Mitchell McColl is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, originally played by Cameron Welsh. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 15 July 1999. Welsh thought that the role of Mitch would be a guest part, but producers soon signed him onto a three-year contract. Welsh was diagnosed with an herniated disc and took a break from filming in 2000. Mitchell McMahon took over the role temporarily when producers decided that Mitch needed to remain part of a "big storyline". Welsh decided to leave Home and Away in November 2000 and Mitch departed on 9 March 2001. Welsh reprised the role in 2005 for the serial's 4000th episode. Mitch has been described as a "bad boy with a heart of gold" and likes to help people out. He is also "emotionally scarred and guarded" due to his upbringing. Character development Actor Cameron Welsh auditioned for a part in Home and Away with the predicate that it would only be a guest role. Welsh was originally signed a three-year contract to appear in Home and Away. He began filming in May 1999 and his character Mitch debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 15 July. Welsh said that he viewed it as a "great opportunity" to learn the "technical aspect of acting". Mitch was initially described as a "motherless 16-year-old bad boy with a heart of gold" and "emotionally scarred and guarded". Welsh was given a "very clear starting point" with Mitch and he knew that he would develop well in the years that followed. Welsh said that playing Mitch was "weird" because he had to get into the mindset of a sixteen-year-old. Welsh looked older than his character, he said it worked well for Mitch because "he's seen a lot for his age, he's had a turbulent childhood, so it's okay to play him a lot wiser than the average kid." Welsh later described Mitch as always being "a good guy with an interest in helping people out". Welsh enjoyed playing the guitar, so producers decided to incorporate this into Mitch's character. Prior to Mitch's arrival media sources it was reported that he would become attracted to the character of Hayley Smith (Bec Cartwright). Welsh said that because Mitch is a romantic "he was in town for all of five seconds before he caught a glimpse of Hayley." He opined that the