Next week on Home and Away, tragedy will strike the Parata family as they say an emotional farewell to Ari Parata, with Rob Kipa-Williams departing the show.
Ari will be transported to the hospital with suspected appendicitis in the next scenes, but doctors will discover that the situation is considerably more serious – he has appendix cancer with tumors spreading throughout his belly.
While he is told that there is no cure, doctors propose that a procedure may be able to extend his life for a short period, but that it would need to be performed on a regular basis. Rather than enduring the agony of treatments and postponing death, Ari makes the agonizing decision to forego treatment and die on his own terms.
Ari and Mia Anderson (Anna Samson) move their wedding forward, but he passes away not long after they exchange vows, surrounded by his loved ones.
Kawakawa Fox-Reo, who plays Ari’s nephew Nikau, has remarked on the sad turn of events and the enormous grief his character feels at the passing of his beloved uncle.
“He reacts in the manner of any little boy. He told Inside Soap, “It’s incredibly painful, and there’s no right or wrong way to grieve for someone.” “He’s going to struggle and lose it a little bit.” It will have an impact on his relationships with those around him; however, once he realizes that he is not alone, he will feel better.”
When asked how he felt when he found out Kipa-Williams was leaving, he stated he was “shocked” by the news, but that he understands “it was his time to go,” adding, “I’m glad for him.” Big love to him, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
Last month, Kipa-Williams posted an emotional social media message to commemorate Ari’s final scenes broadcast in Australia, saying he was honored to have contributed to the soap’s inclusion of Mori culture.
“Thank you to all of the fans for all of the love, messages, and support. Thank you to everyone who makes the wheels turn, including the cast, crew, camera, directors, production, writing, makeup, art department, and everyone else in between.
“Risks were taken on this iconic Ozzie TV show. I’m honored to have collaborated on Mori cultural storylines, and I’ll always be proud of the sequences that got it to the movie… it was true teamwork. My goal is that this will lead to increased diversity. Thank you, Ariki Wiremu Parata, for everything; you’ve taught me a lot. “I’m going to miss you,”.
