Jennifer Ludlam (left) has left the show after more than a decade.
Jennifer Ludlam (left) has left the show after more than a decade.
Shortland Street’s much loved receptionist has died after a battle with bowel cancer.
Leanne Miller, played by Jennifer Ludlam on the New Zealand soap drama, had been battling with health troubles in recent months and on Tuesday night’s episode of the show, she said goodbye with the help of assisted dying.
After the episode aired, a post was made on the show’s Facebook page announcing the loss to the Shortland Street family.
“It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Leanne Miller, former receptionist and longtime Friend of Shortland Street.”
“She will be remembered for her eccentricities, humour, and sense of conviction.”
“She is survived by her children Nicole, Eric, and Eddie, her grandsons Pele and Kiwa, and great-grandson Knox Lloyd-Mullens.”
The post received thousands of likes and comments, with many fans sharing their heartbreak, “Sad loss for shorty she is one of kind will miss her antics on the show have a wonderful retirement”, one said.
“The Shorty Universe wont b the same!! Hope they play a small cool reel for Leanne, she was one of the characters i enjoyed on the show!!” A third wrote.
Others praised showrunners for their care with Leanne’s heartbreaking storyline, “I loved that the writers gave her a great send off ... thank you,” one wrote.
“Kudos to the writers for making her last minutes a beautiful heart warming moment,” another wrote. With a third adding, “She played this end of life so well! And the make up looked very real well done team”.
Ludlam first appeared in Ferndale in 2010 as the mother of Nicole Miller (Sally Martin). While her role was initially small, she returned in 2014 with her own character arc and became a statured figure of the show.
Jennifer Ludlam played the character Leanne on Shortland Street.
She told the New Zealand Television Guide in 2019, “I feel very lucky. I came in for 6 months because I looked like I could play Sally Martin’s mother and then years later I am still here and the writers have - and this is fantastic - have really started writing for me.”
While Ludlam resigned from the show in 2023, she decided to return and reprise her role for one last storyline - Leanne’s death.
Ludlam will continue her acting career in the theatre industry.
