Shane Richie

Shane Richie as Alfie Moon

Shane Richie (born Shane Patrick Roche in Harlesden, London, March 11, 1964) is a British comedian, actor, singer and television presenter.

The son of a dustman, Richie is best known for his role as Alfie Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, although he had a high-profile career as a stand-up comic and TV host before arriving in that role in 2002.

Richie was a member of a youth theatre as a child and began his professional career as a bluecoat entertainer in Pontins holiday camps as a teenager. He progressed to the live stand up circuit - receiving a nomination for best new stand-up at the inaugural British Comedy Awards - and made his first high-profile television appearances as one of five comics on the sketch show You Gotta Be Jokin'.

He later branched out into anchoring game shows after proving successful as host of the kids' quiz Run The Risk which was played during the BBC Saturday morning show Going Live. He moved into mainstream presenting with Caught In The Act, Win, Lose Or Draw, The Shane Richie Experience (later revamped as Love Me Do) and Lucky Numbers. He also replaced Danny Baker in the "doorstep challenge" TV ads for Daz detergent - ironically, he had previously replaced Baker as host of Win, Lose Or Draw.

Richie, a natural and confident performer, was a success in musicals - including the 1970s-based Boogie Nights and the re-make of Grease, so he tried his hand at carving out new careers as a singer and actor. He released two albums to limited appeal, but as an actor he was more successful. He won supporting roles in the British films Dead Clean and Distant Shadow before joining EastEnders. As Alfie Moon, Richie received immediate acclaim for bringing humour to a programme often panned for being too depressing. The role has won him numerous awards.

In 2003, Richie invested a six-figure sum into the budget of the film Shoreditch, in which he starred. He also released his autobiography From Rags To Richie.

From 2002 to 2003, Richie played villainous Danny Dexter on Night and Day.

He has teenage sons Shane and Jake from his marriage to Coleen Nolan, the youngest of the singing troupe the Nolan Sisters. They married in 1990 and divorced in 1999.

External links

• Shane Richie's official site
• Shane Richie as Alfie Moon on the BBC's EastEnders page