Home and Away star Lynne McGranger reveals why she decided to leave show after 33 years
With McGranger's last scene set to air mid-August, she revealed that it was late last year it was time to let Irene Roberts go and pursue her passion for theatre.
'I want to enjoy life, I want to remain fit for as long as I possibly can,' she told Australian Women's Weekly.
'To be more regular with my friendships and staying in touch with people that I may have lost touch with over the years.
'I look forward to being a nanna down the track. And if that's not to be, still maintaining a great relationship with my daughter and my son-in-law.
'Being able to spend more time with the people who are important in my life instead of having to work as a priority. And yes, I'd like to be known as Lynne…which might happen in some quarters, but i think until the day I die I'll probably still be called Irene!'
When McGranger arrived on set to play her alter ego, it was only supposed to be a three-month gig. But the actress must have known what she was in for when she joked to her partner, Paul, that he would have to give up work if it turned into full-time work.
And that it did. McGranger and her daughter, Clancy McWaters, opened up about non-traditional parenting roles.
McGranger said her partner couldn't wait to raise McWaters during her formative years while she was at work, bringing in the money.
'He would do the reading. Take her to ballet, to netball. He loved it. I don't know how parents cope with young children when they're both working,' she said.
'Invariably, someone's just earning money to pay for childcare, so we were very blessed for Paul to bring her up through her school years.'
McWaters added: 'It's happening more now, but it was rare,' she said as she joins her mum in a photoshoot to celebrate the end of an extraordinary era.
'Mum and Dad – they're not married – were quite different to other families. Mum was the main breadwinner, and it's been cool because I've been raised with the belief that it doesn't have to be that way, where the woman stays at home, and men go to work. I've got two awesome role models.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Who will win the Gold Logie? And why will it be Lynne McGranger?
While this is not strictly a new phenomenon – in 2011 and 2012 respectively, Karl Stefanovic and Hamish Blake, both Nine talent, won gold – it's a timely reminder of home-ground advantage. As the host broadcaster, Seven spends more time advertising the Logies, thereby giving increased airtime to highly visible voting campaigns for their talent. In 2023 the #OnyaSonia campaign ran consistently during the voting period across Seven's morning and prime-time television offerings, with the #EmdurForGold campaign following suit in 2024. This year McGranger appears to be the network's priority, having already been featured on Sunrise and The Morning Show, with advertisements encouraging audiences to vote for McGranger also running during Seven's prime-time programming, including Dancing with the Stars. The nostalgia factor In February, McGranger announced that, after 33 years playing Irene Roberts, she was leaving Home and Away, with her on-screen departure set to air in the weeks following the Logies broadcast. While Home and Away isn't the most-watched show on free-to-air television, it still has a National Total TV Reach of more than a million viewers most nights (according to ratings agency OzTAM) and the show has historically been hugely popular with Logies voters. The nostalgia narrative, combined with an audience familiar with Logies voting, delivers a powerful model around which Seven can mobilise viewers to vote. The network has already set up a special website for fans to farewell McGranger ( and, with her final episodes set to air in mid-August, everything is in place for a golden goodbye. Loading Why the others don't stand a chance Let's start with Hamish Blake. A two-time gold winner, Blake is actively instructing fans not to vote for him, telling this masthead to leave his name off the ballot: 'I think we all know what to do.' Kruger, also a previous winner, doesn't appear to be in the running, with online bookies ranking her the long outsider and Seven dedicating more resources to McGranger's run. Julia Morris is nominated again but, having been overlooked three times previously, that doesn't bode well. Meanwhile, history suggests Lisa Millar faces an uphill battle. Outside of Tom Gleeson's 2019 success (following a controversial mock campaign) the last gold winner to come from the ABC was Norman Gunston in 1976. McGranger's biggest competition is likely to come from Nine's Ally Langdon and Ten's Poh Ling Yeow, both of whom have strong fan bases and significant industry influence. At the time of writing, online bookies have McGranger as the very short favourite. Lynne for the win. But should we be worried? McGranger is no doubt a beloved actor, but was she the most popular personality on Australian television in 2024 (the time period on which nominees are judged)? A first-time nominee after three decades on air, it's difficult to make a case that McGranger would be nominated had she not announced her departure from Home and Away earlier this year. In response to questions about how the Gold Logie nominees are determined, a Seven spokesperson said: 'Broadcasters can enter up to four submissions for gold. Those submissions are reviewed and assessed by panels of independent industry experts, which include audience data specialists, determining the seven nominees.' Data specialists are a new addition to Logies judging this year. According to Seven, they are 'independent data analysts with expertise in audience metrics, particularly within the television industry'. Seven was unable to answer how many audience data specialists there are. However, should McGranger be victorious, there would be plenty more questions about what the Gold Logie represents and precisely how voting delivers a winner.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Who will win the Gold Logie? And why will it be Lynne McGranger?
