List of Home and Away characters introduced in 1999

Bianca Zeboat, played by Lara Cox, made her first appearance on 11 August 1999. Cox won the extended guest role of Bianca shortly after she finished filming on fellow serial drama ''Heartbreak High'', and was surprised that she would be appearing in two shows at the same time. Cox compared Bianca to her ''Heartbreak High'' character Anita Scheppers, saying "I have more in common with Anita than Bianca. While Anita is basically good, Bianca is a nasty, nasty piece of work! I don't like her at all." Cox also called Bianca a "manipulator", and said she would never behave in the same way or be as sexually overt as her. But she thought Bianca was quite assertive and strong, which was something Anita could benefit from. An ''Inside Soap'' writer commented, "The moment Bianca steps into the Summer Bay Diner, it's clear she's trouble."

Bianca is a model and actress, who is keen to get the lead role in the film adaptation of Alan Fisher's (Simon Bossell) 1989 novel ''On the Crest of a Wave''. She arrives in Summer Bay ahead of filming and befriends Jesse McGregor (Ben Unwin), in the hope of gaining some inside information about the role. Jesse is "besotted" by Bianca, and Unwin said that his character cannot see her bad side, as he is looking for a partner and mother figure for his daughter. The film's director Roger Landowne (Tony Bonner) fires Bianca and recasts her role. She immediately breaks up with Jesse and leaves the Bay. Provided by Wikipedia