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January 19, 2026 \u2014 5:30am<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Ray Meagher has just notched up 38 flamin\u2019 years as Alf Stewart on Summer Bay. The 81-year-old\u2019s gruff but loveable character Alf first popped onto Aussie screens in the premiere episode of Home and Away<\/a> on January 17, 1988. He\u2019s now the only original cast member left and the longest-serving actor in an Australian TV series. However, Meagher readily admits that he did not expect the soap to last long when it began.<\/p>\n \u201cAt that time, the older and more cynical actors in that pilot, Norman Coburn and Judy Nunn and a few of us thought, \u2018oh well, we might get three or six months\u2019 work out of this maybe\u2019. Most pilots crash and burn, they very rarely go to series for any length of time. And here we are, 38 years later!\u201d<\/p>\n This week the soap returns with a new season, kicking off with high drama as the outcome of a train crash cliffhanger unfolds. While Alf was safely back in Summer Bay, many fellow residents were onboard heading to a music festival, with their lives hanging in the balance after the derailment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis show never ceases to amaze me in so far as the challenges that it takes on,\u201d says Meagher. \u201cIf you were doing a train smash in a big piece of film, it\u2019d probably take a month minimum to shoot, and we shot this in a week on location maximum. OK, it\u2019s not as big and glitzy as some multimillion-dollar feature film, but I reckon we had a fair stab at it.\u201d<\/p>\n Another plot line exciting viewers for 2026 is the upcoming return of fan favourites Brax and Ricky, played by Stephen Peacocke and Bonnie Sveen, who left in 2016. Meagher is equally excited to see them back again.<\/p>\n Editor’s pick \u201cWhen people like Steve Peacocke come back, I find it absolutely fantastic,\u201d says Meagher. \u201cHe\u2019s one of the nicest blokes that God ever put breath into and one of the best actors in the world. He\u2019s just so natural. And we shouldn\u2019t leave out Bonnie Sveen, Brax\u2019s other half. It was great to have her back, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year saw the much-feted departure<\/a> of stalwart Lynne McGranger after 32 years as Irene, her run capped off by a Gold Logie win<\/a>. What has been the vibe on set since her departure?<\/p>\n \u201cIrene was obviously a very long-serving character on the show, but there was a big lead-up for the exit and once the exit actually occurred, everybody was so busy getting on with what they have to do,\u201d explains Meagher. \u201cIt\u2019s fairly unrelenting, soap.<\/p>\n You\u2019re up at five and home at seven or eight. However, having said that, Lynne was there for 30 years and did a wonderful job. But the show moves on.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Meagher, also a Gold Logie winner, he currently has no firm plans to retire.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have definite thoughts on that. While I\u2019m enjoying it, and while the Home and Away producers are interested in keeping the character on, I\u2019ll stay. I\u2019m not a spring chicken any more, so we\u2019ll see how that goes, but so far, so good, and I\u2019m still really enjoying the show.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the last couple of weeks, I have learnt and recorded 70 scenes \u2013 that\u2019s more than a lead actor in a feature film would have. Now that\u2019s no big deal, it\u2019s just it was a wonderful challenge to have that many scenes to do in that time and to remind me that, fortunately, I can still do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year also saw the end of fellow Aussie soap Neighbours<\/a>, which aired its final episode in December after a brief revival. When asked about it, Meagher quickly quashes any notion of rivalry<\/a> between the soaps with a clear tone of sadness in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s come back to life a couple of times, so maybe it will again, but if this is the final farewell, [I\u2019m] very sorry to see it go. I see Neighbours in Melbourne as very similar to Home and Away in Sydney; they\u2019re both wonderful training grounds for actors and crew<\/a>. It\u2019s just a shame when something like that happens people talk about competition and all of that. That\u2019s a load of rubbish. We\u2019re all Australian actors, and we all want to see Australian drama flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n Home and Away returns 7pm, January 19 on Seven and 7Plus.<\/p>\n Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Ray](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/354c30e1c3822494b8286b7f300e0282ac87b45f.jpeg\")
Ray Meagher has played Alf Stewart on Home and Away for 38 years.Seven<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768779431_666_5ced23e70f6e62bca72cd680b127fb0b19d186be.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Alf](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15c62044c63208774bc82abe9ef4b50f6a5ca338.jpeg\")
Alf StewartSeven<\/p>\n