Way back in 1988 when Home And Away first went to air, one of the original characters we met was a young girl named Ruth “Roo” Stewart.
Roo (Justine Clarke) was a troublemaker with an eye for the boys. She wasn’t a favourite at first, and was booed when the cast made public appearances.
But after becoming a mum, leaving the series and then returning home after more than two decades away (with Georgie Parker reprising the role), Roo has shaken her wild-child past and is undisputed Summer Bay royalty.
Justine Clarke first starred as Roo in 1988, and was replaced by Georgie Parker when the character returned in 2010.
THE BIG FIVE: Roo’s major moments that had us on edge
Roo vs Ailsa
In season one of Home and Away, Roo decided no-one would ever be good enough for her widowed dad Alf (Ray Meagher), certainly not Ailsa (Judy Nunn)!
Roo sent threatening letters and called in Morag (the late Cornelia Frances) to help her dig up dirt from Ailsa’s past.
The teen pregnancy
In one of the first times the subject had been tackled on a popular Australian drama, teenager Roo fell pregnant to boyfriend Brett. After failing to trick Frank into believing the baby was his, Roo decided to have the child, naming her Martha.
Roo gave birth to a baby girl, Martha, in the early days of Home and Away.
The return
In 2010, 21 years after a young Roo had left Summer Bay to chase love and find her own life, Roo returned (now played by Georgie Parker). Many viewed her as an outsider, but Roo was determined to make things right with her dad.
Here comes the Roo
After a rocky romance with Harvey Ryan, Roo finally got the big wedding she’d always wanted. And for a while, everything was fine, until Harvey went missing at sea. He was never the same once he returned. The pair soon split.
Roo’s return to Summer Bay was not without its hiccups.
The accident
Ryder (Lukas Radovich) stole Alf’s car when he tried to run away from home. He accidentally hit Roo, fracturing her spine.
Home and Away airs Monday to Thursday, 7pm, Channel 7.
