Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger)

[Perdita]

Home and Away character Irene Roberts will hit rock bottom after shutting herself away from the world.

The Summer Bay favourite, played by Lynne McGranger, is currently battling breast cancer and begins to feel worse following a heart scare.

She confines herself to her home and spends all day moping around, not getting dressed and cutting herself off from friends and family.

"Irene has always been one of the toughest and strongest characters in Summer Bay. But the heart scare on top of the cancer really knocks her spirit," a source told the Daily Star Sunday.

"She can't take any more and switches off. She doesn't want any visitors or fuss. She just wants to be left alone. It's going to be the darkest period of her life."

McGranger recently revealed that Irene struggles to cope with receiving chemotherapy following her mastectomy.

The storyline airs on Channel 5 next month.

[webspider]

hello friends,
I feel like Nicole has been pregnant forever but in saying that, last week she said she was only 28 weeks and yet she is having the baby in a weeks time? Go figure?
thanks

[Perdita]

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger has revealed that she helped to create the latest developments in her character Irene's illness storyline.

As reported yesterday, Irene will soon suffer a heart scare as she continues her recovery from breast cancer.

McGranger has now told TV Week that she requested the plot twist as her good friend Nicky, who lives in England, had a similar experience after fighting the disease.

"Nicky got through the breast cancer, but then her heart gave out and she ended up with this really bad heart condition - and that became her thing to survive," McGranger explained.

"And so when I talked about it to Cameron [Welsh], the producer, I said I would really like Irene to go down that journey - just to show people that it isn't only about the breast cancer and that's the end of the story. Often the chemo and the radiotherapy can lead to other conditions that never really leave the person."

Irene finds out about her heart problem after collapsing during a trip out sailing.

McGranger continued: "She goes out on the boat and she feels amazing. She's full of joie de vivre and the world is good. She's got the all-clear and she's out on the ocean, but too much exertion leads her to collapse. The exertion compounded with the medication and the chemotherapy leads to this heart condition."

Home and Away airs these scenes next week on Network Seven in Australia and in February on Channel 5 in the UK.

[lizann]

Poor Irene I hope she features more I'm sick of Brax and Charlie and Bianca dominating

[Katy]

I hate seeing irene look so poorly.

[Perdita]

I hate seeing irene look so poorly.

I do too but it does make her current storyline look very realistic. I applaud Lynne McGranger for her excellent portrayal

[tammyy2j]

It be nice if some of her own kids and Selina came back to visit her during her sickness

[Perdita]

Home and Away's Lynne McGranger has outlined her desire for Irene Roberts to become the local pastor.

Summer Bay's current reverend, Elijah Johnson, left recently following Jay Laga'aia's controversial sacking.

McGranger, tipping Irene for the vacancy, told the Channel 5 website: "I've never said this to the writers.

"But given what Irene's been through - and she's always had a vague Catholic religious way - I thought I would like her to become a little bit more involved in that side of things.

"Maybe [she could] do a theology course or something and become a local pastor. Maybe a little bit of Vicar of Dibley."

The 59-year-old added: "I think she already is a little bit like that. She certainly has been known to send up a prayer in times of trouble."

The Summer Bay stalwart recently battled breast cancer.

McGranger is the second-longest serving cast member in the Australian soap, having joined in 1992.

[Perdita]

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger has revealed that she hopes her character Irene Roberts will find love.

However, the veteran soap actress explained that she doesn't expect Irene to discover a long-lasting romance in the near future.

"I would really love it if someone dishy came along for Irene," she told the Daily Star.

"She deserves a bit of happiness. But then again, if she did meet someone she'd only be happy for so long - this is Summer Bay, after all."

McGranger also revealed that she has received an "overwhelming" amount of support since her character was diagnosed with cancer.

"When they told me Irene was going to get cancer, I sat down with the writers and we went through it," she added.

"The number of letters I've had has been overwhelming and at times heartbreaking.

"Her storyline has touched so many people."

Lynne McGranger recently said that she would like Irene Roberts to become the local pastor in the soap.

[Perdita]

After nearly 20 years in Summer Bay, Home and Away's Lynne McGranger remains one of the soap's most popular and recognisable faces.

As Summer Bay stalwart Irene Roberts, the actress has played out more than her fair share of dramas over the years - most recently when her much-loved character fought breast cancer.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Lynne for a chat about her time on the long-running drama.

As we're chatting, you're in the UK on a promo trip. Do you enjoy getting the chance to meet the UK fans?
"It is always a wonderful opportunity. I've known for years how popular the show is abroad - you've only got to turn up at any given day on Palm Beach to see how many UK and Irish tourists come over. We even get people coming over from Estonia, and I'm not making that up!

"It's lovely coming over to the UK and it's exciting to see the reactions that I get from people who can't believe that 'Irene' is standing there! We're very, very grateful that the show is such a success in the UK."

You've been on Home and Away for 19 years. Does it feel like that long?
"I always gauge it on my daughter. She was 20 months when I started on the show, and she's now 21 and a half. When I consider it in those terms, I just think, 'Oh my God, it has flown by - I can't believe I am doing the same gig so many years later'. I feel so very blessed, because there's not many people in the world who could say that."

