John and Leah try to help her.
Home and Away fans can expect heartwarming scenes next week as legendary character Irene Roberts returns after nearly seven months away.
Irene makes the brave decision to come back home to Summer Bay after an extended stay in rehab. She has plenty of support from her friends as she catches up with everyone, but is she genuinely ready to return to normality?
The drama all starts when Tane Parata learns that Irene doesn’t plan to attend his upcoming wedding to Harper Matheson.
Irene’s decision to decline her invitation to the ceremony comes as a real surprise, as she’s been close to Harper ever since the Matheson sisters arrived in the Bay and became her housemates.
“The news that Irene won’t be at the wedding quickly gets back to her friends like Leah, John and Justin – word always travels fast in the Bay,” our Home and Away source explains.
“As two of the closest people Irene can rely on, John and Leah decide to visit her in rehab to see what’s going on.”
When confronted, Irene explains that she’s at an important stage in her recovery after her alcoholism relapse last year.
With everything still so uncertain, Irene explains that she simply doesn’t want to commit to something that she may not see through.
There’s a sense that Irene still has her guard up, as Leah and John leave feeling unsure whether they’ve heard the full story.
Irene later calls John and takes a more honest approach. She admits that she’s scared but refuses to say why.
The next day, John tells Leah about his baffling call with Irene. They decide to head back to the rehab clinic for a second try at convincing her to open up.
“As much as Irene appreciates the concern, she’s annoyed to see Leah and John again so soon,” our Summer Bay insider adds.
“Realising they won’t let this go, Irene explains that she’s terrified over the possibility of having painful memories resurface if she returns to the Bay. The last thing she wants is to relapse again.
“John reminds Irene of all the support she’d have back home if she took the plunge and moved back.”
Finally won over, Irene packs her bags and heads home again – much to the delight of her friends.
Deep down, though, Irene is plagued by fears that she won’t be able to resist temptation now that she’s away from the familiarity and routine of rehab. Can she cope?
Home and Away airs these scenes on Wednesday 23 April, Thursday 24 April and Friday 25 April on Channel 5.
Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5, with repeat screenings at 6pm on 5STAR and first look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.