Unrecognisable: Tessa James — 14 Years After Leaving Home and Away

It has been more than a decade since Tessa James walked away from Summer Bay, but the former Home and Away star looks almost unrecognisable compared to her soap days. Once a household name in Australia, Tessa has since traded television fame for a quieter, more grounded life far removed from the cameras.

Now 34, Tessa’s journey has been anything but easy. At just 23 years old, while her acting career was gaining momentum, her life was suddenly derailed by a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The shock forced her to step back from acting and focus on her health, putting her promising career on hold. Back then, fans would often see her in the familiar Summer Bay school uniform, but today her look is far more natural. Social media snapshots show her favoring minimal makeup, letting her striking blue eyes shine without the glamour of her TV years.

Her illness first became public in 2014 when she discovered a lump above her collarbone, a discovery that would change her life forever. What followed was a grueling period of treatment and uncertainty. During this time, she leaned on the guidance of singer Delta Goodrem, who had faced the same diagnosis in 2002. Delta’s support proved invaluable, offering Tessa strength and perspective as she endured the frightening months ahead.

In later interviews, Tessa was candid about how devastating the diagnosis had been. “At 23, you feel like your life is just beginning—work, travel, discovering who you are—and suddenly, everything stops,” she shared in a heartfelt conversation with Mamamia. After six exhausting months of chemotherapy, she received the life-changing news that she was cancer-free. The experience left her forever changed, prompting her to rethink her priorities and embrace a different kind of future.

By 2020, Tessa had officially stepped away from acting and turned her focus to a new passion: interior design. This career shift wasn’t random; it was a family calling. With her mother and sister already established as interior architects, she felt naturally drawn to the creativity and vision of the design world. Today, she serves as director and head of communications at Oy Design, her family’s thriving business, finding fulfillment in helping to shape beautiful and functional spaces.

Her personal life has been equally full. Tessa married former NRL player Nate Miles back in 2011, and together they have built a bustling family. The couple are parents to four boys: Sane, now seven, Jaguar, four, London, three, and their youngest son, who recently turned one. Despite the challenges she’s faced, family life has brought her immense joy and purpose.

Though her Home and Away days are long behind her, Tessa’s acting résumé includes memorable performances in projects like Beaconsfield, Love Child, and the feature film Spin Out. Even if she never returns to the screen, her journey is one defined by resilience, reinvention, and a refusal to be defined by hardship. From soap star to cancer survivor, devoted mother, and successful designer, Tessa James’s story is an inspiring reminder of strength and transformation.