Home and Away star Sarah Roberts shares her joy over becoming a stepmother to her husband James Stewart’s daughter from his relationship with Jessica Marais
Home and Away co-stars Sarah Roberts and James Stewart celebrated their first year of marriage in July.
And on Wednesday, the 35-year-old actress revealed how becoming a stepmother to her 45-year-old husband’s daughter, Scout, had changed her for the better.
Sarah explained to Now To Love that eight-year-old Scout, from James’ previous relationship with Packed to the Rafters star Jessica Marais, was her main priority.
Better woman: Home and Away star Sarah Roberts revealed on Wednesday how becoming a stepmother to her husband James Stewart’s daughter, Scout, had changed her for the better
‘I wanted to be a stable adult in her life and we didn’t want to bring that up or make it public unless it was going to be a safe environment for Scout,’ she said.
Sarah is now on a mission to change some of the misconceptions about being a stepmother, saying that ‘step mums get a really bad rap’ sometimes.
‘In Cinderella the stepmum is awful! I want to rebrand that. It’s challenging but it’s so rewarding at times, too,’ she added.
While Sarah’s life today is nothing like she thought it would be, she still feels incredibly lucky to have Scout around.
Number one: Sarah told Now To Love that eight-year-old Scout (centre), from James’ previous relationship with Packed to the Rafters star Jessica Marais (right), was her main priority
‘She’s teaching me so much and I feel like I’m teaching her a lot. I know eventually one day our time will come and we are able to give her a brother or a sister,’ she said.
Sarah’s comments come after she revealed she’d had a devastating 18 months, after losing two family members and suffering back-to-back miscarriages.
In an interview earlier this month, Sarah described how she used her soap character Willow Harris as therapy to deal with the grief and ‘keep going’.
So in love: While Sarah’s life today is nothing like she thought it would be, she still feels incredibly lucky to have Scout around. Pictured with husband James
‘You just have to keep on going – the world keeps moving, and sometimes the only way through things is to keep picking yourself up off the ground and keep continuing on, even if it’s hard,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
‘I’ve been through so much while working on the show and jumping into [Willow’s] drama was an escape from my real life at times.
‘It’s funny that all that drama is a nice solace.’
Grief: Sarah lost her brother, Karl De Abrew (right), in October 2019 following a 15-year battle with brain cancer. He died three months after walking his sister down the aisle at her wedding to James at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin
Sarah lost her brother, Karl De Abrew, in October 2019 following a 15-year battle with brain cancer.
He died three months after walking his sister down the aisle at her wedding to James at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin.
Sarah then lost her grandmother around Mother’s Day.
‘I do’: Sarah and James, who met on set of Home and Away in early 2017, are pictured their wedding day in Ireland