While this is not strictly a new phenomenon – in 2011 and 2012 respectively, Karl Stefanovic and Hamish Blake, both Nine talent, won gold – it's a timely reminder of home-ground advantage. As the host broadcaster, Seven spends more time advertising the Logies, thereby giving increased airtime to highly visible voting campaigns for their talent. In 2023 the #OnyaSonia campaign ran consistently during the voting period across Seven's morning and prime-time television offerings, with the #EmdurForGold campaign following suit in 2024. This year McGranger appears to be the network's priority, having already been featured on Sunrise and The Morning Show, with advertisements encouraging audiences to vote for McGranger also running during Seven's prime-time programming, including Dancing with the Stars. The nostalgia factor In February, McGranger announced that, after 33 years playing Irene Roberts, she was leaving Home and Away, with her on-screen departure set to air in the weeks following the Logies broadcast. While Home and Away isn't the most-watched show on free-to-air television, it still has a National Total TV Reach of more than a million viewers most nights (according to ratings agency OzTAM) and the show has historically been hugely popular with Logies voters. The nostalgia narrative, combined with an audience familiar with Logies voting, delivers a powerful model around which Seven can mobilise viewers to vote. The network has already set up a special website for fans to farewell McGranger ( and, with her final episodes set to air in mid-August, everything is in place for a golden goodbye. Loading Why the others don't stand a chance Let's start with Hamish Blake. A two-time gold winner, Blake is actively instructing fans not to vote for him, telling this masthead to leave his name off the ballot: 'I think we all know what to do.' Kruger, also a previous winner, doesn't appear to be in the running, with online bookies ranking her the long outsider and Seven dedicating more resources to McGranger's run. Julia Morris is nominated again but, having been overlooked three times previously, that doesn't bode well. Meanwhile, history suggests Lisa Millar faces an uphill battle. Outside of Tom Gleeson's 2019 success (following a controversial mock campaign) the last gold winner to come from the ABC was Norman Gunston in 1976. McGranger's biggest competition is likely to come from Nine's Ally Langdon and Ten's Poh Ling Yeow, both of whom have strong fan bases and significant industry influence. At the time of writing, online bookies have McGranger as the very short favourite. Lynne for the win. But should we be worried? McGranger is no doubt a beloved actor, but was she the most popular personality on Australian television in 2024 (the time period on which nominees are judged)? A first-time nominee after three decades on air, it's difficult to make a case that McGranger would be nominated had she not announced her departure from Home and Away earlier this year. In response to questions about how the Gold Logie nominees are determined, a Seven spokesperson said: 'Broadcasters can enter up to four submissions for gold. Those submissions are reviewed and assessed by panels of independent industry experts, which include audience data specialists, determining the seven nominees.' Data specialists are a new addition to Logies judging this year. According to Seven, they are 'independent data analysts with expertise in audience metrics, particularly within the television industry'. Seven was unable to answer how many audience data specialists there are. However, should McGranger be victorious, there would be plenty more questions about what the Gold Logie represents and precisely how voting delivers a winner.
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- News.com.au
Lincoln Lewis shares Home and Away moment with Ray Meagher
These products are hand-picked by our team to help make shopping easier. We may receive payments from third parties for sharing this content and when you purchase through links in this article. Product prices and offer details are not assured, and should be confirmed independently with the retailer. Learn more From Tomorrow When the War Began to Underbelly, Lincoln Lewis has shared the screen with some of Australia's biggest names. As the son of NRL legend Wally Lewis, fame runs in his family but he's forged his own successful path in the entertainment industry. Most still remember him as soapie heart-throb Geoff Campbell from Home and Away (2007-2010), a role that not only made many teens swoon but launched his career and saw him compete on Dancing With The Stars … twice. These days you'll find Lincoln presenting on Getaway, racking up travel miles and perfecting the art of carry-on packing. Here, Lincoln opens up about his gym essentials, travel must-haves, and his mum's self-help book recommendations (yes, he actually reads them). Plus he shares his wildest fan encounters (one word: bizarre) and reveals the Home and Away co-star he says changed his life. WHAT'S IN YOUR GYM BAG? 'I train in Lululemon a lot, they have great gear.' 'I don't do over-ears at the gym, I tried that once and was just sweating into my earphones. So I do AirPods.' WHAT'S YOUR SIGNATURE SCENT? 'I've got a mix for different occasions, whether it's catching up with mates or going out to dinner but my everyday cologne is Ralph Lauren Polo.' WHAT ARE YOUR CARRY-ON ESSENTIALS? 'Sony headphones for the plane, the big noise cancelling ones.' Sony WH-CH720N Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones, $220.96 (down from $259.95) at Amazon Australia 'The Burt's Bees lip balm because when you're flying around you're going to dry up.' Burt's Bees 100% Natural Origin Moisturising Lip Balm, $5.99 at Amazon Australia 'I'll always take a book with me. I just bought one that mum told me to get, it's called The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Mum said 'Linc, you've got to read it, it's a phenomenal book.' The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, $18 (down from $32.99) at Amazon Australia WHAT ELSE ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT? 'The other two books I always keep with me are The Alchemist and Manuscript Found in Accra – it's just a really nice couple of questions that villagers had asked an Elder, it puts things into perspective.' WHAT'S BEEN YOUR WEIRDEST FAN INTERACTION? 'I've been asked to sign the inside of a car, the outside of a car. Some people will even ask me to sign replica weapons from different movies that I've had nothing to do with.' DO YOU HAVE AN ICONIC STORY FROM YOUR TIME ON HOME AND AWAY? 'I remember my first ever call back with Ray Meagher (who played Alf Stewart). He could tell I was really nervous and he turns to the casting director and says 'take five, love'. So here I am, 16 years old, my first ever big callback and Ray gives me a little five minute acting class. I was clearly nervous and he just wanted to help me improve. It's a lesson I'll never forget.' Stay up to date with the latest on fitness products by signing up to our checkout shopping newsletter to see the latest about new products and upcoming sales.
