Sex tapes, bathroom busts and JAIL TIME: Home and Away’s most controversial off-air scandals

A former Home and Away star has been accused of being the mastermind behind an alleged drug syndicate supplying cocaine across Byron Bay, New South Wales.

But it’s not the first time an actor from the Channel Seven soap opera has been embroiled in a headline-making controversy.

From Jodi Gordon’s wild night in Kings Cross to Lincoln Lewis’ sex tape confessions, here are the biggest scandals to hit Summer Bay.

Home and Away began broadcasting on Seven 33 years ago and soon became a hit in the UK, launching the careers of many Hollywood stars. 

Maintaining a squeaky-clean reputation until the turn of the century, the program has been hit by a series of controversies since the early 2000s.

Putu Winchester-Stanton 

News broke on Monday that former Home and Away actor Putu Winchester-Stanton, 44, had been accused of being the mastermind behind an alleged drug syndicate supplying cocaine across Byron Bay, New South Wales 

Putu, who played a surfer named Pogo on the show, was one of seven men arrested after police raided homes across the Byron Shire on Thursday, April 22.

The Indonesian-born actor was charged with 10 offences, including supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and knowingly directing activities of a criminal group.

Martin Lynes

In 2018, former Home and Away actor Martin Lynes was jailed for sexually assaulting a woman in his home.

He was sentenced to a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and six months.

With his sentence backdated to August 2017, it meant he was eligible for parole in February 2020.

Martin played Adam Sharpe, a mentor to Stephen Peacocke’s character Darryl Braxton.

Lincoln Lewis

In 2009, Home and Away was rocked by its second sex tape scandal – this one involving the show’s then-golden boy Lincoln Lewis.

At the time, Lincoln admitted to filming a sex tape with a former flame a year earlier, after rumours swirled his castmates had seen the video.

According to The Daily Telegraph, several Home and Away stars and crew members urged him to try to get rid of the footage.

‘You do stupid things when you are young,’ he said at the time, acknowledging the tape’s existence.

‘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.’

Seven reportedly encouraged the then-21-year-old to have counselling but ultimately stood by him, with the actor staying on the show until 2010.

Jodi Gordon

Jodi Gordon joined Home and Away in 2005 as ‘straight down the line’ character Martha MacKenzie, who was previously played by Burcin Kapkin. 

In August 2009, the troubled actress was embroiled in a bizarre drug scandal with bikie associate and Kings Cross identity Mark Judge.

The pair were found by police huddled in the bedroom of Mark’s Bellevue Hill home, after Jodi had called Triple Zero under the delusion that armed intruders were threatening her life – sparking an emergency operation.

It marked the end of a dramatic few days, with Jodi’s then-fiancé Ryan Stokes having previously reported her missing to Kings Cross police.

As reported by News Corp at the time: ‘The unit’s resident reported that five men – at least two of them with guns – were in his backyard and trying to scale his balcony.

‘Armed police responded in force, wearing bullet-proof vests, cordoning off the area while a search was launched.’

Police reviewed CCTV footage and found no sign of any intruders – only Jodi and Mark hiding in a bedroom.

Jodi allegedly told officers during an interview following the bizarre episode that cocaine had been consumed earlier that night.

She and Ryan broke up soon after the scandal.

Joel McIlroy

Joel McIlroy was nominated for a Silver Logie in 2006 for his role as Home and Away’s Flynn Saunders – the husband to Sally Fletcher, played by Kate Richie.

In October 2019, he allegedly punched a 29-year-old senior constable during a violent scuffle in Sydney’s Surry Hills which resulted in the officer being taken to hospital.

However, after being accused of putting the policewoman in a headlock and punching her repeatedly Joel avoided a criminal trial and was dealt with under the Mental Health Act.

Joel was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 2007, a rare degenerative brain condition.

Medical experts gave him about ten years left to live during his 2020 trial, five of which will be in care.

Todd Lasance

The year 2009 ended with yet another Home and Away scandal, this time involving Logie winner Todd Lasance, who played Aden Jefferies from 2005 to 2010.

He was arrested on the night of Home and Away’s Christmas party, having reportedly been seen ‘acting suspiciously’ in the bathrooms of Kings Cross nightclub Kit and Kaboodle.

Having started their night at Strike Bowling on King Street Wharf, Todd had dinner with his fellow cast members, several of whom then joined him at Kid and Kaboodle.

Police sniffer dogs arrived later, with officers claiming they ‘saw a man [Todd] near the rear of the club acting suspiciously before he went into the toilets,’ according to News Corp.

‘Officers asked him if he had anything he should not and it is alleged he removed a small clear resealable bag containing white powder from a pocket,’ it was reported.

He was then arrested and charged with cocaine possession, resulting in the actor being slapped with a 12-month good behaviour bond, which was later lifted on appeal.

Johnny Ruffo

In 2014, Home and Away and former X-Factor contestant Johnny Ruffo was involved in a scandal at the Four Seasons hotel in Sydney.

He was photographed at a party, sitting at a table with lines of white powder.

In one of the photos, the actor used a bank card to cut the substance into 13 lines.

Johnny has never publicly commented on the images – Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any drug use took place.

Dan Ewing

In 2007, Dan Ewing starred in Home and Away in a recurring role, playing Heath Braxton, before landing gigs on several other high-profile shows.

In 2011, Dan was charged with assaulting his then-fiancée during a dispute at their Northern Beaches home.    

‘A 26-year-old man (understood to be Ewing) was arrested at the scene and taken to Manly police station where he was charged with common assault,’ Police said.

The charges were later dropped.