S
ummer Bay wouldn’t
be the same without
Home And Away’s Lynne
McGranger – aka Irene
Roberts. The actress, 66, is the
Aussie soap’s second longest-
serving character – behind Alf
Stewart of course – and with
an idyllic beach backdrop and
plenty of good-looking male
co-stars, it’s no surprise she isn’t
planning to leave any time soon.
Lynne’s latest storyline is
particularly hard-hitting as Irene
steps in when young Bella is
groomed online. And it’s clear
that after 26 years on the soap
filming occasionally takes its
toll. “Sometimes you’re doing
14-hour days, which is draining,”
the star admits.
Here, Lynne, a self-confessed
Bargain Hunt addict, gives
us the goss on filming,
former co-star Chris
Hemsworth and why she’d
never move Stateside...Hi Lynne! Tell us about
your current storyline...
It was three months of
an absolutely brutal
shooting schedule, but
it was great to do it with
Courtney Miller, who
plays Bella. I’m glad shewas entrusted with the online
grooming plot because she’s
done a fantastic job.
What was it like shooting such
long hours?
It was wonderful to have a big
storyline, but sometimes you’re
doing 14-hour days, which is
draining. I love getting my teeth
into something meaty, but the
66-year-old in me is saying, “I
need a rest!” I’m not like the
youngsters with all their energy.
Does your maternal side come
out with the younger stars?
You can’t help but have this
maternal feel for the young
ones, especially when you’re
working so closely with them.
Did you ever think you would be
on the show for this long?
Never in a million years. Initially,THE OH!
ZONE
Comedy legend Frank Skinner
on his love of Doctor Who,
poetry and taramasalata
The last thing I watched was an opera. It
might not be that interesting to most people
but I loved it!The funniest person on TV is Phoebe
Waller-Bridge from Fleabag. How talented is
she? She’s honestly great!My guilty pleasure is probably taramasalata.
I eat more taramasalata than anyone
else in Britain and I truly believe
that. I have it at least once a day.
I’m not just saying that, it’s true.
I’ve got four tubs in the fridge
and they’ll be gone within a
couple of days.My dream co-star is Kate
Winslet. I’ve never seen her
do a bad job in anything. I
think she’s always amazing.
I once sang with Elvis
Presley’s old backing group
and it was the best I’ve ever
sung. I just knew that I was
going to be good no matter
what, so I feel like that’s how
I would feel with Kate Winslet.My favourite meal is my
own invention of fried leeks
and liver.The TV programme I never miss
is Doctor Who. I just love the show!The best movie ever made is the
John Wayne version of True Grit.
There was a modern one, but the
John Wayne one is by far the best.The app I use most is Moonboom,
which has all the latest news on
Doctor Who. I use that every day,
at least twice.My karaoke classic is probably
Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley.My bookshelf is stuffed with a lot
of poetry books. I read or listen to
poetry every day.Frank’s new tour Showbiz runs
from 12 September-11 December.
To book tickets, visit
frankskinnerlive.comThe second series of the
brilliantly bonkers Bafta-
nominated comedy about a
lame lettings agent returns.
When we catch up with Stath
(Jamie Demetriou) he’s dealing
with brash new boss Julian. As
a result, Stath fears he’s beingleft behind in the family business,
so our hero looks to move on
from his dream of being a
manager to focus instead
on finding his own home.
Meanwhile, his sister Sophie
tries – to no avail – to get over
her workplace crush.‘IT’S MY DR
GO ON BAR
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but I loved it!The funniest pers
Waller-Bridge fro
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coMTh
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frAs Irene, Lynne
recently had a major
storyline in the soapSTATH LETS FLATS
MONDAY 19 AUGUST, 10PM, CHANNEL 4