Lynne McGranger chose to leave Home and Away because she wanted more time for life beyond the show: to enjoy herself, stay fit, pursue theatre, reconnect with friends and spend time with family and other people important to her. She said she decided in late 2024 that it was time to let Irene Roberts go; the available reports describe a personal decision, not a dismissal. PerthNow attributed those reasons to her interview with Australian Women’s Weekly.
Why did Lynne McGranger leave Home and Away?
McGranger said she wanted work to stop being the priority in her life. Her reasons were both personal and creative: she wanted to enjoy life and maintain her fitness, make time for family and important people in her life, renew friendships, and return to theatre. In an interview with Australian Women’s Weekly, as reported by PerthNow on 10 July 2025, she said, “I want to enjoy life, I want to remain fit for as long as I possibly can.” She also said she wanted to spend more time with important people “instead of having to work as a priority.”
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She made the decision in late 2024, after playing Irene Roberts for nearly 33 years. McGranger described the end of the role as bittersweet, saying she had worked with people she loved and respected and considered family. ABC reported her departure statement in February 2025.
When did she film her final scenes, and when did Irene leave?
McGranger filmed her final scene on 26 March 2025. Australian Women’s Weekly reported that Irene’s final scenes were scheduled to air in August 2025. Those are distinct milestones: the actor’s last day filming came before the character’s departure reached the screen. Australian Women’s Weekly reported the dates retrospectively.
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Reports describe her tenure as “32 years,” “almost 33 years” or “nearly 33 years.” These are different ways of describing a long-running role, not a reason to infer a precise day count. ITV’s 26 February 2025 report says she took over the regular role in 1993; McGranger’s departure statement, reported by ABC, called it “almost 33 years.”
Did McGranger help shape Irene’s exit?
Yes. When she announced her departure, McGranger told Channel Seven that she had come up with the idea for Irene’s exit, but did not reveal its details at the time, according to ABC.
Later reporting connected Irene’s dementia-related storyline to head writer Jess Redmayne’s mother, who had early-onset dementia. Mediaweek reported in May 2026 that McGranger told TV Week the story was beautifully done and made her happy, while also being incredibly sad. That context concerns the inspiration for the storyline; it should not be confused with McGranger’s reasons for leaving the show.
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Home and Away executive producer Julie McGauran praised McGranger’s portrayal of Irene, saying it was why the character was held in affection by fans around the world, as quoted by ABC. McGranger’s own farewell statement reflected the same long relationship with the cast and crew: she called the role the best and longest “gig” of her life.
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