Soaps News
EastEnders' Shane Richie: 'Kat, Alfie future is really exciting'
By Daniel Kilkelly and Sophie Dainty
EastEnders star Shane Richie has expressed excitement over future plans for Kat and Alfie Moon, hinting that early 2015 plots will be huge for the couple.
The actor and his on-screen wife Jessie Wallace were recently briefed over upcoming storylines for their characters in a meeting with the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.
The Moons have already featured in an explosive story this year as Alfie set fire to his family home in an insurance scam, which had dire consequences when Kat suffered serious burns. With pressure mounting on Alfie, it remains to be seen whether the truth comes out in the near future.
However, discussing 2015 storylines, Richie commented: "I had a meeting with Dom and he just talked me and Jessie through storylines leading up to Easter, and wow. He's just told me and I've gone, 'Oh my God'.
"The stuff that Kat and Alfie are going to play between January and Easter, it's almost like 12/13 years of Kat and Alfie just goes bang, like that."
He continued: "We've played everything from Nana Moon dying in my arms right back to Spencer, the Kat and Alfie wedding, the breaking up, the Derek stuff, now the fire and you're thinking, 'You're gonna run out of ideas'.
"I just said to Dom, 'Go on then, hit me with it, let me see what you're gonna come up with' and when he told us I just sat there and went, 'Jesus, this guy's a genius'.
"That's Dom's strength - his passion for the show is so infectious. When the contracts are coming up and it's a case of whether you're going to stay or go, I say, 'No, I need to stay now, I need to see this through, Kat and Alfie'. I know Jessie's really excited about it all and I certainly am, but I can't tell you what it is!"
Richie also admitted that he prefers filming on the show now that Alfie and Kat are no longer in charge of the Queen Vic.
He said: "When you're in The Vic, it's a different filming schedule because you're involved in everyone else's storyline, so you can be in there six days a week. When we first got kicked out, we were like, 'But Kat and Alfie belong in The Vic, what are you doing?' And for a couple of weeks we were treading water.
"But my missus is loving it now because I'm doing school runs, I'm there for netball games. It's a different filming schedule for me and Jessie and I'm loving it. So I'm dreading it if Dom turns round and says, 'I've got an idea, Kat and Alfie back in The Vic'. I'm happy the way I am, we're alright!"
Read our full spoilers for upcoming EastEnders episodes
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video - press play below for gossip on Kylie's secret being exposed in Coronation Street, Belle targeting Edna in Emmerdale, a huge decision for Tina in EastEnders and Ste's return to the village in Hollyoaks.
Get the Inside Soap magazine on your iPhone or iPad
The actor and his on-screen wife Jessie Wallace were recently briefed over upcoming storylines for their characters in a meeting with the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.
© BBC
Shane Richie as Alfie Moon in EastEnders
The Moons have already featured in an explosive story this year as Alfie set fire to his family home in an insurance scam, which had dire consequences when Kat suffered serious burns. With pressure mounting on Alfie, it remains to be seen whether the truth comes out in the near future.
However, discussing 2015 storylines, Richie commented: "I had a meeting with Dom and he just talked me and Jessie through storylines leading up to Easter, and wow. He's just told me and I've gone, 'Oh my God'.
"The stuff that Kat and Alfie are going to play between January and Easter, it's almost like 12/13 years of Kat and Alfie just goes bang, like that."
© BBC
Alfie and Kat
He continued: "We've played everything from Nana Moon dying in my arms right back to Spencer, the Kat and Alfie wedding, the breaking up, the Derek stuff, now the fire and you're thinking, 'You're gonna run out of ideas'.
"I just said to Dom, 'Go on then, hit me with it, let me see what you're gonna come up with' and when he told us I just sat there and went, 'Jesus, this guy's a genius'.
"That's Dom's strength - his passion for the show is so infectious. When the contracts are coming up and it's a case of whether you're going to stay or go, I say, 'No, I need to stay now, I need to see this through, Kat and Alfie'. I know Jessie's really excited about it all and I certainly am, but I can't tell you what it is!"
© BBC
Alfie has faced a tough few months
Richie also admitted that he prefers filming on the show now that Alfie and Kat are no longer in charge of the Queen Vic.
He said: "When you're in The Vic, it's a different filming schedule because you're involved in everyone else's storyline, so you can be in there six days a week. When we first got kicked out, we were like, 'But Kat and Alfie belong in The Vic, what are you doing?' And for a couple of weeks we were treading water.
"But my missus is loving it now because I'm doing school runs, I'm there for netball games. It's a different filming schedule for me and Jessie and I'm loving it. So I'm dreading it if Dom turns round and says, 'I've got an idea, Kat and Alfie back in The Vic'. I'm happy the way I am, we're alright!"
Read our full spoilers for upcoming EastEnders episodes
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video - press play below for gossip on Kylie's secret being exposed in Coronation Street, Belle targeting Edna in Emmerdale, a huge decision for Tina in EastEnders and Ste's return to the village in Hollyoaks.
