Irene Roberts has weathered more storms than most in Home and Away, but next week in the UK, the beloved Summer Bay stalwart faces a crisis that could change her life forever.

What begins as a few unsettling lapses of memory quickly spirals into something far more frightening, pushing Irene toward medical help — and delivering

a blow she may not be ready to absorb. John Palmer is the first to clock that something isn’t right. A forgotten conversation here, a missed dinner there —

they could be brushed off as simple distractions. But when Irene has absolutely no recollection of confirming plans to meet him at Salt, alarm bells start ringing. For John, this isn’t absent-mindedness. It’s a pattern.

The situation becomes impossible to ignore when Irene admits the truth she’s been trying to downplay. She has been losing time. Misplacing moments. Waking up confused. At one point she even found herself standing in the garden in her nightwear, with no idea how she got there. The tough, capable woman viewers know so well is suddenly frightened by her own mind.

Things go from worrying to dangerous when Irene hears baby Archie crying and discovers him alone, only to learn Harper had asked her to babysit — something Irene has zero memory of agreeing to. Shaken, she calls John in a panic, terrified she might make a catastrophic mistake.

By the time Irene forgets to open the diner and arrives hours late, completely oblivious, those around her can no longer deny the seriousness of the situation. Dana becomes particularly unsettled when Irene gives contradictory advice about her relationship with Sonny — first urging her to ask him out, then later appearing unaware she ever said such a thing. The confusion is deeper than forgetfulness; it’s disorientation.

With pressure mounting, John urges Irene to seek medical guidance, and soon she finds herself under the care of Dr. Bree Cameron.

Bree is calm, methodical and reassuring. Memory problems, she explains, can stem from many causes, some of them minor. But she wants to be thorough. Blood tests. Brain scans. A lumbar puncture. It’s a lot to take in, and though Irene tries to be brave, fear is written all over her face.

While Irene undergoes testing, John waits, wrestling with dread. He wants to promise her everything will be fine. The truth is, he has no idea.

When Bree finally delivers the results, there is both relief and terror. The scans are clear. No bleeding. No obvious injury. But the lumbar puncture has thrown up something troubling. She stresses it is only preliminary, not definitive.

Still, the word lands like an explosion.

Alzheimer’s.

Irene is shattered. John tries to hold onto hope, reminding her further tests are needed, but Irene feels the ground slipping away. In her heart, she believes Bree may be right.

Sleep becomes impossible. Irene spends the night trawling the internet, reading symptom lists and worst-case scenarios, imagining a future where she loses not just her memories but herself. By morning, exhaustion and fear cling to her.

John has done the same research, yet he attempts optimism as they prepare to face the day. Irene, however, refuses false comfort. Pretending won’t change what might be coming.

Despite everything, she agrees to help Leah by covering shifts at the diner — a decision John worries is too much, too soon. But fate intervenes. Bree calls with news: she has pulled strings, and Irene can see a neurologist almost immediately.

Relief at moving forward is tangled with panic about what they might find.

Irene backs out of helping Leah, inventing a story about daughter Finley needing her. Leah accepts it warmly, unaware of the truth. John, though, feels the lie tightening around them. Every excuse digs the hole deeper.

The emotional strain reaches breaking point when Harper, desperate, asks Irene to watch Archie again. The request triggers pure terror. What if she forgets? What if something happens?

Overwhelmed, Irene lashes out, telling Harper to look after her own child before storming away. The outburst leaves everyone stunned — none more so than John, who sees how close the secret is to erupting.

Because in Summer Bay, secrets rarely stay buried.

And as Irene stands on the brink of a possible diagnosis that could redefine her future, the question becomes painfully clear: how long can those who love her protect her, when she can no longer trust herself?

Heartbreak is coming — and it may be only the beginning.