Home & Away’s Lynne McGranger on why she quit after 32 years as Irene – and what the future holds

As ‘Reenie leaves her beloved home town to travel the world before her condition worsens, RadioTimes.com hears from the award-winning McGranger, who reflects on her decades of drama and reveals her reasons for quitting.

And don't forget: Irene’s final episode airs on 5 on Wednesday 1st October.

Why did you decide to leave Home and Away?

I’d been thinking about it for a year or two. Maybe it was time to change direction, do a bit of theatre, not to get up at four in the morning and film in the rain! I had taken some time off to tour a play called The Grandparents Club and realised how much I’d missed theatre, which is where I started my career, and that’s where I wanted to be.

What inspired you to suggest the Alzheimer’s storyline for Irene’s exit?

Everyone you speak to, people know somebody who is dealing with it or have been diagnosed themselves. Alzheimer’s seems to be more common than ever, yet to my knowledge it’s not a topic that has been dealt with much on Australian television.

My colleague Jessica Redmayne (who plays Harper) talked about her mum being diagnosed in her mid-50s, and what a tough journey it was. Jess was my go-to for research.

Were you nervous about tackling the subject?

I was. Mercifully, I have not had to deal with Alzheimer’s in my own family, so I relied on talking to people and reading things. I really wanted to do it justice. Irene is a popular character and a staple of the Bay and we wanted to honour her time, and also honour those dealing with Alzheimer’s. It was important we treated the story with respect and delicacy.

Was it your idea we don’t see Irene deteriorate on screen, and she lives out her final days off camera?

I had suggested Alzheimer’s, but the writers and producers wanted to give it a bit of a rosy ending. Let’s not make it so depressing that people are in trauma, and let’s give a message of hope. Who’s to say in two months’ time a drug or a treatment might be found? Anything is possible.

What was the hardest scene to film in your final few weeks?

We shoot out of sequence, so my last scene was signing over the diner to Leah. Me and Ada Nicodemou (who plays Leah) could stop crying. Ada and I spent the last month crying in any scene we did! I also remember fondly Irene telling John and Leah she had been diagnosed. The end was nigh, and it was quite emotional for us and the characters.

Did you think you’d play Irene for this long?

Good grief, not in a million years. I had the job for three months while my daughter Clancy was 20 months old. I left and they asked me to do another six months, maybe a year. My husband Paul left his job to look after Clancy, they kept asking if I’d like another two more years and it just kept on going, and going, and going!

Would you be friends with Irene in real life?

I think I would. She reminds me of a friend of mine, maybe I inadvertently based Irene on her, who is not backward in coming forward and calls a spade a frontend loader. I’m more circumspect. I’m certainly opinionated, but I do not like confrontation, whereas Irene loves it! I admire how she doesn’t hold back. She’s a card but I could see us getting on, though it would be a bit ying and yang.

Why has she been so popular?

Fans like Irene because she’s flawed. And she’s capable of anything at any one time, like any of us. I never thought Irene would almost bludgeon someone to death who’d invaded her home, but she did and was up on attempted murder. When you are given a circumstance you behave in certain ways, rightly or wrongly. She’s also not afraid to admit she has been wrong, people identify with that.

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1:45pm on 5.

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