoming and warm. I thought the writing was excellent and it was great working with the other actors." The character's return saw the introduction of her family: husband Callum McKay (Peter Mochrie) and children, Hunter (Lee Donoghue) and Sophie (Kimberley Crossman). In late-2006 Foell decided to leave the role and quit, returning to her home country of Australia. Her departure was reportedly a "mutual decision by the actor and the producers". The producers were faced with a difficult decision that they had never faced in the show's 14-year run, in that an actress had quit prematurely with the character still yet to undergo storylines. They considered writing her out but instead decided to recast. There was immense speculation amongst fans and the media that Foell was in fact fired, though the actresses agent did not release a statement. Lucy Wigmore had previously auditioned for another role and producers contacted her and offered the role of Justine, something which she had hesitations about, "Signing up for a year contract is slightly daunting plus exciting so it’s a bit of a catch 22 situation. It's fabulous to have work for a year and know that’s I’ll be paid. But on the other hand you're signing off for other projects. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into so there was a bit of trepidation."