in the boatshed for Michael. He later decides he wants to be a farmer, which is also unsuccessful and he secretly enrols into the army. Carly is shocked by Ben's deception and they nearly break-up. She discovers that she is pregnant but leaves for service anyway. He later arrives to attend Pippa and Michael's wedding and it transpires that he has gone AWOL. Military policemen arrive to arrest Ben, but Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) manages to convince them to give him time to save his marriage. Carly decides to accept Ben's career and they relocate to Perth. Carly returns in 2000 for Sally Fletcher's (Kate Ritchie) wedding. She confirms that she and Ben are still married with children, but she does not see Ben much due to his travelling commitments. Reception Peter Holmes of The Sydney Morning Herald was critical of McMahon's acting in the role, calling him "wooden" and saying he did "a splendid impression of a Thunderbird". Barry Divola from Stars of Oz said that McMahon had "taken the show to new heights" in Australia. He added that Ben was the show's "hot new addition" and a "tall, dark handsome" character. Catriona Watson from Closer opined that Ben and Carly had a "difficult marriage". A reporter from TV Week stated that Ben's bucks night filled with pranks was one of the best featured in a soap opera. Another TV Week writer branded Ben and Carly a "fiery couple" and included the duo in their "greatest couples of all time" feature. Nathan Jolly from News.com.au criticised the character writing "army corporal Ben Lucini, a character so devoid of ... well, character, that the official description of Ben calls him 'easygoing for a twenty-one-year-old male.' Meaty role!" References Home and Away characters Television characters introduced in 1990 Male characters in television