Home And Away Spoilers – Irene Shocks Her Friends With A Fresh Start

Irene’s pals are relieved when she says she’s turned over a new leaf on Home and Away in the UK the following week, but they’re in for a surprise when she discloses just what that means!

After nine years of sobriety, Irene has been covertly falling off the wagon in recent weeks after falling for con artist Bronte (Stefanie Caccamo).

Irene’s struggles had been noticed by Leah (Ada Nicodemou), Marilyn (Emily Symons), and John (Shane Withington), but none of them had realized that she had returned to alcohol.

Leah believed that by arranging for a journalist from the Coastal News to relate her and Irene’s tale, it would help stop others from falling for similar scams and, as a bonus, provide Irene some closure and a positive outcome from their struggle.

Irene didn’t hold back with reporter Fleur (Nikita Waldron), describing herself as an easy victim and threatening to slam her door in the face of anyone else who walks up claiming to have a terminal disease, despite having already swigged from a bottle of scotch to calm herself.

When Irene heard John calling to see how she was doing, she stormed home to drown her sorrows and dumped her bottle of alcohol, smashing it on the floor.

John offers to prepare Irene’s dinner and put her to bed on the sofa after learning her secret and seeing her sobbing over the broken bottle.

Though at first she tried to push him away, Irene is grateful for the help.

Irene thanks John the following morning but reassures him that everything is under control and that the previous night was an anomaly.

The outcome of the Coastal News article is a harsh narrative that portrays Irene as a monster. Irene tells out that she feels like a genuine drink, so John offers to brew her some tea.

Irene doesn’t want Leah to find out about her drinking, so she turns down John’s offer to phone her. John eventually talks her into going to an AA meeting, though.

Later in the week, Leah and Marilyn worry that they won’t be given the whole narrative as John fills in for Irene.

As they talk about their concerns, Irene phones from the diner just before it starts to rain. She says she’s over the negative publicity, that she’s turned the corner, and she wants to take them to dinner at Salt to celebrate.

Upon reaching the bar, Irene places an order for three glasses of wine. Marilyn and Leah are interested to see who else is going to be there, but they are shocked to hear Irene say that the third glass

Irene tells Leah that this is it—she’s resolved to stop punishing herself and allow herself engage in the joy when she is asked if she feels like she is turning a corner.

If she’s able to control herself, what’s the harm?

Leah emphasizes that staying sober isn’t a punishment and that it’s her past that makes it a problem.

Irene seemed to have made up her mind, though, as she urges her pals to back her choice. Marilyn remarks that Irene has clearly given it a lot of thought, but she is unsure of what to make of it.

Marilyn tells Leah the following morning that it’s difficult to criticize Irene when she appears to be in the best mood she’s had in a while. But Leah isn’t sure everything will work out because she’s seen what happens when Irene loses control before.

Irene, in the meantime, chooses to continue the festivities by inviting housemates Harper (Jessica Redmayne) and Dana (Ally Harris) to the living room for mimosas.

Irene’s past is unknown to either sister, but Harper questions why Irene informed them at first that it was a dry house.

Irene jokes, “That was just to make sure there was no riffraff coming in.” Dana joins in the fun and spends the morning getting sozzled with Reenie, while Harper declines a drink due to her (concealed) pregnancy.

Irene finishes the bubbly on her own while Dana toddles off to see Xander (Luke Van Os), and Leah notices the empty bottle when she comes over to walk Irene to work later.

Irene thinks Leah is just there to poke her nose in because she can’t resist making a joke about it. Leah is informed by Irene that she can walk herself to work with ease.

Irene isn’t long behind and enters to hear them chatting about her, but not before Leah informs Marilyn that Irene has been drinking.

Irene doesn’t like being the focus of their pointless rumors, so she calms down when Leah says she doesn’t want them to fight.

Leah says, “Let’s just get on with it if you are fit to be here.” Irene immediately objects to the suggestion that she is drunk and asks how many times Leah has shown up for work following a wild lunch with Justin (James Stewart).