Home and Away Spoilers – Irene leaves the Pier Diner forever
Next week on Home and Away in the UK, Irene works her final ever shift at the Pier Diner after handing it over to Leah.
Following her devastating Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Irene (Lynne McGranger) has made the big decision to take a step back from the Pier Diner after nearly two decades.
Irene’s worst fears were realised last week, when her consultant confirmed the preliminary diagnosis given by Bree (Juliet Godwin) following a lumbar puncture.
She soon tasked herself with removing all the photos from their frames and writing the names on the back of them, reliving fond memories as she did so.
With Irene opting to keep her diagnosis secret at first, John struggled with the constant web of lies they were having to feed their friends.
Eventually, Justin (James Stewart) worked out that John’s worry over an old navy buddy was simply a cover story, it was Irene he was worried about. John admitted the truth, but Justin agreed to keep her news from Leah until Irene was ready.
Whilst Irene tried to put on a brave face, Leah’s ongoing concern caused Irene to lose her temper and throw her out of the Beach House. The following day however, Irene finally came clean about her diagnosis.
Irene was determined to carry on as normal as she arrived at the diner for her shift, but her panic over whether she’d put a stock order in was quickly followed by knocking some plates onto the floor.
Irene broke down, and as she took a walk along Flat Beach with Leah, she admitted that she felt it was time to hang up her apron and leave the diner.
Next week, Leah is desperate to come up with some alternative arrangements—perhaps she could drop down to just a few shifts per week?
But Irene’s mind is made up, she knows that things are only going to get progressively worse from here on in. She is leaving today.
At that moment, Marilyn (Emily Symons) enters, and immediately picks up on the morose mood. Irene knows it’s time to have the difficult conversation with her.
Marilyn is devastated by the news, and immediately feels guilty for not checking Irene was okay before now.
When Marilyn asks if there’s anything she can do, Irene asks them simply to keep the place running as smoothly as possible.
Leah and Marilyn tearfully agree that they can manage that.
As Irene asking Marilyn, for one final time, to “get back to work, girlie,” Justin comes in and follows Leah into the storeroom as she takes a moment to herself.
Her eyes are brimming with tears as Leah tells him that today is Irene’s last day at work.
Later that evening, Irene is alone in the diner in the process of shutting up shop for the final time. Everywhere she looks, she’s reminded of the happy times she’s spent in the Pier Diner over the past 17 years.
We flashback to the day Irene first opened up in May 2008, with Geoff (Lincoln Lewis), Annie (Charlotte Best) and Miles (Josh Quong Tart) as her first customers, the time the community rallied to support the business after the great mushroom poisoning of 2014, and some further moments from more recent years.
As she steps out the front doors and locks up, switching the sign to closed, it’s a bittersweet moment for Irene.
For a moment she could be ready to break into tears, but she resolves to focus on those happy memories.
The next morning, Leah shows up at the Beach House with a huge bunch of flowers, to celebrate the first day of Irene’s retirement.
Leah declines a cuppa as she has to get to work, but quickly points out to Irene could still carry on as a partner in the business if she wanted to. Irene is determined to wipe the slate clean however, and wants to sell her share of the business as soon as she can.
As Leah tells her that she’ll speak to the bank manager about a loan, Irene apologises if she’s put her under any pressure. She offers to try and find another buyer, but Leah doesn’t want that—if she can’t be partnered with Irene, she wants to go it alone.
When Irene asks Leah if she wants a cuppa, the reality of the situation hits home again—Irene’s already asked that question.
Later that morning, Irene shows up at the diner. But for the first time ever, she’s a customer.
As Marilyn shows Irene to a table, the moment hits hard for both her and Leah. Irene tries to keep things light, asking a tearful Marilyn what she’d recommend from the menu.
Marilyn manages a smile, suggesting the coffee, though she can’t help but remark that their best barista retired only yesterday.
“It just doesn’t feel right, does it?” Leah quietly remarks to Justin. “She should be running the business with me.”
Sensing the tension, Justin joins Irene for breakfast, and she takes the chance to ask him to keep an eye on Leah once she’s gone, admitting that the diner can be a little chaotic at times.
When John drops in, Irene insists on buying his muffin. In doing so, she explains that her friends are now aware of her diagnosis—and that she’s decided to sell her share of the diner.
John gently suggests that she ease back instead of walking away altogether, but Irene remains firm. She wants to be honest with herself, and this is the path she’s chosen.
Later, Irene makes another bold move. Concerned about leaving Leah in the lurch, she reveals her plan to gift her share of the business to her, leaving both John and Leah stunned.
Leah, however, can’t accept such generosity, and with John urging Irene to think again, will they be able to change her mind?
Irene has a long history with all three diners that have graced Summer Bay over the past three decades.
She first began working for Ailsa (Judy Nunn) at the original Bayside Diner on her permanent move to Summer Bay back in 1993, until a revamp in 1998 saw Irene quit in the worry that she didn’t fit in with the new modern look.
Irene then spent several years as secretary at Summer Bay High, during which time the Bayside Diner was forced to close following a kitchen fire in 2000.
It reopened elsewhere in Summer Bay as the Beachside Diner, with Irene returning to work there in 2004. That same year, Tasha (Isabel Lucas) bought Alf’s share in the business and gifted it to Irene, putting her in partnership with Leah.
In early 2008, as she planned to relocate to the US with husband Dan (Tim Campbell), Leah sold her share to Roman Harris (Conrad Coleby). Shortly afterwards, the business was forced to close when the building suffered subsidence.
With Leah remaining in Summer Bay following Dan’s death, she joined forces with Irene and Roman to lease the current building at Flat Beach Wharf.
While Leah opened up ‘The Den’, a drop-in centre for local teens, in one half of the building, Irene and Roman opened up the new Pier Diner in the other.
The diner would eventually shift sides following The Den’s closure, before the building was fire-damaged in a 2010 riot and knocked through to create the current Pier Diner that we see today.
Leah would go on to buy back her share from Roman in 2009 following his departure.
Here are the full spoilers for next week’s Home and Away episodes in the UK:
Monday 25th August (Episode 8526)
It’s a boy’s night for Tane, Cash and baby Archie. Mackenzie and Levi begin a big journey. Leah can’t change Irene’s mind.
Tuesday 26th August (Episode 8527)
Tane and Jo connect. John is alarmed by Irene’s announcement. Can Bree and Remi ever repair?
Wednesday 27th August (Episode 8528)
Bree feels rejected. Irene stands up for herself. Harper’s loneliness hits hard. Dana gets kicked out.
Thursday 28th August (Episode 8529)
Alf reassures Harper. David has an offer for Lacey. Dana opens up to Sonny.
Friday 29th August (Episode 8530)
Cohen makes a big decision. Mackenzie and Levi prepare to start their first round of IVF. Jo and Lacey are back in the ring.
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