In the latest dramatic turn on *Home and Away*, Irene Roberts is grappling with

a troubling return to alcohol abuse. Her life was recently upended when

she uncovered that her friend Bronte Langford had been deceiving her.

This betrayal pushed Irene to isolate herself and fall back into drinking after years of sobriety.

This week, Irene’s alcohol consumption escalates, culminating in an erratic public appearance. During an interview with Coastal News, Irene shows up visibly drunk, deriding herself as a “born loser” and a “perfect victim,” and vowing to reject any future offers of help. Leah tries to persuade the reporter not to publish the damaging story, but it makes front-page news.

Irene’s drinking problem worsens as she injures herself on a broken whiskey bottle, leading John Palmer to intervene. Despite Irene’s attempt to dismiss him, John stays to cook dinner and ends up spending the night. The next morning, Irene tries to downplay the incident, but John remains concerned. When the Coastal News article hits the stands, Irene admits she’s tempted to drink again. John offers to take her to an AA meeting, which she reluctantly agrees to on the condition of keeping it a secret.

Leah and Marilyn, worried about Irene’s well-being, are led to believe she’s ill with a cold, as John covers for her. Irene returns to Summer Bay in high spirits, eager to move past the article and even invites Leah and Marilyn for dinner. However, during the meal, Irene pours herself wine and defends her choice to drink, claiming she’s no longer punishing herself. The situation escalates when Leah confronts Irene about her drinking, leading to a heated argument. Dana, after a confrontation with Xander, also drinks with Irene, leaving Leah to find her in a precarious state. Frustrated, Irene insists she’s changed since her last AA meeting and decides she’s ready to drink again, despite her friends’ concerns. Will Irene heed their warnings or continue down this troubling path?