Gold Logie nominee Lynne McGranger's health scare ‘nudges' her towards Home and Away exit
McGranger, 72, spent 33 years breathing life into Irene Roberts on Home and Away, beaming warmth and that signature grit into our living rooms.
'If I'd have known this was going to happen, I would have left years ago,' she said of her nomination for Aussie TV's grand prize.
With her daughter as her date, McGranger is looking forward to having fun.
'Win, lose or draw, it's been one hell of a ride,' she said.
Her famous character Irene has had a rocky ride, facing addiction, a kidnapping and, in her final act, Alzheimer's.
McGranger was off air last year after undergoing emergency surgery for an overactive thyroid.
So did her own health battles shape her decision to leave the the show that made her a household name?
'That's a very interesting question. I wouldn't say my health scare shaped it, but it certainly gave me a nudge,' she said.
'It certainly made me realise that I'm not immortal.'
McGranger decided 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 previously 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.'
But she admitted, 'until the day I die I'll probably still be called Irene!'
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