Tessa James doesn’t look like this anymore! Rarely-seen Neighbours star joins Melbourne’s elite to celebrate trailblazing women at glitzy event

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Tessa James was barely recognizable at a glamorous event in Melbourne, which brought together the city’s most prominent people to support a charity.

The actor, known for his role on the show Neighbours, rarely makes public appearances. He stepped away from acting after receiving a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in 2014, but attended the L’Oreal Australia For Women In Science Awards on Wednesday.

A celebration honoring five pioneering scientists from Australia and New Zealand took place at Sophia at The Prahran Arcade. Over 150 VIPs attended, including Tayla Broad and Olivia Molly Rogers.

Tessa was the picture of sophistication as she arrived in a pared-down, monochromatic ensemble. 

For the event, the 34-year-old woman chose a stylish outfit consisting of a flowy, polka-dotted top, well-fitting black pants, and strappy heels.

She slicked her hair back in an elegant bun, showing off her glowing visage and striking blue eyes.  

She also paused for a photo with Ellie Baillieu, a socialite who is engaged to restaurant owner Tom Sutterby.

Since being diagnosed with cancer at 23, Tessa has been living a quiet life and staying out of the public eye.

Even though Tessa was enjoying great success in her career, she felt like her life had stalled and decided to stop acting, according to a recent report in Mamamia.

She admitted her life felt like it had come to a standstill. ‘I think it’s common for people my age – 23 – to feel like life is rushing by,’ she explained.

You’re figuring things out, exploring new opportunities, and really living life to the fullest. Meanwhile, my life felt like it just came to a standstill.

Tessa explained that she started to wonder if she could manage both her acting career and the challenges of cancer treatment.

When I was going through everything, I really looked up to people like Delta Goodrem, who bravely battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma back in 2002. Knowing she’d faced something similar and come through it gave me so much hope and strength.

After successfully completing six months of chemotherapy and being declared cancer-free in 2020, she chose to retire from acting.

Tessa is widely recognized for her role as Nicole Franklin on the Australian soap opera *Home and Away*, which she played from 2008 to 2011. She has also appeared in the films *Beaconsfield* and *Spin Out*, as well as the television series *Love Child*.

Her career was quickly gaining momentum, but in 2014, everything changed when she found a lump near her collarbone while auditioning in Los Angeles.

The actress has transitioned to a career in interior design, just like her mother and sister, both of whom are interior architects.

Tessa leads communications and serves as Director at AKI Design, a small interior design studio owned and operated by her family.

Tessa and former rugby league player Nate Myles got married in 2011 and have four sons. Their oldest, Saynt, is seven, followed by Jaguar, who is four, and London, age three. They recently welcomed another son in 2024, keeping the birth private until now.

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2025-09-18 03:35