EastEnders fans will be excited to hear that Shane Richie is making a return to Albert Square. The 54-year-old actor, who plays lovable rogue Alfie Moon on the BBC soap, is set to reprise his role on set within a matter of weeks, with filming reportedly scheduled to begin in the very near future. It will be the first time that Alfie has been seen in Walford for two years. His onscreen wife Kat Slater, played by Jessie Wallace, will return to the soap for the first time on Thursday night. A source told the Sun: "With Kat's comeback, the writers knew viewers would ask when Alfie would be back too, so they've managed to convince Shane to return. It won't be long term, but he'll play a role in a number of storylines over the coming months."
© Photo: Getty ImagesJessie Wallace and Shane Richie are set for an EastEnders reunion
Shane and Jessie last appeared on screen together on Redwater – the EastEnders spin-off show. Reports of Alfie's return come just two months after Shane seemingly ruled out an EastEnders comeback. "I'm in a fortunate position where I can pick and choose what I want to do and EastEnders at the moment I said no to it," he said on Radio City in January. "I just need to take a break from television and a little break away from showbiz."
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© Photo: BBCJessie's character, Kat Slater, will return to the BBC soap on 22 March
News of Kat's return first surfaced in December, when a source confirmed that EastEnders boss John Yorke had decided to bring the popular character back. "Kat Slater was a huge and popular character in EastEnders and John was in charge when the Slaters first came into the soap," the insider revealed. "Her marriage to Alfie Moon was one of the biggest relationships in the soap." The source added: "Now John is back in charge again he has managed to persuade Jessie to come back to with a host of new storylines. He knows millions will be excited to see what he has in store for the character."
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