Lynne McGranger reveals her final Home and Away storyline ‘will hit home’

After more than three decades playing one of the most popular characters on Australian television, Lynne McGranger recently announced she would be bidding farewell to Summer Bay, leaving the hit drama series Home and Away later this year.

McGranger, who has portrayed the iconic Irene Roberts for nearly 33 years, has become a staple of Summer Bay and is the longest-serving female actor in an Australian drama series.

McGranger joined the cast of Home and Away in 1993, and her character quickly became a fan favorite. Irene Roberts, a strong-willed, independent, and caring woman, resonated with viewers, and McGranger’s portrayal of the character earned her critical acclaim.

Now McGranger is sharing with fans what they can expect during her final appearance in Summer Bay, revealing that an idea she suggested to producers “will hit home with a lot of people.”

“I was back at work mid-September, and I think I went up and saw them almost straight away. And I mean, look, they’re not stupid. I think they would have had an inkling,” she told TV Tonight.

“But I told them, and then Louise Bowes the chief writer, Lucy Addario (series producer) and Julie McGauran (exec producer), took me out to lunch because I had an idea about an exit storyline. I knew they wouldn’t want me waving goodbye on the back of a bus. I suggested that I get hit by a bus outside the diner, but they went, ‘Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.’ Or, they think I’m dead and I pop up in my coffin at the funeral. ‘Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.’

“But I had this idea, and they loved it, and they’ve embraced it and that’s what we’ve gone with. I think it’s very important, it’s very relevant and I think it will hit home with a lot of people.”

McGranger’s comments come after she recently filmed her final scene for the long-running drama series, drawing the curtain on decades spent playing Irene Roberts.

As McGranger filmed her final scenes on the Pier Diner set, cast and crew gathered to watch and bid her a heartfelt farewell. Afterward, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a Hamburger Phone from the iconic diner set.

“I’ve had the ride of my life. And I love each and every one of you so much: The cast – Ray, Georgie, Emily, Shane, Ada, James, all the youngins. The art department, the writers, everybody – there’s so many unsung heroes. This show is made up of so many parts,” she said.

“You’re all amazing, and it’s been my great privilege to work with each and every one of you. I’m touched, I’m humbled and I’m so honoured. Thank you so much.”