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Lynne McGranger
Australian soap actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lynne McGranger (born 29 January 1953) is an Australian actress, who rose to prominence for her portrayal as Irene Roberts on the Australian soap opera Home and Away for over 32 years.[1][2] She joined the series in 1993, and is the longest serving female cast member of a television soap opera in Australia. McGranger announced her departure from Home and Away on 23 February 2025.[3] In August that year, she won the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.
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Career
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McGranger was born to Bruce and Audrey.[4] She originally was a primary school teacher who trained at the Riverina College of Advanced Education in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, in 1975 where she had her initial actor training. She started her career in stage roles, early roles included Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Anita in West Side Story. After further experience with the Q Theatre in Penrith, west of Sydney, she started working in television and won a small part in soap opera The Flying Doctors.
She undertook her best-known role on 12 January 1993, when she joined the cast of Home and Away playing Irene Roberts. At first cast in a guest role, McGranger was made a permanent cast member on 7 October 1993. In 2014 McGranger overtook former co-star Kate Ritchie as the longest serving actress to play the same character in Australian television.
McGranger was a participant in the fourteenth season of Dancing with the Stars.[5]
On 23 February 2025, McGranger announced her departure from Home and Away. She would film her final scenes at the end of March, and her on-screen exit aired on 19 August.[3][6] McGranger confirmed she made the decision after appearing in a production of musical comedy The Grandparents Club in 2024 and she said that it was a "full circle moment".[3] On-screen, Irene is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and McGranger revealed that she wanted her character's exit to "matter", and wanted it to be educational and important for those who had suffered from Alzheimer's.[7]
On 16 June 2025, McGranger received a nomination for the Gold Logie Award and the Logie Award for Best Actress.[8] On 3 August, McGranger won both accolades.[9] After taking some time off to travel, McGranger began appearing in a new touring season of The Grandparents Club.[3] She also made an appearance on the health and lifestyle series The House of Wellness in September 2025.[10]
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Personal life
McGranger was born in the Sydney suburb of Paddington in 1953. She has one daughter, Clancy (b. 1991), with her husband of more than thirty years, Paul McWaters.[11] She is a fan of cricket, and is also interested in history.[12] McGranger is also a supporter of the Sydney Swans.[13]
Acting credits
- Source:[14]
Awards and nominations
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Honours and recognition
In 2023, McGranger's Home and Away character Irene Roberts came second in TV Week's 100 Greatest Australian TV Characters, behind Ray Meagher's Alf Stewart.[19]
References
External links
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