Home & Away turns 35, Ray Meagher signs new 5 year contract.

Yesterday marked 35 years since Home & Away launched on Australian television.

Alan Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, New South Wales, where he noticed locals were complaining about the construction of a foster home and against the idea of foster children from the city living in the area.

Patriarch Ray Meagher is staying in the Bay, having recently signed a new contract to stick with the Seven soap.

Speaking to The Scottish Sun, Meagher was asked why he had remained so long with the show, now extending back to January 17 1988.

“I think the basic answer is the people. We’ve got a wonderful crew and some of them have nearly been there as long as me,” he said.

“We have some wonderful actors who are now in the 10, 15 and 20 year bracket, and by and large I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time on the show.

“I signed a contract last year for another five years! So I’ll definitely see that out.”

In 2019 Meagher signed a 3 year contract to 2022.

“We work for 46 weeks of the year, but I have clauses where I can give producers a reasonable amount of notice for them to write me out to go to the UK and do pantomimes or to go to London and do Priscilla in the West End,” he said at the time.

“In this latest contract I said I wanted to work less weeks, so we’ve worked that out, but I’ll still be there more often than not.

“I’m taking a tiny little bit of extra time … but it’s not a bridge to retirement,” he confirmed.

Meagher is the sole remaining original cast member and he holds a Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving actor in an Australian serial.