Australian actress Janet Andrewartha has died aged 72.
The Neighbours star, who was famous for playing Lyn Scully, passed away peacefully on Friday in Melbourne with her daughters Eloise and Sarah by her side.
Her death was announced on Sunday, with the soap series sharing a touching tribute to Instagram.
‘Everyone at Neighbours is deeply saddened by the passing of Janet Andrewartha,’ the post read.
‘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.’
The post went on to share some heartbreaking words by one of Janet’s closest friends and Neighbours co-star Jackie Woodburne, who plays Susan Kennedy.
‘Janet was one of the finest actors of her generation, but more than that, she was an extraordinary woman,’ she wrote.
‘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.’
Stefan Dennis, who plays ruthless businessman Paul Robinson, also shared kind words.
‘So very upset to lose the lovely Janet,’ he began.
‘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.’
Meanwhile, Colette Mann, who starred on Prisoner as Doreen Anderson and played Sheila Canning on Neighbours, soon echoed her fellow castmates’ thoughts.
‘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,’ she wrote.
Janet spent her entire life working in the arts and entertainment industry.
She began her career as a music teacher before attending drama school.
She secured several television and theatre roles straight out of school, with her most well-known performances being on Neighbours and Prisoner.
Janet Andrewartha starred in the Channel Ten show from 1999 until 2006, and reprised her iconic role several times right up until 2019.
All up she starred in over 699 episodes of the long-running beloved series.
The actress appeared in several other television shows throughout her decades-long career, including brief appearances in Blue Heelers and A Country Practice.
Most recently, she played the role of Kath Tovey in the Paramount+ series Fake alongside Asher Keddie.
Janet also spent much of her time working in theatre where she took part in several productions with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Playbox Theatre Company.