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Kate quits Home and Away

Gold Logie winner Kate Ritchie has announced her departure from Home and Away.

She is one of only two original characters on the show, who with actor Ray Meager (Alf Stewart) entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running continuous roles in an Aussie drama.

She will finish shooting scenes for the Seven drama in December and remain on screen until April 2008. The show celebrates its 20th anniversary early next year.

Ritchie, who won the Gold Logie this year, has also recently appeared in It Takes Two and the ABC telemovie, Stepfather of the Bride.

“I have been blessed with a job that I have loved for the past 20 years and I wouldn’t take back one moment of my time on Home and Away but I feel that it is time for change,” Ritchie said.

“My decision to leave the show has not been made lightly and despite being sad to say goodbye I am excitedly looking forward to what will be the next chapter of my life.”

Seven’s director of programming Tim Worner said, “She’s a great girl and she deserves it. Seven is very proud of all that Kate has achieved in her time with us. It’s been an amazing ride and it’s been a great joy to see her grow as a performer and a person over that time”

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

10 Responses

  1. I don’t ever recall Kate quitting the show. She probably chose her words carefully in talking about expanding work options.

    It was always producer / network spin about “will she, won’t she?”

  2. Kate also said that she hated not being able to confirm or deny rumours that she was leaving the show last year, because she had been told not to by the producers. She said she knew that her character wouldn’t die, but that she had to maintain the suspense that the producers wanted. This would suggest that she did not intend leaving the show.

    I don’t remember Kate saying on TT that she was leaving. Surely it would have been major news across the board if she had said that?

  3. I’m afraid you are wrong Chris.

    I distinctly remember an interview Kate Ritchie did on Today Tonight last year regarding this. She stated that she had decided it was time for her to concentrate on other projects, like her radio gig and TV hosting roles like It Takes Two.

    Channel Seven can deny it all they want, but I’m certain the only reason she actually stayed on for another year was because they threw money at her and begged her to stay.

  4. She never said that she was leaving last year, channel 7 implied it by the will Sally die from being stabbed storyline.

    This time Kate is leaving, she said it herself.

  5. Sorry – Didn’t she “announce” her departure from the show this time last year?!?!? Oh that’s right – it was a cheap publicity stunt to get ratings for the final episode of the year.

    Funny how she is saying EXACTLY the same thing as last year – “I have to move on” – ” I want to try other things” etc

    Methinks Seven is trying to pull the same stunt twice…

  6. Sorry, but if you don’t like the show, don’t watch it, and then you will not have to complain about it.
    Personally, I also gave up on the show a couple of years back, but will start tuning in on a semi-regular basis to see what sort of a send-off she is given.

  7. Smart move, if Kate wants to be taken seriously she must shake the stupid Sally character, she has basically played the same character her entire life!

    I only hope without her the show that it might finally die off, it’s so bad, I always feel sick just from watching the stupid advertisements.. wake up, it seriously sux!!

  8. This is the day that the producers of H & A have been dreading for several years, I’m sure. Sally is the glue that holds that show together and they’re going to have to find a hell of a family to replace her at the caravan park, that’s for sure! Anonymous said that “most of the old cast” pop in a lot, but aside from special occasions (always relating to Sally or Alf, for obvious reasons), hardly any former cast members return (Donald’s recent return being a major exception, rather than the norm). Pippa has visited whenever Sally has had a major event in her life, which is basically why she’s been seen so often over the past 5 years or so (since Kate Ritchie became the runaway star of the show). With Sally leaving, there will be next to no reason at all to bring Pippa back, unless it’s Alf’s 70th birthday or something.

    In my opinion, Kate is an amazing young lady and I sincerely hope she’s successful in whatever she chooses to do from now on. Watch for her to take home the Gold and Silver double again next year and for H & A to score their highest ratings ever for her final episodes. Had she continued with the show, I dare say she could have been the next Lisa McCune in terms of consecutive Gold Logies, but she’ll have to be content with 2. In terms of future shows, maybe she should take a year off and then join All Saints or something like that.

  9. Sally is a staple of the show. I honestly can’t see it without her.

    I just hope if they *don’t* kill her off she won’t do annoying pop-ins like most of the old cast seems to do (Pippa Snr. for example seems to show up every 6 months).

  10. Oh no! It will not be the same without Sally! Please don’t kill her off … so she can reappear from time to time.
    The show has a few hot males at the moment!
    Jack!

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