THE MOON RISES
Alfie back from dead as EastEnders boss lines up Richie return
ACTOR Shane Richie is in talks for a dramatic return to EastEnders.
The last time his character Alfie Moon was seen on TV, he had just flatlined on an operating table.
The final episode of spin-off show Redwater left viewers fearing that Alfie had pulled his final pint back in June.
But EastEnders boss John Yorke has revealed discussions are under way about an Albert Square comeback for the 53-year-old actor.
It comes after Jessie Wallace, 46. who plays his wife Kat, revealed she is returning to the soap. Fans feared her character had been killed off after a boating accident in Redwater.
Yorke said Alfie would be bouncing back after his brush with death. He added: “Alfie will always be a part of the EastEnders family.” Yorke was drafted in to rescue the soap this summer as ratings fell to 3.4million. The new boss is also bringing back other familiar faces – Kat’s sister Jean (Gillian Wright) and Big Mo (Laila Morse).
An EastEnders source said: “Alfie’s comeback is some way off but it was always the plan to reunite Kat and Alfie.”
Tamzin Outhwaite is reprising her role as Mel Owen after 15 years.
Yorke promised “strong women are back at the heart of the show” as he teased a Christmas “full of shocks and surprises”.