In a candid interview, the Silver Logie nominee shares details of her relationship with her former Home and Away co-star.
Star of Home and Away Lynne McGranger has been up about how she initially met co-star and current close friend Johnny Ruffo.
When Ruffo, who is currently battling terminal cancer, joined the cast of the popular Channel 7 soap in 2013 after becoming famous on The X Factor, the two met there.
In the singing competition, Lynne, a Silver Logie nominee this year, remembers watching Ruffo and “thinking he was such a talent.”
“I do remember him coming onto the show and, to be honest, probably rolling my eyes and thinking, b* reality television star,” Lynne says to 7Life.
“I did watch him on X Factor, and I remember thinking he was a handsome, intelligent, humorous, and brilliant guy.
“It couldn’t have been further from the truth because he was a hard worker; he really, really wanted to nail it and learn about acting.”
Looking back on Ruffo’s three years on the show, Lynne says he was “fun to be around and naughty”.
“We just hit it off from day one, and I’m sort of like his older sister or he calls me his ‘East Coast Mama’ because his actual mama is on the west coast.”
Ruffo was born and raised in Western Australia, with his family remaining in their home state when he made the move to Sydney after finding fame.
Despite the 35-year age gap, Lynne believes the two remain close friends mainly because their “sense of humour is the same”.
He is the most irreverent person you will ever meet, but he gets away with murder because he is witty and cheeky, she chuckles.
“I’m referring to his talks, jokes, and all of those other things.
He used to be like a 60-year-old man instead of a 35-year-old man when we first met.
“I suppose what I loved about him was just how mischievous and irrepressible and all those things he was.
“Johnny doesn’t take himself too seriously, you know, for a young, handsome, and talented man – he must have had women falling over him.”
Lynne attributes Ruffo’s ability to stay grounded despite the attention he drew to his prior work as a concreter before he applied for the talent competition.
“Getting to the point where he is in the public eye was not an easy journey. He put a lot of effort into it, she continued.
“I think all of those things drew me to him, and we’ve just gotten along great and laughed a lot,” she said.
They have a “unusual” age difference, Lynne has acknowledged.
You know those crazy, oddball things that happen to you when you meet individuals and somehow wind up having a lifetime bond with them? She divulges.
“You just pick up where you left off,” the speaker said, “you don’t have to live in each other’s pockets or talk to each other every week.”
The pals have a lot to be happy about after Lynne’s recent win for Most Popular Actress in a TV WEEK Silver Logie for her portrayal of Irene.
According to her, “I still feel like it’s not real,” she tells 7Life.
It’s quite bizarre; I’m at a loss for words.
How to vote for Lynne McGranger
Nominated for: TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Popular Actress.
Voting is now open for all popular awards categories, and remains open until the end of the red carpet telecast at 7.30pm AEST on Sunday, July 30.
There is one exception, however — the coveted TV WEEK Gold Logie Award, which, for the first time, will stay open throughout the telecast and close at 10.30pm AEST.
You can vote now for your favourites from the shortlisted nominees at
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