‘EastEnders’ bosses have done little to stop speculation Shane Richie is set to return as Alfie Moon.
A story published in The Sun on Thursday (22 March) quoted an unnamed source, claiming the actor will reprise his role as the former Queen Vic landlord in the coming weeks.
However, when HuffPost UK approached the BBC for clarification, they failed to deny the rumours, insisting they “would not be commenting”.
The report suggested that Shane will begin filming in the next two weeks, although his comeback will not be a permanent one.
This upcoming plot will also serve to answer questions left by his on-screen wife Kat’s upcoming return to Walford, as viewers have already questioned why she is not coming back with her husband.
Shane has previously said on a number of occasions he had no current plans to return to ‘EastEnders’, even telling ITV’s ‘Lorraine’ earlier this week: “Listen, I’m no good at saying no comment, so I always say if I’m asked, I’d love to but it would have to be the right storyline.
“Jessie [Wallace, who plays Kat] said, ‘I’m missing you being there,’ and who knows, maybe down the line there might be a story for Alfie to go back, but right now I’ve got no plans to go back.”
Kat and Alfie left Walford in 2015, and went on to star in their own spin-off series ‘Redwater’, which focused on Kat’s hunt for her missing son in Ireland.
The last viewers saw of Alfie, he had just flat-lined on the operating table while undergoing surgery for a brain tumour.
News of Alfie’s potential return marks a number of changes the soap’s new boss John Yorke has made since taking the helm last year.
As well as bringing back Kat, other old favourites like Masood Ahmed and Mel Owen have returned, while he has axed long-standing characters Lauren and Abi Branning and Ben Mitchell.
Earlier this week, it was announced both Jenna Russell and Richard Blackwood would be leaving their roles as Michelle Fowler and Vincent Hubbard respectively.
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