Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart brush off Home and Away cast 'rift' rumours as they share sweet tributes to Ray Meagher on his 80th birthday

Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart have proven there is no rift with their Home and Away cast mates, after they shared sweet tributes to their co-star Ray Meagher.

The actors each posted gushing messages to Instagram to celebrate Ray's 80th birthday last week, posing alongside a number of their fellow actors.

Alongside a number of photos of the pair, Ada wrote: 'I know every love calls him an Aussie Icon but to me Ray you are that and more...

'You're a father figure, a friend, financial planner and all round life coach. You are the first person I think of when I need advice or have news to tell you.'

She continued: 'I look up to you in every way, you really are my role model and the best person to have a laugh with and a drink.

'Happy 80th birthday Ray!!! And thank you for your love and support, and for always being so kind to my family and caring so much. We all really just adore you!'

James likewise shared similar photos to his own Instagram page, alongside a caption that read: 'Happy Birthday mate!'

The warm display has thrown cold water over recent talk of a 'rift' in the cast since Ada and James went public with their romance.

According to some reports, the couple failed to get the tick of approval on their new romance from their Home and Away co-stars.

Their affections have not been taken kindly by everyone in the cast, reported Woman's Day recently.

A source close to the actress allegedly told the publication stars Lynne McGranger, Ray Meagher and Emily Symone are all 'keeping an eye' on Ada.

'Most people are just worried about Ada. Ray and Lynne aren't the kind of people to get involved in someone else's business and will be keeping their heads down, but they will have raised their concerns with her,' the insider said.

They went on to add that the TV actress has 'done a complete 180' on her opinion of James following his failed relationships with former co-stars Isabella Giovinazzo and Sarah Roberts - his now ex-wife.

The father-of-one appears to have a habit of getting romantically involved with his on-screen partners, with the hunk striking up a romance with Isabella in 2016, after the couple began playing an on-screen couple, but things fizzled in 2017.

Just over a month after their split, James was rumoured to have already moved on with his now ex-wife Sarah, who was a newcomer to the series at the time, with the couple also becoming on-screen partners not long after .

'[Ada is] insisting to everyone he's not the guy she thought he once was and that he's really changed,' the insider said.

They went on to say that Ada and James' ex-wife Sarah, who officially announced their divorce last month, 'were really good friends' and even 'shared a dressing room' when they starred in Home and Away together - adding to their surprise over the veteran actress' about-face .

It comes comes after bombshell photos emerged of Ada, 47, and James, 48, packing on the PDA last month on Anzac Day.

The pair - who play lovers on Home and Away - enjoyed a beverage together at The Royal Hotel.

They were later seen getting cosy outside the establishment after leaving the venue.

James was also was pictured leaving his apartment in Coogee with a suitcase and catching an Uber to the Swissotel Hotel in Sydney 's CBD on April 24.

There was also a recent sighting of the couple at a cinema, where onlookers said they were 'not shy' about displaying their affection publicly.

Ada was married to Chrys Xipolitas for nine years. They reportedly split briefly in 2010 before reconciling and welcoming a son, Johnas, in August 2012.

The actress, who also starred in '90s soap Heartbreak High, went on to split from Xipolitas for good and dated businessman Rigby for about eight years.

They called it quits sometime in late 2023.

The news of James and Ada growing close comes after James' ex Sarah - a Home and Away alum - confirmed to Stellar magazine the pair had divorced.

'I just want to say that I am divorced,' she told the publication.

'Sometimes people grow apart and that's okay... I got to a point where I realised I couldn't grow in the way I wanted to within this particular relationship.'

Sarah and James wed in 2019 after getting engaged in November 2018. He had proposed at the restaurant where they'd had their first date a year earlier.

The pair tied the knot at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland , in July 2019.

She starred on Home and Away from 2017 to 2021, before walking away to focus on her film career.

James is still starring on the Australian soap, in which he plays Justin Morgan.

The actor shares daughter Scout, 11, with his ex-fiancée Jessica Marais, whom he met on the set of Packed to the Rafters in 2009.