*Home and Away* star Penny McNamee, who played Tori Morgan

on the popular Australian soap, has opened up about her personal experience

with bullying. In a recent heartfelt post on Instagram, McNamee shared

the emotional details of her school years, where she faced relentless bullying. She revealed that a group of girls, once her closest friends, suddenly turned against her, leaving her feeling isolated and devastated.

In a new article for Australian magazine *Mamamia*, McNamee expanded on her story. She explained how, during Year Nine at a private girls’ school, three girls who had been her friends for two years abruptly stopped speaking to her. What followed was a six-month-long ordeal where McNamee was humiliated and excluded. The girls would walk past her laughing, whispering, and freezing her out of conversations for no apparent reason. This left McNamee feeling trapped, hopeless, and stripped of the joy she once had in life.

As her mental health deteriorated, McNamee’s parents made the difficult decision to pull her out of the school. She then transferred to a co-educational school, which she described as “the greatest gift.” There, she found supportive, inclusive friends who remain close to her today. This change allowed her to thrive and even land the lead role in the school musical, sparking her passion for acting.

Reflecting on her journey, McNamee expressed deep gratitude to her parents for advocating for her at such a difficult time. She acknowledges how changing schools gave her a fresh start and a new sense of self. McNamee joined *Home and Away* as Tori Morgan in 2016 and left the show in 2021. She has since returned as a writer and made a surprise guest appearance in April.