In a jaw-dropping twist that no one saw coming, Home and Away veteran Shane Withington — the beloved face of Summer Bay’s John Palmer — is at the centre of a sensational Hollywood-style personal drama that has fans reeling.

According to wild social media reports that have gone viral this week, the 67-year-old actor’s co-star wife — reportedly actress Anne Tenney — is said to be pregnant with a baby boy at the age of 71. The shocking claim has sent the soap world into a frenzy, with gossip pages lighting up as fans scramble to make sense of the bombshell news.

The rumours, which began circulating on Facebook groups and fringe celebrity gossip pages, suggest that Withington and Tenney’s life has taken an unexpected turn — with whispers of a late-in-life pregnancy that defies biology and expectations. According to these posts, the couple are allegedly “overjoyed” at the news of a son on the way, and insiders are claiming the pair have been quietly preparing for a new arrival while filming continues.

For decades, Withington has been a stalwart of Australian TV, first winning hearts as Brendan Jones on A Country Practice before cementing his status as Summer Bay’s gruff-but-loving John Palmer on Home and Away since 2009. He’s known for his sharp wit, emotional depth, and the way his storylines have resonated with viewers around the world.

His real-life love story with Anne Tenney, who famously played his wife Molly Jones on A Country Practice, has always been delightfully private. The pair have been married for years and have kept details of their family life largely out of the spotlight, choosing to protect their personal world from media glare.

However, Home and Away fans were stunned by the recent claims — especially since there’s no credible confirmation from official sources, representatives, or mainstream press. Industry insiders caution that the reports should be taken with a grain of salt, calling them “internet sensationalism” rather than verified news. Critically, there’s no reliable confirmation that Tenney is actually expecting a child at 71, and other credible background details indicate the couple’s family life has been quiet in recent years.

But that hasn’t stopped speculation from heating up. Across social networks, fans are divided: some are celebrating what would be one of the most extraordinary celebrity pregnancies of all time, while others are questioning the legitimacy of the story — pointing out the implausible biological odds and lack of official announcements.

Soap watchers know all too well how dramatic Home and Away storylines can be — from surprise pregnancies to shocking betrayals — but this real-world twist might just be one for the history books if it proves true.

For now, audiences will be watching both Summer Bay and the headlines — waiting to see whether this story is fact… or merely another piece of outrageous online speculation.