Yahoo News Home and Away star addresses fears over show future
Home and Away legend Lynne McGranger has played down fears over the show's future following news that its 2019 season has been delayed.
The soap takes a break in Australia each year, usually finishing in December with a dramatic season finale episode before returning in late January.
2018's season finale aired last month, ending on a huge cliffhanger involving Chelsea Campbell and Colby Thorne's wedding day. Although fans are anxious to see what happens next, it's now been revealed that Home and Away won't return in Australia until late February.
Channel 7, which airs Home and Away down under, has announced that nightly reality show My Kitchen Rules will be taking the soap's traditional 7pm timeslot from January 28. This is when the Summer Bay drama would have usually returned to screens for its new season.
The surprise scheduling move has raised some questions over Home and Away's long-term future, with some articles speculating that it's now less of a priority for Channel 7 in the prime-time slot and could be moved permanently.
Lynne, who plays Summer Bay favourite Irene Roberts, rubbished the speculation by telling her Twitter followers: "Don’t believe everything you read people. I doubt much or even any of this is true. #justsayin."
Don’t believe everything you read people. I doubt much or even any of this is true. #justsayin https://t.co/udjF6UZDmi
- Lynne McGranger (@LynneMcGranger) January 17, 2019
Channel 7 has explained the delay by pointing out that Home and Away would have been interrupted by its cricket coverage if it had returned earlier.
Responding to annoyed fans on Facebook, the station said: "The launch of Home and Away will be later than usual this year, after the cricket rather than disturb the viewing pattern with interruptions to the regular Monday to Thursday programming pattern while the cricket season played out. We're excited for it to return too!"
Home and Away has been back on screen in the UK since January 7, with Channel 5 due to catch up significantly with Australia in the coming weeks.
If Home and Away returns in Australia on February 18 as widely tipped, episodes on Channel 5 will be running just three weeks behind. However, it's possible that Australia will lengthen the gap again by running double or triple bills to get ahead.
Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.15pm and 6pm on Channel 5.
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