Home And Away fans rejoice – Irene is back! But she’s not who she used to be…
In H&A this week, the fan favourite is visited in rehab by her two best friends, John (Shane Withington) and Leah (Ada Nicodemou). While they are excited to see their friend, Irene (Lynne McGranger) isn’t as inviting. In fact, she’s distant and cold.
“Irene has become very comfortable in rehab,” Lynne, 72, tells TV WEEK. “She enjoys the routine. She’s not quite ready to deal with the outside world.”
It’s been a long road to recovery for Irene, who, after years of sobriety, fell off the wagon in the wake of being scammed for money by local crim Bronte (Stefanie Caccamo). Not only did she put herself at risk, but her business partner, Leah, could’ve faced bankruptcy had they not caught onto her plans. Unable to forgive herself, she hit the bottle and, eventually, went to rehabilitation.
“In some respects, looking back over the years and the times she has fallen off the wagon, this one is the worst,” Lynne says of her character’s addiction. “The stakes were much higher because she was encouraged to go away to a facility.”
At the wellness clinic, Leah and John discuss what’s been happening in the Bay. But when they ask if she’ll come home in time for Tane (Ethan Browne) and Harper’s (Jessica Redmayne) wedding, she refuses to answer. It’s evident she is scared to come home, but John and Leah sense something else is wrong. What is Irene hiding?
Later that week, with some insistence from John, Irene arrives home. But it’s clear she’s not who she used to be. Alf (Ray Meagher) and Marilyn (Emily Symons) are thrilled to see her at The Diner but Irene feels smothered by her friends and says so – this is her recovery and she’ll go about it how she pleases.
That night, however, Irene sits at home alone. Will she relapse again?