Soap legend steps down from her job amid mental health struggle and ‘stumbling around park’ after off-license visit

A SOAP fable has confirmed she is stepping down from her vigor hosting relation amid her ongoing intelligence wellness battle.

Kate Ritchie, famed for her relation arsenic Sally Fletcher successful Home and Away, sparked interest past week aft being photographed heading to an off-license earlier picking her girl up from school.

Concerning images saw the star, 46, appearing to outcry down the telephone arsenic she sat unsocial successful a nationalist parkland adjacent by to the store successful Sydney.

Now the histrion has confirmed she volition beryllium taking a interruption from her existent relation arsenic a big connected the Nova FM Breakfast Show successful Australia arsenic she focuses connected her ain health.

Kate took to Instagram to stock a connection successful which she addressed her struggles arsenic good arsenic to convey leader Nova for lasting by her.

The prima penned: "I conflict with mental health issues astatine times, which are profoundly personal.

"This has proven to beryllium a bigger situation than I imagined.

"So, I person decided to instrumentality a interruption from the amusement and the squad who I love, to absorption connected my health.

"I privation to convey each of those who are helping maine done this precise hard time. I emotion you. Thank you Nova for being determination erstwhile I request you."

Kate continued on: "This is besides a occupation galore others are struggling with. They cognize what it's like.

"The images of maine taken past week amusement that I wasn't good connected that day."

Kate went connected to clarify her "appreciation" for those sticking by her arsenic she took clip retired to absorption connected herself.

Her Nova FM co-hosts shared their enactment for the prima publically arsenic they commented underneath her Instagram post.

Ryan Fitsgerald, known arsenic Fitzy, wrote: "Love you Kate. Always here."

Whilst chap greeting amusement big Michael Wipfli, known arsenic Wippa, added: "We are truthful arrogant of you. We emotion you, we request you and can’t hold to person you backmost connected the show.

"You are brave and courageous and sometimes, lone sometimes arsenic comic arsenic Fitzy and I."

Last week, the Daily Mail reported that the prima had been locked successful situation talks with her absorption squad aft the merchandise of the images.

Her managers were snapped arriving astatine her location connected Friday to talk with the star.

Concern archetypal arose aft the prima was spotted sobbing successful a parkland aft picking her kid up from school.

An onlooker who witnessed Kate's behaviour told the Mail: "She walked astir a spot successful the parkland portion talking and past abruptly she sat down and started rocking her full assemblage backmost and distant and crying.

"It was truly confronting – she looked truthful upset.

"When she turned astir her eyes were each reddish and puffy and she looked perfectly devastated."

Kate roseate to fame arsenic Sally successful the fashionable soap successful 1988 wherever she remained until 2008 earlier making a cameo successful 2013.

She has since established herself arsenic a fashionable radio prima and appeared arsenic a justice connected Australia's Got Talent successful 2022 alongside UK stars David Walliams and Alesha Dixon.