Ritchie said that her character has become a "best friend" to her over the years and that she has found it hard to leave the show she has grown up with.
She told The Sun: "She's my best friend. I didn't really realise how much I'd miss her until I decided to leave. I can't pretend to be her anymore.
"I’m really going to miss the show. It’s all I have done my whole life so I have grown up with it."
The actress has appeared in the Aussie soap for 20 years, but filmed her final scenes last week. Her exit will screened in the UK next Spring.
The soap star claims her proudest moment on the show came filming the death scenes of her onscreen husband Flynn.
She commented: "Those scenes were very challenging and we really had something to sink our teeth into.
"I’m very proud of those scenes and I know they meant something to a lot of viewers too."
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