The much-loved star who played Sally Fletcher for more than 20 years, returned to Summer Bay for an eight-week stint in 2013 as part of the soap’s
25th birthday celebrations.
Since then, however, she’s been busy with her greatest ever role, as mum to daughter Mae, who was born in August last year.
But Kate, 37, hinted to Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies on The Morning Show this week that she’s ready to return to her first love.
“I’d love to back on TV very soon; and hopefully that’ll be on the cards,” said Kate, who has been biding her time between roles as a drive time co-host on Nova FM.
She didn’t elaborate on whether that would be yet another return to Home And Away.
But she admits she still keeps in touch with “a lot of the oldies”, especially Ray Meagher, who plays Sally Fletcher’s long-time best friend Alf Stewart.
The original cast member makes no secret of how thrilled he’d be to have her back on the familiar set.
“If she wanted to come back, you’d certainly find a story for her! She still owns the house at the caravan park, Alf is the caretaker,” said Ray.
“So there’d be plenty of scope for her to come back, and she could easily slot into the school as well as having foster kids.
“There’d be a hundred different ways they could get a character with that history in Summer Bay and an actress as good as Kate Ritchie. It’s a winner both ways. If we could get her it would be bloody marvellous! That’s my little pipe dream.”
Although Kate now calls Mae her “greatest achievement in life”, she still looks back on her Summer Bay years with fondness.
“To not love it would be like denying 20 years of my life,” she said.
As for whether she’ll push Mae to follow mum’s footsteps into acting, she wasn’t so sure.
“My own experience growing up on TV was unique; we all loved each other so much. I’d love her to have that experience too but I don’t think you’re guaranteed that.”
Meanwhile, Kate has been quick to also quash rumours of a reported feud with former Home And Away star Bec Hewitt.
Speaking on Nova, the actress turned radio host was asked by Marty Sheargold about the “craziest story” that’s been made up about her over the years.
“I think my favourite, which is one of the latest ones, is that I’ve been at war, and am at war, with Bec Hewitt,” she said.
“And the fact that we’re not talking because Bec didn’t ever come over to meet my baby, which is actually not true at all.”
Kate, who was bridesmaid at Bec’s wedding to Lleyton in 2005, told her Nova colleagues on-air that “Bec has met Mae numerous times and we’ve socialised together as families”.
