Melanie
Vallejo plays Sophie in the popular Melbourne drama Winners and Losers.
Picture: Andy Drewitt Source: National Features
Colin Vickery, The Daily Telegraph, reports
Sophie Wong has always been the most controversial character on Winners & Losers.
In last year's first episode of the Channel 7 drama, it was revealed Sophie, played by Melanie Vallejo, had a cocaine habit.
It was a risky storyline for a supposedly warm and fuzzy show that centred on four female friends who win the lottery.
Now Sophie has split the Winners & Losers audience with her decision to have an abortion.
In last week's show, she revealed to boyfriend Doug (Tom Wren) that she was pregnant - but didn't want to keep the baby.
Sophie gave Doug no say in the matter. It was a done deal.
Doug, who desperately wants to get married and have children, is devastated.
The shock storyline has been a challenge for Vallejo. The 33-year-old married Matthew Kingston in May last year and is keen to start a family.
"It (terminating a pregnancy) is a huge decision for any woman," Vallejo says.
"It (the abortion storyline) sparked a lot of conversations with friends.
"It helped me to work through why would Sophie make that decision because that is not what I would do.
"(I realised that) a lot of people have babies because their relationship is not doing so well, but that's a horrible reason to bring another person into the world.
"It (abortion) is a completely valid choice (for Sophie). It would be ridiculous for her to have a child to Doug at this point in her life."
The first series of Winners & Losers was accused of being soft. Sophie, Frances James (Virginia Gay), Jenny Gross (Melissa Bergland), and Bec Gilbert (Zoe Tuckwell-Smith) spent most of their time bonding after being bullied years earlier by Tiffany Turner (Michala Banas).
This year things have deepened and Sophie's decision to have an abortion has topped a string of controversial storylines.
"Sophie doesn't really know what she wants," Vallejo says.
It is a very different story for Vallejo, who says marrying Kingston was "the easiest decision of my life" and that she wants to "have babies and lots of them".
"Channel 7 hired four women in their late 20s and early 30s to be in the show, so someone's going to get knocked up."
Vallejo, meanwhile, is tight-lipped about the looming season finale of the show.
What is known is that tragedy will strike with the death of one of the characters.
Seven has sent out previews of the episode with the final 10 minutes missing. It doesn't want any leaks.
The on-air promotion - "Who Will Lose Their Life?" - suggests a number of possibilities.
Sophie, Brian Gross (Francis Greenslade), Doug, Bec, Matt, and Frances are the possible candidates.
Viewers are teased with scenes of a gun, someone crossing the road, Bec driving erratically, furniture being smashed, Brian stepping in front of a bus, a motorcycle swerving, and a possible building accident.
Whatever happens will have a major impact on the storylines for next year's third season.
"Series three of Winners & Losers is all about re-building," a Seven spokesperson says.
"It's time for everyone to start over. Relationships, careers, aspirations will all be turned on their head."
-- Winners & Losers, Channel 7, Tuesday, 8.30pm
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