They’ve shared the small screen for 25 years, finish each other’s sentences, go on holidays together, and are long-time dressing room buddies.
So when Ada Nicodemou said she was “in denial” about being on Home and Away without her retiring “best mate” Lynne McGranger by her side, she really, truly meant it! For Lynne and Ada, friendship comes above everything.
“What can I say about my best mate? And my favourite workmate? I love you so much [Lynne], I think I’m still in denial that you’re leaving.
I may not let you leave. Maybe I’ll just kidnap you and let you live in our dressing room,” Ada wrote on Instagram when the news was first announced.
The truth about their friendship
Ada, along with the rest of the country, will farewell Lynne from Summer Bay when her final episode airs this week, ending her almost 33-year run as iconic character Irene Roberts.
Though working together for so many decades has been memorable for Ada, 48, and Lynne, 72, it’s the lifelong friendship they’ve forged that both stars hold dearest from their time on the long-running soap.
“We’re really blessed to know each other,” says Lynne.
Ada adds that despite their age difference, and Lynne only being a little younger than her own mum! – they are “very similar”.
“I think we’d still be friends had we not met on Home and Away,” says Ada, who plays Leah Patterson-Baker.
Through thick and thin
Their characters have been there for each other through thick and thin, and it’s been a similar case when the cameras stop rolling.
Earlier this month, a teary-eyed Ada looked on proudly as Lynne won her first TV WEEK Gold Logie, and in 2023, Ada was there for her “beautiful friend” as her daughter, Clancy, tied the knot.
Likewise, Lynne has always been a shoulder for Ada to lean on and has been a big supporter of the actress’s relationship with their fellow co-star, James Stewart.
Ada was thrilled when her bestie Lynne won big at this year’s TV WEEK Logie Awards. (Credit: Getty)
Things just won’t be the same
The pair’s reel-to-real-life friendship never fails to excite their fans, either!
“People freak out,” Ada says.
“Wherever we are, people are like, ‘Argh, it’s Irene and Leah!’ and cause such a scene.”
A new era
Ada was one of the first people Lynne told about her plans to leave Home and Away, and fittingly, Ada was also her final scene partner on Lynne’s last day in March.
“Home and Away just won’t be the same for me now that you’ve gone,” Ada wrote in a tribute on Instagram.
“Thank you for being the best room buddy and for always buying me coffee. I love you and miss you already.”
