Corrupt politicians, criminal families, serial killers and crazed sociopaths – top-rating police series Stingers had the lot.
Inspired by real events in Victoria, the show explored the secretive, high-risk world of undercover cops fighting crime from within.
WATCH NOW: EXCLUSIVE: Behind the scenes with Ian Stenlake. Article continues after video.
For eight gritty seasons, viewers couldn’t get enough of the shadowy unit’s personal and professional secrets and lies, leading covert lives and constantly changing identities.
Now, 25 years after Stingers premiered, we take a look at where some of our favourites are now…
Kate Kendall
Kate’s character, Detective Constable Angie Piper, never achieved her happily ever after on Stingers, despite her feelings for tough undercover cop Peter Church (played by Peter Phelps).
In real life, it’s a very different story for Kate.
Now 50, she has been blissfully married to former Carlton AFL great Wayne Johnston for almost 20 years.
The couple tied the knot in November 2004 – just before the final episode of Stingers aired – and share a teenage son, Darcy.
Kate also has four older stepchildren.
After Stingers, Kate was in a number of shows before joining Neighbours in 2013 as Lauren Turner.
Leaving that role in 2017, she became a director, then producer, on the soap.
She also directed the British-Australian thriller series, Heat this year.
Anita Hegh
After starring as Ellen ‘Mac’ Mackenzie, Anita, 51, went on to an award-winning career on stage and screen, playing Marta Dusseldorp’s love interest in Janet King, among other attention-grabbing parts.
Not bad for someone who studied to become a teacher!
Divorced from her first husband Peter Evans, Sydney-based Anita is now happy with yachtsman Jay McEvoy.
In September 2019, they welcomed “miracle” baby daughter Edie Anne-Maret McEvoy, following a long and unsuccessful IVF journey.
Ian Stenlake
A road rage accident with an angry man wrestled to the ground after a scooter crash – this wasn’t a Stingers episode, but rather a 2021 incident Ian was involved in.
The star, who played tech specialist Oscar Stone, was arrested on four assault charges – two involving police – in the wake of the drunken accident and was placed on a community corrections order for 18 months.
Friends said the father of three had been severely affected by the COVID entertainment industry shutdown.
Luckily, 54-year-old Ian has turned his life around thanks to second wife, Amber Mulley, with whom he shares a cute toddler, Scarlett.
He also has two daughters from his first marriage to music theatre star Rachael Beck.
This year, Ian has been acclaimed for his stage role as oily Colonel Tom Parker in Elvis: A Musical Revolution.
Peter Phelps
The role of undercover policeman Peter Church was virtually tailor-made for this Peter, who won a Silver Logie for his portrayal.
Since the cop show wrapped, Peter, 63, has played a variety of cops and criminals in top-rating dramas from Blue Murder to Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and Rescue: Special Ops.
Most recently, he was seen as Gary Morrow in Home and Away.
In 2018, he published his second book, The Bulldog Track, about his grandfather’s wartime experiences in Papua New Guinea.
Peter, who has two adult daughters with wife Donna Fowkes, is up for a Stingers revival!
“Stingers is my favourite Aussie TV show, so it would be a great reboot,” he told TV Week.
“As the old veteran, I could lead the youngies.”
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