Bloke at the back
Shane Richie
Suave Shane
Shane Richie, 53, won the hearts of Eastenders fans as lovable rogue alfie moon, but he’s also enjoyed successful stage and music careers and has recently released a new album. He has two sons, Shane, 28, and Jake, 25, with first wife Coleen nolan, and a son, mackenzie, 11, and daughters Lolita, nine, and Romani, six, with second wife Christie Goddard.
when I was in Eastenders I used to finish work at 8pm and run straight to a pub and play a gig. Two or three years ago I put some songs together with a new country feel, changing some classic songs around. Then a friend of a friend said, ‘You should do an album.’
I’d love to do as well as Bradley walsh. I have no idea [if I will]. It’s about timing – Seal has a Christmas album coming out and George Michael – they’re going to fill the shelves and quite rightly, too.
my son Jake and I wrote Shut Up together. Inspiration came from Ed Sheeran. When Ed writes it’s like poetry – there’s no fat on his lyrics.
I don’t think Redwater will come back. In the very last episode, Alfie’s flatlining and Kat [Jessie Wallace] is lying face down in her own blood on a beach.
I’m very close to Jessie. I spoke to her yesterday. She’s on tour with a play. She was having her hair done and asked me what I thought of it and I said, ‘I can’t see you – I’m on the phone!’ I don’t get to watch Eastenders much, but I know you’ll be seeing a big [plot] turnaround soon.
I went on holiday with Christie to the maldives and a man started singing the Eastenders theme to me in the middle of the Indian ocean. He looked at me and went, ‘Alfie Moon.’
✱ Shane Richie’s album A Country Soul is out now on East west Records