Home and Away’s Ada Nicodemou has been a staple on the long-running soap opera for over two decades, and lucky for us, we can all rest easy. She’s not going anywhere.

Speaking to Chattr, the 45-year-old spoke about her role on the hit show and how long she’ll continue to play Leah Patterson.

“Oh, as long as they’ll have me,” she admitted with a laugh.

“In all honesty, as long as they’ll have me. I love the show. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I always have loved the format, and it’s just a lovely place to work. So, you know, while people are loving the show, and I’m being challenged, and the show is going, I’m gonna be there.”

For the 45-year-old, she has a sense of pride being attached to one of Australia’s most beloved TV shows.

“I’ve always been very proud to be part of it,” she said.  “I was actually just saying to Ray [Meagher], I remember being at school when the first episode of Home and Away aired, and I was so excited to watch the show. And I’ve always been a massive fan [since then].

“So to now be part of such an iconic show, I never take it for granted. It’s an institution in this country and worldwide, and I’m so proud of the product we produce.”

Nicodemou has played Leah for over two decades and doesn’t “remember” a time before being on Home and Away.

“It’s funny because you say 23 years and I don’t remember my time beforehand, but I don’t also feel like I’ve been there for that long,” she admitted. “I just recently had like two to three weeks off work and God I missed everyone… It’s such a lovely place to work.”

Home and Away will air its 8000th episode on March 27

On March 27, the series will air its 8000th episode, and for the cast, it’s nothing short of an incredibly mean feat.

The episode will feature the highly-anticipated wedding between Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) and Tane (Ethan Zane Brown) — who, after a car accident stopped their first trip to the altar — will see them tie the knot at a traditional Māori wedding, complete with Kaikaranga and traditional poi dancers. 

“It’s a great episode,” she said. “It’s a wedding, and I think everyone loves a wedding. We like to see some happy endings…I think it’s just perfect. I think it’s a nice payoff for the audience. And to see 8000 episodes, I think it’s nice to celebrate it like that.”

Adding to this, she said the addition of cultural diversity is something that should be celebrated, and while it didn’t start off that way, it is now a firm part of the series. For Nicodemou — who is of Greek heritage — it’s a win for Aussie TV.

“I think it’s a really interesting episode to see how a Maori wedding is done as well, obviously there’s a bit of drama,” she added. 

“I remember when I was young watching TV, there was no one that looked like me. When they put a Greek person on TV, then all sudden, it was just smashing plates. It was just so stereotypical. But now, Leah is Greek, sure, but we’re not sort of sitting there talking about her being Greek.”

Home and Away continues on 7 and 7Plus, each weeknight at 7.00 pm.

Want to CHATTR with us? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more entertainment news.