{"id":893395,"date":"2026-09-15T23:10:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T23:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/893395\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T23:10:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T23:10:13","slug":"sheila-kennelly-dies-age-88","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/893395\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheila Kennelly dies age 88"},"content":{"rendered":"

Actress Sheila Kennelly, who is best known for her time on Home and Away<\/a>, has died at age 88.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The beloved British-born soap star\u2019s death was confirmed by Andrew Mercado in a post on social media, who reported that she died on her farm in the Hunter Valley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Actress Sheila Kennelly, best known for her time on Home and Away, has died at age 88. \u00a0IMDB<\/p>\n

\u201cVery sad news to report – darling Sheila Kennelly has died the way she always wanted, \u2018falling off the twig\u2019, as she would say, on her beloved farm in the Hunter Valley,\u201d the film and TV historian said in a social media post<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was surrounded by her dogs and dear family who looked after her so lovingly in her final days. <\/p>\n

\u201cSheila starred as several iconic characters in some of Aussie TV\u2019s biggest shows, including wig-wearing barmaid Norma Whittaker in Number 96 who called everyone \u2018ducky\u2019, jolly Italian mother-in-law Rosa in Kingwood Country, and the carnival worker in the caravan Floss from the original cast of Home & Away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSheila remained lifelong friends with many of the actors from Number 96, and was the last one standing of a special friend group that included Carol Raye, Elaine Lee and Elizabeth Kirkby. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have no doubt they are all now having a lovely reunion with each other … RIP Sheila.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kennelly rose to fame playing retired pensioner and former carnival worker Floss McPhee in Home and Away, starring in 188 episodes as part of the original cast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was born in England in 1936, and immigrated to Australia with her family as a child. <\/p>\n

Kennelly took up acting in her teens and landed one of her first roles as a 17-year-old. <\/p>\n

While her most notable role is Home and Away, she also starred in Number 96, Kingswood Country and made guest appearances in A Country Practice and All Saints. <\/p>\n

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Ross Higgins and Sheila Kennelly starred in Kingswood Country, pictured together in 1984. \u00a0Fairfax Media<\/p>\n

Kennelly\u2019s last on-screen appearance was in 2008, when she briefly reprised her iconic role as McPhee on Home and Away. <\/p>\n

After that, Kennelly made the decision to step away from the spotlight to enjoy a quiet retirement on her farm in NSW.<\/p>\n