Ken arrives in Summer Bay after spotting his estranged daughter Hayley's (Bec Cartwright) entry in art competition along with her photo and decides to get in contact with his children again. Hayley is pleased to see him again but his son Will (Zac Drayson) is not as Ken is an alcoholic who mistreated him in the past during his fragile marriage to Will's mentally unstable mother, Eve (Robyn Gibbes).
When Irene lines up a job interview for the position of Janitor at Summer Bay High, Ken is grateful but he falls asleep on the beach and misses the interview and arrives at school drunk much the horror of his children. Will and Hayley tell Ken to leave until he sorts himself out and he leaves.