Do we like them?

Do we like Alf Stewart?

A character from Home and Away (1988–present)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's loud and stubborn and says 'stone the flamin' crows' a lot, but he's loyal and generous, and he'll always take in a stray.

Alf Stewart is an original character in Home and Away, the Australian soap set in the seaside town of Summer Bay. He's a rough-edged, old-school bloke with a short temper, strong opinions and a very Aussie vocabulary. He starts out running the local caravan park and later the Diner, and he ends up at the centre of the town's community.

Over the years his tough-guy act keeps cracking. He's quick to anger and slow to admit he's wrong, but he looks after foster kids, family and neighbours, and he'll defend any of them. Plenty of his storylines are comic, such as get-rich-quick schemes, feuds and fishing trips. Others are heartfelt, covering marriage, fatherhood and grief.

He scores an 8 because his flaws are the lovable kind: pride, a loud mouth and a stubborn streak. His loyalty and generosity have made him the heart of Summer Bay for decades. Ray Meagher has played him since the first episode and won a Gold Logie for the role.