Sally Fletcher - Casting

Casting

Ritchie auditioned for the role of Sally in front of executive producer John Holmes in 1987. Her audition scene was all about strawberry jam and Sally's imaginary friend Milco. Ritchie told Jason Herbison of All About Soap that she could remember reading Sally's scenes for Holmes, before auditioning for the director who recorded it on video. She added "I remember when my mum told me I got the part of Sally. I didn't want her to tell anyone because I was really embarrassed." Holmes revealed Ritchie had stood out among the other actresses auditioning for the role. He said "Actors always choose themselves for a role and in this case Kate Ritchie shone head and shoulders above all the rest." During flashbacks to the character's childhood, Sally was played by Chloe Shelsher.

Kate Ritchie said of her role, "I well and truly know the girl that is Sally Fletcher. If only I had realised earlier she wasn't my enemy, she wasn't the embarrassing little sister always trying to spoil my fun but, in fact, the best friend I ever had....In my Logie acceptance speech last year I said Home and Away had always been my constant and the same goes for Sally. We have spent the past 20 years side by side....Sally is a good person. She is the true meaning of the word good, often a quality that goes unnoticed and is most definitely underrated. Sounds crazy, but it is true."

After twenty years, Ritchie departed Home and Away. Her last episode as Sally was shown on 3 April 2008. As Farah Farouque wrote, "the last episode featuring Sally is a TV moment of note."