This week on Home and Away in Australia, Irene’s forgetful behaviour causes her friends to worry – is she okay? Elsewhere, Eden struggles to reconnect with her dad.
It looks to be the beginning of the end for Irene’s (Lynne McGranger) time in Summer Bay this week, as she admits her concern about some worrying symptoms she’s been quietly dealing with in recent times.
It was announced back in February that Lynne McGranger would be bowing out of the show after 32 years, with her departure set to air in around two months’ time by our estimation.
The announcement came just as Irene was returning to Summer Bay following several months in rehab, after falling off the wagon last year.
John (Shane Withington) was the first to realise that Irene was drinking again, but as he tried his best to help his dear friend, Irene did all she could to push him away.
Ultimately, it was John who was there for Irene when she finally admitted that she was in trouble, and he was the one who dropped her off at rehab.
But when it came to Irene’s return to Summer Bay earlier this year, she struggled with the lack of routine that rehab had provided, and having to face John who was a stark reminder of what she had put her friends through.
“Irene was quite cagey around John for some time, because he was the one who caught her drinking and called her out on it,” Lynne tells TV Week.
Thankfully, Irene has since turned a corner, and their friendship is back on solid ground. But recent events suggest Irene could be heading for more challenges, with the first warning sign having come a couple of weeks ago.
Irene was delighted when Alf (Ray Meagher) mentioned that Roo was finally starting to feel better following her difficult time with foster child Eliza (Martha Kate Morgan).
When Marilyn (Emily Symons) later repeated the same update at the coffee cart, Irene once again shared her joy—leaving John thoroughly puzzled, having already heard Irene say the exact same thing earlier in the day.
Irene denied having heard Alf mention it when John questioned her.
When John then pointed out that Irene had started wearing her smartwatch again—which she’d stopped doing after becoming obsessed with trying to follow a set routine like she’d done in rehab—she was confused as to what he was going on about.
This week, Irene’s forgetfulness begins to worsen. With their friendship back on track, Irene and John have made dinner plans at Salt, but John is miffed when Irene is a no-show.
Over at the diner, Irene is hard at work, completely oblivious to the fact that John is waiting for her, with Marilyn questioning why she’s still there.
Eventually, a frustrated John arrives at the diner, and Irene is surprised when he asks why she never turned up to Salt. Yet as far as Irene is concerned, no such plans were ever made!
John isn’t imagining things though—he shows her the messages they exchanged earlier, confirming everything. Irene stares at the phone, drawing a blank. She has no memory of it.
“It’s a little thing, but she completely forgets and brushes it off,” Lynne continues, with Irene attempting to cover with an excuse about not wanting to go somewhere where alcohol is being served.
The following day, Leah (Ada Nicodemou) checks in with Irene about a shift at the diner—but Irene has no idea what she’s talking about. Caught off guard, she covers her tracks again and pretends everything’s fine, bluffing her way through the conversation.
But John’s already on alert after the dinner mix-up, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Sensing something’s off, he gently checks in with Irene, hoping to get to the bottom of it.
That’s when Irene finally opens up. It’s not just forgetting the odd dinner plan or conversation—it’s been happening for a while now. Sometimes she’ll arrive somewhere with no clue as to why she’s there.
“As it keeps happening, it’s John who says, ‘You should get that seen to’,” Lynne explains. “But she doesn’t, she puts it off.”
What is wrong with Irene, and will she seek help before it’s too late?
Elsewhere in Summer Bay, Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) has finally agreed to take steps to repair her relationship with estranged dad Jimmy (Aaron Jeffery).
Eden hadn’t spoken to her father in well over a decade, after he left the family home when she was a teen following an affair. Whilst Levi (Tristan Gorey) went to live with Jimmy, Eden and younger sister Abigail (Hailey Pinto) remained with their mum Debra (Tammy MacIntosh), with Eden refusing to have anything to do with her dad.
Eden was faced with an awkward family reunion last year when Jimmy turned up to see Levi, unaware that Eden was also in Summer Bay. But despite Jimmy’s best efforts to try and talk things through with her, Eden sent him packing.
With the first preparations now being made for Eden’s wedding to Cash (Nicholas Cartwright), the subject of Jimmy came up again. After Eden told Abby that she hoped to bring the family back together after so many years apart, Abby told her that if she was serious, then she should also invite their dad to the wedding.
Eden reminded Abby of all the hurt Jimmy had caused, but was stopped in her tracks when Abby pointed out that even their mum had managed to forgive Jimmy for leaving them.
Eden reminded Abby of all the hurt Jimmy had caused, but was stopped in her tracks when Abby pointed out that even their mum had managed to forgive Jimmy for leaving them.
After Cash explained this to Levi, Eden slept on it and finally came up with the ideal (and pretty obvious from the start) solution. She would attempt to patch things up with Jimmy before the wedding!
As TV Week reports, Eden is nervous as she awaits Jimmy’s arrival in Summer Bay this week, having invited him for dinner—a dinner which Levi and Abby are also planning to attend.
But despite her claims, no sooner has Jimmy arrived than Eden reverts back into sulky teenager mode, putting up a cold front towards him.
Regretting her invitation, Eden soon scarpers and asks Cash to make Jimmy leave.
But Jimmy finds Eden before Cash has the chance to do so, and asks for yet another chance to prove himself.
Will Eden be willing to listen?
