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Thread: Morag Bellingham ( Cornelia Frances)

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    Morag Bellingham ( Cornelia Frances)

    She has appeared in Home & Away on and off for 19 years as Alf Stewart's sister Morag Bellingham, hosted the Australian version of The Weakest Link and written her autobiography. Actress Cornelia Frances' character Morag has has just signed up to star in Summer Bay for the next six months.

    Digital Spy chats to the 66-year-old her about forthcoming storylines, the gap that long-running star Kate Ritchie (Sally Fletcher) will leave when she exits the show later this year and how it feels to be return home - albeit briefly - to England after 15 years.

    You're back with Home and Away now after a six-month break - what storylines can we expect to see Morag involved in?
    "Are you aware of the young character called Aiden? Well he's a young boy, he's very angry at the world. He's about 16 or 17. He's very angry and Morag wants to know why because she's taken a bit of a shine to him. But he's angry with her because he's like 'what the hell do you want?'. So there's lots of lovely dialogue that goes on between him and I - I take him under my wing and I find out what's wrong with him. We know that eventually he moves into the house I'm living in. So I sort of adopt him in a way.

    "And there's another storyline which sees an ex-lover of mine come in as a detective to solve a murder, but it's actually not a murder and Morag becomes Miss Marple and finds out exactly what did happen and solves a mystery. That entails an awful lot and we're just about to film that when I get back to Australia. Beyond that, I honestly don't know. We get [the storylines] about two or three weeks in advance."

    After all these years are they still keeping you on your toes with the storylines?
    "Oh yes, I mean I've been with Home and Away for 19 years so she's an ongoing character and I've just signed up for six months permanently. I can't tell you how long it's going to last or anything - even I don't know!"

    Kate Ritchie's (Sally Fletcher) due to leave soon, after 20 years with the soap. Do you think it will leave a big gap when she does go?
    "No, not at all. Well obviously it will for a little while, but there are new characters coming in all the time and the fact that she's been there for 20 years will mean it will leave a hole. But that will be filled and people will take to the newer characters as well and at the moment, they're all absolutely stunned that she's gone because she's been there since she was eight years old and grown up with it. But that gap will be filled... It won't be the same - It will be different, though!

    "A lot of people are with Home and Away for a long time and then leave. Soaps are so quick and the turnover of storylines just changes all the time that people do eventually forget and gravitate to other characters. I can't say more than that really...she's such a lovely girl and we'll all miss her very much, but as I say it's very quick and we have to get used to that and move on."

    Do you think you'll follow in Kate's footsteps and quit or do you like having the door always open for Morag to return?
    "No, no - the longer I work on it the better. There's very little work going on in Australia and you reach a certain age that you have to gracefully retire if you're not after work any more. Morag's always missed when she goes, which is a lovely compliment to me. I really adore playing her and I get a lot of people saying 'when are you coming back?'. I always do go back. If I left, it wouldn't create such a hole [as Kate] but it's nice that people ask you when you're coming back."

    Do you have any plans to write another book like you did a few years ago or do some more presenting work?
    "Yes, just before I got here I found out that I'd been robbed. So they took everything, including my laptop. I was actually writing, I was doing two different books that were on that laptop that I can never replace. So that's gone. I'll have to start again but there you go, we have to live with that."

    So you've got busy times ahead of you then?
    "Well I don't know. It depends when I'm next going to get robbed! You can't ever replace what you've written when it's gone. I mean I know the storyline but word for word that you're happy with - that's gone forever. I can't re-do that so I'll have to start on something else. I don't think you can re-write something that you can't go and look back at and change and edit - it's not the same."

    You were born in England, how are you finding your visit back here this time?
    "Well it's been 15 years since I came home last. It's a very long time. I did two pantos about 15 or 16 years ago. I'm home once I get off that plane and when I get off the plane in Australia, I'm home. So I've got two homes which is really lovely.

    "This time, I've met two nieces that I had never seen before. My two nephews have grown 15 years since I last saw them so they're young men now. When I left [for Australia], they were young boys and that's always very interesting to see them. My sister doesn't change, my brother doesn't change. It's lovely to come back. It's been too long and I hope it won't be as long next time. Who knows - it could be the last time, though. There's always a telephone to get on to. I don't feel that far away, really."
    Thanks CrazyLea

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    Never knew she was born in Britain, I like her, think she is a good actress.

