Jessica Marais withdraws from Packed to the Rafters reboot
Packed to the Rafters will be without one of its biggest stars when the popular Australian TV show reboots under the new name, Back to the Rafters.
Confidential
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Jessica Marais has pulled out of Packed to the Rafters reboot Back to the Rafters.
The 35-year-old actor cited personal reasons for the decision.
“Jessica Marais has decided to step away from the new series Back to the Rafters for personal reasons,” Marais management, RGM Artists, wrote in a statement. “She thanks everyone involved on the show for their ongoing support and love, especially her ‘Rafters’
family’, and sends them her very best wishes for the production.”
The news will come as a major disappointment to fans of the hit TV drama, which will see all other previous stars return and is currently in production.
Marais is understood to have begun working on the series and was set to reprise her role as Rachel Rafter.
On February 2, her TV mum, actor Rebecca Gibney, who plays family matriarch Julie Rafter on the series, shared a snap of the pair with the caption: “reunited” and multiple love hearts.
In December, Marais took part in an announcement event with fellow cast members including Angus McLaren and Erik Thomson.
“Best,” she wrote on Instagram. “My heart is exploding with joy!”
Packed To The Rafters originally ran from 2008 to 2013 and was a major hit for Channel 7.
It also starred Hugh Sheridan, Zoe Ventoura, Jess McNamee, Michael Caton and George Houvardas.
In 2018, Marais pulled out of Nine drama Bad Mothers just a month before it was scheduled to begin shooting “to focus on her health and spend time with her family”.
Marais has long been open about her battle, and in 2018 cancelled her appearance at the Logie Awards when she was nominated for the coveted Gold Logie citing “urgent health issues”.
Earlier that year, the actor underwent treatment at The Sydney Clinic, receiving care from psychiatrists, psychologists and nursing staff while attending daily counselling sessions.
Four years earlier, in 2014, the celebrated star opened up about her battle with bipolar disorder that she had struggled with from the age of 12.
Marais and ex partner, actor James Stewart, share custody of their young daughter, Scout. Speaking to Confidential in 2017 after winning the best actor Logie for her work on TV shows Love Child and Wrong Girl, she said managing work and being a mum isn’t always easy.
“It is a juggle and it is difficult,” she said. “I’ve really come to accept I think I tried to manage too many things myself in the past and you need support around you. I am lucky and blessed in that I have the luxury that a lot of people that work nine-to-five-jobs all year round don’t have in that when I have time off I can spend good quality time with her (Scout).”
Originally published as Jessica Marais withdraws from Packed to the Rafters reboot