Have you never been tempted to say goodbye to Irene in favour of other roles?
"Well, the great thing is that I've had the opportunity to do other jobs. That's one thing about the producers - they allow us to go off and do other projects. And of course, included in that is pantomime. I've been coming over to the UK and doing pantomime for the best part of 17 years, which is marvellous. That gives me the opportunity to go back to my roots, which is theatre."

Your biggest recent storyline was Irene's breast cancer plot. What was it like to film such a hard-hitting story?
"It was rewarding but also very taxing. Instead of getting made up, you're getting made down every day, for many months. I was made to look so unwell and that does kind of bring you down. I'm a naturally energetic person, so to be playing someone who was so ill and so tired was very, very draining.

"But my whole raison d'être was that I wanted to be truthful to my friends and people out there who have suffered from breast cancer, those who are still suffering, or those with loved ones who are. So it was a great honour to be able to spend so much time dealing with a subject that's so important."

What kind of a reaction did you get when the story aired?
"I was absolutely thrilled with the reaction, particularly when I got feedback from my own friends who have experience of the illness. Of course, I also received mail and tweets and that sort of thing. To be honest, I didn't get any negative feedback at all, apart from people telling me how bad I looked! If I was walking through the supermarket people would say, 'You're looking a lot better today than you did last night!'

"I have to give full credit to the producers and the writers for taking the story on and dealing with it in-depth. I'm very grateful that they allowed my character to do that."

Will Irene have some quieter times in the Bay now, or are there more dramas ahead?
"There's always dramas! If they're not dramas directly happening to Irene, you can be sure that April, Bianca, Leah or Marilyn will be going through some trauma that I'll be embroiled in. I think that's Irene's lot in life - to be forever called upon to deal with other people's dramas when she's not having her own!"

Is there anything you'd like to explore with Irene that you haven't done already?
"It's a very good question - she's explored most things, hasn't she? I've always thought that Irene would be good in pastoral care - maybe she could pick up Elijah's reins and be a sort of Vicar of Dibley type, like the local pastor. People already come to her for advice and for help, so maybe she could go down that path.

"Or maybe she could turn badass! I know we've explored the alcoholism, but she's never actually gone bad for a period of time. But obviously the writers would have their work cut out, because I can't think of any reason why she would go bad!"

Home and Away has been a great launching pad for a number of careers. Is there anyone else from Summer Bay you'd tip to make it big in Hollywood who hasn't already?
"Well, so far we've had the lovely Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Melissa George, Isla Fisher, Guy Pearce - the list goes on and on. As for more recent people, I'd say somebody like Todd Lasance - I can see him going a long way. Also, Josh Quong Tart who played Miles is an incredibly talented man and a beautiful singer. There's a lot of talent that comes out of the show, for sure!"

As Lucy Addario took over from Cameron Welsh as Home and Away's producer this year, what's the atmosphere like on set with a new boss in charge?
"Well, I think Cameron did an amazing job for so many years. But he's such a talented writer, so I think it's a great decision that he's made to go in that direction. He needed to do that for himself.

"Lucy's been waiting in the wings for a year or so, and I love her to death. I'm not just saying that because she's my producer - I loved her before she even worked on the show, as I've known her for quite a few years. You couldn't wish for anyone to get the job more than her, because she knows the industry and she's so approachable. I just feel that she's embraced the show and everybody in it."

Gypsy and Will have both made returns to the show in the past couple of years. It must be nice for you when people come back to visit Irene!
"It's lovely - it's so lovely. I loved having Will back, even though it all went to hell in a hand basket as he's in jail now! I really like it when 'Irene's people' come back.

"I would love Selina to come back and we could see what's happened to her, and Will when he gets out of jail again of course. Sadly Belle can't come back as she's as dead as a dodo, and so is Chloe!"

What are your hobbies and interests outside of the show? Is there anything that would surprise your fans?
"Well, I'm a big cricket nut and I always wanted to be a cricket commentator, so that's one thing! I also love British history - I've always been passionate about it, particularly royal history. I'm really good at naming the kings and queens in order, but don't ask me to do it now because I've got jetlag! I'm also well into Pilates and I love to walk - I'm a power walker."

A lot of Australian dramas have come and gone over the years. Why do you think Home and Away has stuck around?
"I think there's a few reasons. Firstly, I think the allure of the lifestyle by the beach is very, very attractive. I also think the writers and the producers have allowed the show to develop and to grow, from a little coastal town to a bit more global. We've also developed technically, because the look of the show has changed.

"Additionally, the writers have been incredibly clever to keep the storylines going believably. Lastly, I guess the producers have been clever enough to make sure that there's always been lynchpins - whether it's Alf, Irene, Leah or Marilyn. Even though we've lost lynchpins along the way like Sally, we've still hung onto the Summer Bay basics, and the young ones come in and revolve around that. I think those are the main reasons the show has had such success over the years."