This week on Home and Away, things start to go from bad to worse for fan favourite character Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger). She’s been fooled by scammer Bronte (Stefanie Caccamo), almost bankrupting herself and taking her pal and business partner Leah Patterson (Ada Nicodemou) down with her.
To make things worse, Dana Matheson (Ally Harris) was kidnapped by Bronte and her cronies after she questioned the scammer’s real intentions. For the first time in many years, Irene relapses after reaching for a bottle. Not only does she start drinking again, she also pushes away her closest friends at the same time.
“Irene has always prided herself on being a great judge of character,” Lynne told TV WEEK. “And of course, with Bronte, this has gone completely down the toilet.”
After John Palmer (Shane Withington) turns up at Irene’s doorstep to make sure she’s coping, she forces him to leave and pulls out a hidden bottle of whisky from underneath her sink. Although she knows it’s a path she shouldn’t go down, she takes a drink.
“The shame and despair that she feels is why she goes back to alcohol because it’s an escape for her as most alcoholics know,” Lynne adds.
It’s not long before Irene makes her way to the coffee cart, where her drunken behaviour catches the attention of Leah and Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons).
Does Irene leave Home and Away?
Home and Away fans are convinced that Irene’s new storyline about her falling off the wagon will lead to her leaving the show temporarily to attend rehab. This makes sense because Lynne is currently performing in a play called The Grandparents Club that’s touring throughout NSW and VIC.
Since Home and Away films five days a week, it’s not possible for Lynne to be doing both at the same time.
“Looks like Irene will go to an AA retreat… the fact she rang AA and said she was close to going off the wagon is a good reason for her to leave the show for a few months while she travels with the stage show,” one person wrote in a Facebook group.
“This was my thought as well for the writers covering Lynne McGranger’s stage show absence,” another agreed.
“I was hoping they wouldn’t use that storyline,” a third wrote.
“I saw on Sunrise that she was taking time off to do a stage show. I’m thinking this is why the writers have made her fall off the wagon and she’ll go to rehab,” another added.