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    Morag

    Home and Away's Cornelia Frances has revealed she has loved reigniting the battle of wills between her character Morag and her niece Roo Parker.

    Morag - who's returned to Summer Bay to help save her brother Alf from jail - is set to stay on for six months to take care of things while he takes a trip, as actor Ray Meagher has been away on stage in Priscilla in London.

    Veteran soap star Cornelia said: "Morag reluctantly comes back to Summer Bay and takes over, and Roo comes back and they've always had a big confrontation because Morag took care of her when she was a teenager."

    She went on: "She knows exactly what Roo is about, she's grown up, it's now 20 years later and Roo knows she can't get away with anything with Morag - and Morag knows she has everything on Roo.

    "And there's some lovely scenes that we do together - little barbed comments, so that's something to look forward to."

    Cornelia added she enjoys working with Georgie Parker, who plays her niece Roo.

    She said: "I love Georgie.

    "We did a scene last night and it was just so moving, because we're about at the end when Morag was about to go again.

    "She's great and she's got the character down to a tee and it's fantastic. The underlying, conniving Roo is there."


    PA

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    I'm glad Morag is staying on for a while.

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    Cornelia Frances has revealed some upcoming storylines for her character in Home and Away.

    The actress, who plays lawyer Morag Bellingham in the show, said that her character is due to return to Summer Bay for a few months to oversee her brother Alf Stewart's affairs while he is travelling around the world.

    Frances told Holy Soap: "When Alf asks her to take care of Summer Bay she reluctantly does.

    "Given the fact that her husband's died, she's not given up her practice but she's not had anything to do for a year and then she comes to look after Summer Bay - she's suddenly got quite confused about what she actually wants out of life."

    Frances also revealed that there will be tension between Morag and her niece Roo when she returns, saying: "It's been 20 years but Morag is still the same irascible person she always was and there is a lot of confrontation between her and Roo."

    DS

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    Cornelia Frances has completed filming her latest stint in Home and Away.

    The actress, who returned to screens as Summer Bay stalwart Morag Bellingham at the beginning of the year, shot her final scene late last week, The Daily Telegraph reports.

    Some newspapers have suggested that Frances's departure came abruptly, but a spokesperson for the soap dismissed the speculation as "ridiculous" and insisted that she merely reached the end of her guest contract.

    "Cornelia has wrapped up her current guest stint," the representative said. "Morag is a much-loved Summer Bay character and we're sure we'll see her back in the Bay.

    "She was signed as a guest artist - her time in this current stint was determined before she began filming."

    Frances recently expressed a desire to stay in Home and Away on a permanent basis, confessing that she does not enjoy "coming and going". She has played Morag on and off since 1988.

    Luke Jacobz and Tessa James also recently announced their departures from the show.


    DS


    I like her, hope she comes back for longer next time

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    I wish Morag would stay permanently
    Thanks CrazyLea

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    Quote Originally Posted by Abigail View Post
    I wish Morag would stay permanently
    I agree - Morag is a great addition to Home and Away and I wish she would stay permanently.

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    Any chance she will take step kids Charlie and Ruby and niece Roo with her please

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    Home and Away's Cornelia Frances has revealed that she has "good genes".

    The 70-year-old Australian actress, who left her role as Morag in the soap in April last year, said that she likes to indulge in good food, alcohol and the odd cigarette.

    Frances told New Idea magazine: "I've been blessed with good genes but I hated it when I put on weight. Last year I happened to do a play and I walked to the theatre every day so I lost 10kg. I've put on a little bit but I'm okay with it.

    "I never put on weight growing up and then you sort of get this middle age spread and you think, 'No Corny, no good, I feel sluggish'. Now I try not to sit on the sofa for too long. I don't do anything diet-wise. I'm very naughty - I'm half-Dutch and half-Irish so I eat and I cook rich food."

    Frances admitted that she used to be proud of her breasts "because they stayed up on their own", but added that they've "gone down a bit now". She also revealed that she likes her eyes.

    She said: "I eat bad food, I drink and I smoke. I'm 70 and I've lasted this long so I see no reason to stop!"

    Shortly before leaving Home and Away, Frances revealed that she wanted to become a regular on the show, saying: "I don't like coming and going. Nobody does; it's very unsettling."

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