After 32 years in her role as Summer Bay stalwart Irene Roberts, it has been announced that Lynne McGranger will be departing Home and Away later this year.
Channel Seven today confirmed Lynne’s departure from the show as she prepares to embark on another nationwide theatre tour of The Grandparents Club, which will run from July to October.
“After almost 33 years in my dream role and working everyday with people who I love, respect and whom I now consider family, it’s bittersweet to be closing the chapter on what has been the best and longest gig of my life,” Lynne said in a statement.
“I am forever grateful to the best production crew in the world and to our genius writers – whose doors are always open – for everything they have done for Irene over the past 33-odd years, and I am so proud of the storyline which will see Irene out of the Bay. Above all, a massive, heartfelt thank you to the fans for your continued love and support.”
The show’s executive producer Julie McGauran added “What a pure joy and privilege it has been for all at Home and Away to work with the wonderfully talented, witty, funny and kind Lynne McGranger.”
“Lynne’s extraordinary portrayal of down-to-earth Irene Roberts is why the character is held with such great affection by fans around the world. Lynne will always be a much-loved member of the Home and Away family, her friendship to all is truly cherished and we wish her all the best for what’s next in her bright, bright future.”
Lynne’s final scenes will be filmed at the end of the March, and Irene’s “emotional” exit from Summer Bay will air on Australian screens in the middle of this year.
The confirmation comes following speculation that a veteran was leaving the series.
Last month, an article by TV Week, later covered by Back to the Bay, confirmed that an upcoming departure of one of the show’s long-term characters would cause waves in Summer Bay.
The publication speculated that the departure would either be Lynne McGranger, Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart), Georgie Parker (Roo Stewart) or Emily Symons (Marilyn Chambers).
Ada Nicodemou, who plays Leah, remained tight-lipped about the exit, but teased that the character in question may be “someone important”.
Whilst it may come as a shock to fans, Lynne has hinted at an exit in the last year.
Talking with Stellar magazine in May 2024, the actress said that she had been thinking about a permanent exit from the series for some time.
“It’s something I’ve mulled over, and it has been in the back of my mind for the last year or two,” she explained.
“Certainly, no date has been set [to leave] but what I love about working on The Grandparents Club and being involved in this wonderful celebration is that it’s taking me back to my roots.”
“Who knows what the future holds,” she added teasingly. “If this is successful, god willing, I might just be hanging up my diner apron.”
Australian viewers saw Irene leave Summer Bay in August 2024, heading to a rehab clinic after relapsing into alcoholism.
This temporary departure facilitated Lynne’s joining a theatre production The Grandparents Club which toured Australia.
The actress returned to set after four months, in September 2024, with her return scenes set to air in Australian screens this week.
A spoiler for this Wednesday’s episode teases that “John and Leah worry for Irene,” whilst Thursday’s synopses tease that “Irene is overwhelmed“, whilst her “re-entry to the Bay is rocky“.
A return to the stage seems a logical step for Lynne, who is following in the footsteps of her paternal grandmother, who was an entertainer through the First World War, and her parents, who were both singers.
Despite a short stint as a primary school teacher, Lynne told Back to the Bay in an interview in 2021 that she always loved performance.
“I was never one of those people who went through life going ‘I’m going to do that when I get older’,” she recounted.
After landing a paid gig as a theatre actress, Lynne’s life as a performer took off, with her calling both Sydney and Melbourne home, with several years spent in Albury/Wodonga, where she co-founded a comedy troupe known as The Sensational Spangles (Lynne was Stella Spangle!)
In 1992, a job had come up on Home and Away as Irene Roberts, who the producers were reintroducing to reunite with her two children Fin (Tina Thomsen) and Damian (Matt Doran), and she had received an audition.
However, when she was struck down with a case of food poisoning – ‘exorcist type projectile vomiting and bowel movements’, Lynne recalled – she had to muster up the courage to attend.
When she got the call from casting director Liz Mullinar informing her she’d been successful in getting the role and received the character brief, she realised just what Liz had seen that made her the perfect fit.
‘Irene: thin waisted alcoholic.’
After three months, Lynne bid adieu, with the question posed by the producer of whether she’d be happy to return. Some weeks later, she received a phone call, offering her a twelve-month contract with the series.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Lynne has had her fair share of stories over the years, some crazier than others, which Back to the Bay will reflect on as her departure edges closer.
Despite Irene’s impending departure from the Bay, Lynne is very active on social media and we are sure that she will keep her fans updated on what her next movements are.
In the meantime, if you’d like to know more about Lynne and her life, she published a book in 2021 called Acting Up which details everything you could know about the longest-serving actress on Australian television.
