Neighbours star Janet Andrewartha has died at the age of 72.
Andrewartha, who is best known for her portrayal of Lyn Scully on the soap, passed away in Melbourne on Friday (July 26).
Announcing the passing via social media, Neighbours shared a number of heartfelt tributes to the beloved soap star.
“Everyone at Neighbours is deeply saddened by the passing of Janet Andrewartha. Beloved by viewers for her role as Ramsay Street’s Lyn Scully, Janet will be remembered for her wide body of work, which includes her memorable turn as Reb Keane in Prisoner: Cell Block H,” it wrote on Instagram.
In the post, the soap shared some words from Andrewartha’s co-star Jackie Woodburne, aka Neighbours’ Susan Kennedy, who said: “Janet was one of the finest actors of her generation, but more than that, she was an extraordinary woman. Passionate, political, curious, delightfully eccentric, generous and fun. To me she was a steadfast friend for over 45 years. I will miss her every day.”
Tributes have been pouring in from Andrewartha’s co-stars and fans alike, with Stefan Dennis, known by soap fans as Paul Robinson, commenting on the Instagram post: “So very upset to lose the lovely Janet. As Jackie said, she truly was an exceptional actress who was a pleasure to work with and to be around. We will all miss you, dear girl.”
Colette Mann, who portrayed Sheila Canning on the Australian soap, commented: “I was so shocked to hear this news yesterday and I can only echo Jackie’s words about Janet… brilliant, crazy in the best way, a good friend and great colleague. Vale Ms Janet my friend.”
Via Twitter/X the soap shared: “Everyone at Neighbours is deeply saddened by the passing of Janet Andrewartha. Beloved by viewers for her role as Ramsay Street’s Lyn Scully, Janet will be fondly remembered. Our thoughts are with Janet’s family and loved ones at this time.”
Andrewartha first appeared in Neighbours in 1999 as Lyn Scully, where she remained until 2006. After that, the soap star returned for a series of guest roles up until 2019.
Neighbours releases new episodes from Mondays to Thursdays for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. In Australia, the show airs from Mondays to Thursdays at 4pm on Channel 10, with a 6.30pm repeat screening on 10 Peach Comedy.
