Home & Away is Australia’s longest running soap opera (Neighbours no longer runs on television, so I’m editorializing by calling it the longest running soap, I said what I said), entertaining audiences since the late 80s. While Alf Stewart has remained on the show since the inception, and his daughter Roo was on the show at the beginning before leaving for an extended period of time and returning in the 2000s, Summer Bay has had no shortage of residents come and go. And now? The Bay is getting ready to lose another. And this time, it’s one of their icons.
Lynne McGranger has portrayed the character of Irene Roberts since 1993. However, she was not the first to portray the character. Indeed, Lynne’s portrayal was not expected to be long-running. Audience response led to the character becoming a staple of the show, but Lynne herself has decided to move on, and, in the process the show will lose the longest tenured female performer on cast.
Lynne’s going to finish filming in late March / early April, but given how early the series films compared to when it airs, fans will see her on screen until August.
While Lynne will be bidding adieu to the Bay (barring any possible guest stints), Lynne will not be retiring. She will still be performing her play The Grandparents’ Club.
I’m going to miss her ‘girlies’ and ‘fair dinkums.’ The old guard are who I still watch for over the plethora of newer, far less interesting characters. I will miss Irene.
