Star Quits H&A.

[-Kevin-]

Such sad news , the show will not be the same without her thats for sure

[pembie]

YeSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs such great news

[ish_the_angel]

yay!! better late than never, i suppose

[BeckyChristina]

Absolutely gutted

[xGlowingAngelx]

Had this been a year or so ago, I'd have been much more gutted. I've gone off the character a bit in the last year though. It's still sad news and it will be strange not having Martha around, because she seems such a central character.

[lolajaney]

I joked a little ago this would the year she'd go and I'm happy it's true.

[HAA Girl 08]

No! I've always loved her character. I wish Jodi all the best for the future.

Sad news, but goodluck for the future, Jodi! Martha will always be one of my favourites.

[c120701]

Whilst Martha's never been a favourite, I've always liked her. I do worry what this means for Alf though, but at least he has Colleen as his sister now & Morag popping up every now & then.

[Slade]

If this had happened between two to two and a half years ago I would have been over the moon, ecstatic with joy but I’m actually quite disappointed as I find I’m starting to like her character more and more. I hope they don’t kill her off but not because I’m dead against her becoming a martyr I just hate endings like that. I think five years on the show is probably a long enough to move on. Home and Away is the only Australian programme I watch (and occasionally Neighbours) so I doubt I’ll see Jodi in anything else - Unless she’s planning on making it big in Hollywood of course…

[ebrett84]

Insiders say her decision to leave the series after five years has not come as a surprise, although producers and Seven executives are understood to have urged her to stick with the soap because of the popularity of her character.

This is a joke right? Can't say I'm sorry to see her leave. I wonder what her exit storyline will be (I'm guessing it involves Hugo). Hopefully it's not a death which will just cause everyone to remember her best characteristics (whatever they are) while her flaws are ignored. I'd rather everyone just get disillusioned with her and she leaves the town in disgrace.

Populairty for tv shows and characters stretches further across the boundaries than that of just fansites. You can't really be naive enough to think that a character would stay on for 5 years if there was no substantial fanbase. By no means am I saying there are not plenty "haters"/naysayers but just because there are fans who don't post as constantly (especially on here where positive stuff seems to get drowned out by continuous negativity) as the rest doesn't mean they're not there.

----

And all I have to say is.

She definitely has fans, but I still believe that she is not nearly as popular as Channel 7 executives seem to think she is. In Australia, Jodi is probably the most well known actress on the show (see the fact that her leaving actually makes the newspaper), due both to "scandal" and her modelling past, and I think Channel 7 confuses that with popularity for the character of Martha. She seemed to me to lose a heap of her fanbase when Jack died (as much as I hated that couple). I really don't think this is nearly the loss that the people in charge of the show probably think it is.