EastEnders star Shane Richie has admitted one part of iconic character Alfie Moon “killed” him as he opens up about his soap exit.

Shane, 61, originally joined the cast of the hit BBC soap in 2002. He was recruited to provide a comedic element to a show often known for its dark plots.

His original spell saw him picking up Most Popular Actor at the National Television Awards and Best Male European Actor at the Rose d’Or festival. Shane however left the soap on Christmas Day 2005 with co-star Jessie Wallace, who played Kat Slater.

The emotional exit saw Alfie and Kat leaving Albert Square in a second-hand Ford Capri after tying the knot. When asked about his favourite moment from their time on the show, Shane told Inside Soap it involved a mishap with a high heel, as Jessie’s shoe fell off crossing Oxford Circus.

Shane told Inside Soap: “It was the weirdest out-of-body experience, it felt as though the whole of London just stopped, and all they could see was Kat and Alfie in the middle of Oxford Circus.”

Shane says the pair still regularly reminisce about their time on the soap together. And while Alfie became a hit with fans thanks to his funky shirt, long leather coat, cowboy boots, and a cheeky smile, is there anything Shane wishes he could change about his time on the soap?

He added: “Maybe the cowboy boots because they used to kill me. I’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity to create a character that, maybe when I’ve departed, people will still talk about.”

Shane went on to say that EastEnders was his “first love” and hopes Alfie made an “impact” on the soap. The comedian admits his career could have been very different as he auditioned for a role in The Bill as well as EastEnders.

And while he didn’t get the part he initially auditioned for in the BBC soap, he says series creator Tony Jordan had earmarked him for a family inspired by Only Fools and Horses. Despite leaving EastEnders in 2005, Shane returned for a second spell as Alfie in 2018, spending another year on the soap.

The pair however returned for a third time in 2022, and remain on the soap now. Last year, when Alfie had a prostate cancer scare, Shane says it left him realising “how old” he had become.

The star told ITV’s This Morning it came just after he asked his own doctor for a prostate cancer check. He explained: “I got called up from Chris Clenshaw, our producer, and he said they were going to do a storyline with Alfie. I said ‘Of course, what a great story to play’, but it reminded me how old I am. The week before, I’d gone to see my GP about having a test done for prostate cancer.”

He later revealed his doctor said the storyline had seen an “influx” of men wanting to get checked. He added: “It was about three months ago I had to go see my GP for a checkup. He doesn’t really watch the show but he said ‘I understand your character has done a storyline on prostate cancer because we’ve had an influx of men coming in to get checked because of what you did on the show’. So if we save one person’s life, then we have done great!”

Shane will be appearing in Blankety Blank, hosted by Bradley Walsh. Airing tonight (April 19) at 8pm on BBC One, the show will also feature contestants Antony Cotton, Nish Kumar, Rosie Jones, Lesley Joseph and Mel B.