Home and Away Star Unrecognizable in Bondi with Friends

She’s the Aussie actress who plays fan-favourite Mackenzie Booth on iconic soap, Home and Away.

And Emily Weir looked almost unrecognisable this week, when she stepped out with friends in Bondi.

The actress, 34, cut a very different figure from the fashion-forward character she plays on the long-running Channel Seven series. 

Also known for flaunting her sense of sartorial style on the red carpet, Emily went for a much more casual approach during her outing. 

Rugging up against a chilly Sydney day, Emily wore a long, sand-coloured trench coat that finished below her knees.

From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail’s new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 

Home and Away star Emily Weir looked almost unrecognisable this week when she stepped out with pals in Bondi

She added a pop of colour to her wintry look with a pair of eye-catching, high-waisted mauve jeans.

Emily matched her pants with a pair of equally colourful, retro-styled Adidas sneakers.

She added to her interesting colour palette with a pair of lime green-framed sunglasses that were perched atop her head.  

The soap star also wore her hair in a tall top knot, leaving strands of her brunette locks to fall freely down her shoulders.

It appears that Emily and her pals had just enjoyed an early workout session, with the actress carrying a large gym bag over her shoulder.

She also accessorised with a large black leather cross-body bag.

Emily, who was spotted carrying a small takeaway coffee, looked chuffed to be in the company of friends, with the trio deep in conversation as they strolled.           

Emily recently shocked fans after admitting she and her on-screen love interest, Tristan Gorey, considered leaving the iconic series.

Emily, who plays fan-favourite Mackenzie Booth, cut a very different figure to the fashion-forward character she plays on Home and Away

Also known for flaunting her sense of sartorial style on the red carpet, Emily went for a much more casual approach for her outing

The pair admitted they were affected by the recent death of beloved character Felicity Newman, played by Jacqui Purvis.

Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, Emily revealed that if Mackenzie had to leave Summer Bay, she wanted it to be on her terms. 

‘I don’t ever want Mackenzie to die. I want her to leave the Bay, so there’s always a place where I can come back to,’ Emily said.

The brunette bombshell said if her character had to die, she would like it to be in a very dramatic and memorable manner.

‘If I had to, I’d love to be in a gunfight or something really left of field. Really do some martial arts, like a fight scene or something.’

Meanwhile, Tristan, who plays Dr Levi Fowler, was interested in taking his character to a darker place before his potential exit.

‘I feel like Dr Levi should turn bad and then he’s chasing after Mackenzie and Mackenzie’s running away, and then he just trips and falls and hits his head,’ he said.

Rumours of a potential exit for Emily swirled in October last year  after fans discovered a worrying photo posted to social media.

Emily wore a long, sand-coloured trench coat that finished below her knees

She added a pop of colour to her wintry look with a pair of eye-catching mauve jeans

They noticed Emily was on a big US holiday with former co-stars Sarah Roberts and Tim Franklin. 

It had been reported that Emily’s three-year contract on the series was soon to expire, leading fans to speculate her ‘holiday’ may actually be a farewell party. 

Back in 2022, Emily candidly revealed how her years-long struggle with ‘crippling anxiety’ led to alcohol addiction. 

The actress told Who magazine she would regularly use wine as a crutch after she began suffering panic attacks as a teenager and felt she had no other way to cope. 

‘The more you shine a light on anxiety and addiction, the less power it has,’ she said. 

‘It’s definitely not easy, but by speaking out, I hope anyone else who is struggling realises that these issues can and do affect anyone – and I’m passionate about shining that light on something that affects so many of us.’ 

Emily said she first began experiencing anxiety and panic attacks when she was just 19, shortly after her parents divorced.

She went through ‘what was effectively a nervous breakdown’, yet had no idea what anxiety was because it wasn’t commonly discussed at the time.

Emily landed her breakthrough role in 2019. Emily is pictured with co-star Tristan Gorey, who plays her on-screen love interest Dr Levi Fowler

The actress said she turned to alcohol to cope and soon became ‘reliant on booze’, before eventually being forced to address her problem after ‘one messy night too far’.

She has since learned to manage her addiction with the help of AA and counselling.

‘I feel very lucky to have found the help that I needed,’ she said. ‘There’s no right or wrong way through this for anyone, but I am fortunate I found a way that works for me.’

Emily landed her breakthrough role as restaurateur Mackenzie Booth on Home and Away in 2019.