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Sydney Morning Herald
14 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Real and right': Why Lynne McGranger wanted Irene's Home and Away exit to matter
It's fair to say there is a tendency in soap land to ensure that every high-profile departure has a high-octane exit to match. Throughout the years, shows such as Home and Away and Neighbours have delivered all sorts of memorable farewells involving earthquakes, explosions, cult kidnappings and, of course, that time Toadie drove his new wife off a cliff on their wedding day. The dramatic goodbye has become a staple of the genre, but when Lynne McGranger decided to call time on her 33-year stint as the loveable Irene on Home and Away, she was determined to do the opposite. 'In Summer Bay, we get abducted, we get blown up in hospitals, we end up in a cult, or we get hit by a bus outside the diner,' says McGranger, who announced her departure in February. 'But I didn't want that for Irene, it had to feel real and right.' For McGranger – whose portrayal of Irene recently earned her the Gold Logie for most popular personality on Australian television – leaving the show presented an opportunity to do something 'educational and age-appropriate'. 'I sat down with Jessica Redmayne, who is one of our beautiful young actresses on the show, she plays Harper,' explains McGranger. 'In 2023, Jess' mum Tina died of Alzheimer's, and that planted the seed in my head.' Dementia is the second leading cause of death among all Australians, and the leading cause of death for Australian women. It's also most prevalent in those aged 65 and over, a fact not lost on the 72-year-old McGranger. 'There are millions of people who watch this show every week, and if Irene's battle could encourage even a few people to seek help if they need it, then it would all be worth it,' says McGranger. After speaking with Redmayne, McGranger approached the show's head writer, Louise Bowes, with a proposal; Irene, one of Home and Away's most loved characters, should exit the series after being diagnosed with dementia.
The Age
14 minutes ago
- The Age
‘Real and right': Why Lynne McGranger wanted Irene's Home and Away exit to matter
It's fair to say there is a tendency in soap land to ensure that every high-profile departure has a high-octane exit to match. Throughout the years, shows such as Home and Away and Neighbours have delivered all sorts of memorable farewells involving earthquakes, explosions, cult kidnappings and, of course, that time Toadie drove his new wife off a cliff on their wedding day. The dramatic goodbye has become a staple of the genre, but when Lynne McGranger decided to call time on her 33-year stint as the loveable Irene on Home and Away, she was determined to do the opposite. 'In Summer Bay, we get abducted, we get blown up in hospitals, we end up in a cult, or we get hit by a bus outside the diner,' says McGranger, who announced her departure in February. 'But I didn't want that for Irene, it had to feel real and right.' For McGranger – whose portrayal of Irene recently earned her the Gold Logie for most popular personality on Australian television – leaving the show presented an opportunity to do something 'educational and age-appropriate'. 'I sat down with Jessica Redmayne, who is one of our beautiful young actresses on the show, she plays Harper,' explains McGranger. 'In 2023, Jess' mum Tina died of Alzheimer's, and that planted the seed in my head.' Dementia is the second leading cause of death among all Australians, and the leading cause of death for Australian women. It's also most prevalent in those aged 65 and over, a fact not lost on the 72-year-old McGranger. 'There are millions of people who watch this show every week, and if Irene's battle could encourage even a few people to seek help if they need it, then it would all be worth it,' says McGranger. After speaking with Redmayne, McGranger approached the show's head writer, Louise Bowes, with a proposal; Irene, one of Home and Away's most loved characters, should exit the series after being diagnosed with dementia.
West Australian
10 hours ago
- West Australian
Dannii Minogue: Aussie star set to make long-awaited TV return in UK drama Imposter
More than three decades after she departed Home and Away's golden shores, Dannii Minogue is set to make her acting comeback in a bitter family drama also starring Neighbours icon Jackie Woodburne. The new TV series, titled Imposter, is being produced for the UK's Channel 5 and shot in Australia. Spotted filming in Melbourne, Minogue, 53, cut a radiant figure as she donned a white summer dress matched with blue and tan heels, and a sky blue coat. In shots from filming, Minogue cosies up to co-star Harrison Popple, an emerging Perth-born talent whose best known credit to date is Australian children's drama Itch, filmed in Perth and Albany from 2019-2020. Woodburne, 69, looked a far cry from her beloved Susan Kennedy character on the soap, seen sporting a grey coat and dusty silver hair. Imposter has been described as a Succession-like family feud with a fight for money at its core. Its Aussie cast also features familiar faces Don Hany and Jane Harber, both of whom starred in popular drama Offspring. Harber is also known for Upper Middle Bogan. UK actress and singer Kym Marsh, who became a show favourite on Coronation Street, is also set to star. An Australian broadcaster is yet to be announced but it is set to screen in the UK in 2026.
