Shane Richie has revealed he has no plans to return to EastEnders. The soap star, who played Albert Square's beloved Alfie Moon, revealed that he's ready to "take a break" from showbusiness. "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. "I just need to take a break from television and a little break away from showbiz."
© Photo: BBCShane Richie is ready to take a break from EastEnders
Shane, 53, was last seen playing his character in the soap's spin-off Redwater, alongside on-screen wife Jessie Wallace (Kat Moon). He added: "Trust me, it's not because I've got loads of money because that is far from the truth. But I just need to pick and choose." An EastEnders insider has since revealed that "the door has been left open" for Shane to come back, should he want to one day. According to MailOnline, the source said: "Alfie's still a much-loved character on the Square and bosses will always keep the door open. Producers know that the filming schedules can be exhausting and they'll always be willing to wait until he's ready."
READ: Jessie Wallace confirms Redwater will not return for second series
Meanwhile, Jessie is preparing to reprise her role in coming weeks. The actress, 46, recently tweeted a picture of her Kat necklace from set, and in the caption, she wrote: "I'm home." Kat has been involved in some of the BBC soap's most dramatic storylines, including the moment she told "sister" Zoe that she was her real mum. The actress joined the Slater family in 2000 and stayed on for five years. She made a comeback in 2010 for another five years before leaving to do Redwater.
