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Guest Character Profiles > Joanna Hale Laura Lattuada

When her son, Riley, was just four, Joanna Hale fell pregnant again, then lost her husband suddenly soon after. She struggled to grieve and, after daughter Bridget was born, she suffered a breakdown and decided to put her children into care. A few years later, as Riley and Bridget were adopted by Steve and Miranda Parker, Joanna tried to get in touch, but Miranda paid her off. As the years went by, Miranda continued to pay Joanna to stay away, and she ended up remarrying and having two more daughters, Josie and Cara.

In 2008, Bridget fell pregnant herself and her thoughts turned to her biological mother, who she decided to trace, and was devastated when Joanna sent her a reply, explaining that she didn't want to make contact. Miranda was relieved that her secret was safe, but Joanna couldn't keep away and started following Bridget, before leaving a box containing $12,000 - all the money Miranda had paid her - on the doorstep. While Bridget was horrified, her boyfriend Declan was curious, having overheard hushed conversations between Miranda and Steve, who had since found out about his wife paying Joanna off. After getting Joanna's number from Miranda's phone, Declan arranged to meet her at Charlie's bar, but a suspicious Bridget caught him and ended up coming face to face with her birth mother. After hearing about the reasons why Joanna gave her up, Bridget was pleased when they were joined by Miranda, unaware of the tension between the two women.

Later, during lunch at the Parker house, the tension remained, but Bridget was upset to learn that she had two young half-sisters. Joanna took her to one side and apologised, explaining that it had taken her years to get her act together, but she'd never stopped thinking about her or Riley. Later, however, having seen the tender moment between mother and daughter, Miranda angrily told Bridget that she should have no further contact with Joanna. When Bridget refused, Miranda blurted out the truth about the money, leaving Bridget stunned. When Joanna met her later that day, Bridget gave her back the money and told her to stay out of her life. But as she went, Joanna delivered one parting shot, telling Bridget that she was once like her - too young to have a baby - leaving an already confused Bridget even more uncertain about her future.

Episodes Featured
5633, 5634

Biography by Steve

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