- Aussie icon Kate Ritchie reveals just how much (or how little) she earns these days from two decades of Home and Away reruns.
From Summer Bay to “Small Change” Pay
It turns out life after Home and Away isn’t quite the beachfront bonanza you’d expect — at least financially.
Kate Ritchie, beloved for playing Sally Fletcher on the Aussie soap from 1988 to 2008 (plus a quick encore in 2013), has revealed she still gets residual cheques from the show… but don’t expect yacht money.
Chatting with her Nova radio mates Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli, Kate lifted the lid on what her Home and Away fame is still worth in 2025: about $80 per cheque.
“Yeah, I think so… something like that!” she laughed, after Fitzy guessed she might get a measly 80 bucks.
Home and Away Royalty, Not Royalties
Despite Home and Away airing in over 60 countries, Ritchie joked that the royalty system here in Oz is a far cry from the Friends-level riches of Hollywood.
“It depends when you initially sign the contract, whether they kind of buy it out completely or not!”
Apparently, Sally Fletcher was too busy asking if she could “help out” rather than negotiating backend points like a TV tycoon.
Kate Ritchie’s Home and Away Stats (No Stunt Doubles Included)
| First Appearance | 1988 (age 8) |
| Last Full Season | 2008 |
| Brief Return | 2013 – 25th Anniversary Special |
| Years on the Show | 20 (give or take a school excursion) |
| Countries Broadcasted | Over 60 |
| Residuals Today | ~$80 per cheque |
| Soap Moments Shared | Endless — complete with Celine Dion background music |
All By Myself… and Still Not Rich From Residuals
In peak Aussie nostalgia fashion, Kate recently shared a hilarious reel of young Sally repeatedly being told “No” by every adult in Summer Bay, all set to Celine Dion’s All By Myself. Add a few salty tears and you’ve got a soapie moment for the ages.
“Poor Sally. Sure does make sense of some things… You give us old Home and Awayers many many LOLs.”
Her former co-stars joined the chorus of comments:
- Debra Lawrance (aka Pippa): “The scriptwriters made us do it”
- Emily Symons: Just dropped some love-heart emojis. Simple. Classic.
Aussie Take: “Sally’s Still in the Bay — Just Not on the Payroll”
Let’s be real — $80 wouldn’t even buy a bottle of mediocre wine in Bondi these days. But Kate’s not salty. She’s rolling with it, cracking jokes, and living her best radio life while the rest of us wonder how on earth Alf Stewart hasn’t trademarked “Flamin’ galah” yet.
Final Credits
Kate might not be cashing in big from Home and Away, but she’s cashed in on something far better: Aussie affection, radio gold, and a legacy as the nation’s most lovable soapie kid-turned-grown-up. And let’s face it — that’s worth more than a royalty cheque from 1989.
Cheers to ya, Sally. Keep cashing those $80 nuggets of nostalgia.
