Renowned actress and author Judy Nunn dissolves into a hurricane of hilarity when asked about her Home and Away character, Ailsa Stewart’s, demise after a 13-year run.
“Poor Ailsa. After all she’d endured, from surviving mudslides and armed hold-ups – even a jail stint for murdering her abusive father! – in the end she was given a remarkably dull death,” Judy, 77, tells New Idea with a smile.
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Indeed, Ailsa’s death in 2000 saw her collapsing in front of her husband Alf, played by Ray Meagher, after suffering a heart attack.
“She fell to the floor like a sack of spuds. I thought it was quite a boring swan song,” Judy recalls. “Sending Ailsa over Niagara Falls in a barrel might’ve been a bit extreme, but giving her a heartfelt, deeply moving speech to Alf from her deathbed following a tragic diagnosis – that would have been poignant.”
As a Summer Bay original, Judy has a smorgasbord of fond co-star memories, particularly of Ray and Emily Symons – aka Marilyn.
“Ray is a treasure. It’s always a joy to catch up. Emily is wickedly funny.”

It was during Home and Away that Judy first put pen to paper. Turning her dressing room into a writing space, she scribbled notes on the backs of scripts, developing characters and plots. Soon, she had churned out five novels.
When Judy left the show her writing career was flourishing, so she pressed pause on acting opportunities. Now, with 19 books under her belt, she is chuffed to be one of Australia’s consistently bestselling authors.
Her most recent, The Long Weekend, is a compelling selection of six short stories, covering such themes as the supernatural to real-life murder mystery.
Coming later this year is the hugely anticipated Black Sheep. Judy describes the novel as a “good seed, bad seed” story set on a sheep station but with a big twist.
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“I’m loving life. My husband, actor-author Bruce Venables, and I just celebrated 34 years of marriage,” Judy reveals. “Back when I was fully focused on my career, I’d run a mile at the thought of marriage. But priorities change with age. I feel such contentment being married and love that Bruce and I are quintessentially chalk and cheese.”
“I’m hyperactive and he’s nonchalant, so things are never dull and, for us, it works a treat. The secret to our marriage is lots of laughs every day.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea!