Emmett worked at the local Coast Rock FM radio station and sang lead vocals in the band Big Baby Jam.
On 29 January 2005, Emmett married comedian and TV personality Rove McManus, at the Mary Immaculate Church in Waverley in the eastern part of Sydney.
She took a break from her role as Rebecca Fisher/Nash on Home and Away (during which time the part was played by Megan Connolly) and underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumour, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy.
In September 2001, on the set of the Australian film The Nugget in which she co-starred as Cheryl with Eric Bana, Emmett began to experience intense back pain.
"[3] In an interview with Charles Wooley on 60 Minutes that same year, she said: "I think people underestimate the power that they have within themselves, I really do, and I think these kinds of challenges, they force you to look that little bit deeper and see what you're really made of.
"[5] Opposition Leader Kim Beazley also passed on his sympathies, but infamously mistook McManus for American presidential advisor Karl Rove when he did so.
"[5] Emmett's funeral was held at 11am on 17 November 2006 in Sydney's Mary Immaculate Church, the place where she married Rove McManus 18 months before.
[10] One month later, Emmett's younger brother Shane performed "One Sweet Day" at the annual Carols in the Domain in tribute to his sister, who regularly appeared at the event between 1995 and 2002.
In a newspaper interview published on 1 April 2007 promoting his return to television, Rove McManus revealed that Emmett's solo album had been completed.
Profits from Hooch Records, the company Emmett formed with McManus to release the album, were sent to the McGrath Foundation to support breast-care nurses.
[12] In July 2007, ABC TV aired the episode "Some Meaning in this Life" of the documentary series Australian Story which paid tribute to Emmett and her struggle with cancer.
Her co-star in The Nugget Eric Bana introduced the episode which featured contributions from Emmett's family and Rove McManus.
[14] In an episode of The Chasers War on Everything, Andrew Hansen sang a satirical eulogy about glorifying public figures after their deaths.
It consists of a number of duets with Australian and international guest artists which are meant to inspire people touched by cancer.