Shane Richie

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Shane Richie (born Shane Patrick Roche, 11 March 1964) is an English/Irish actor and television personality.

He has worked as a comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Richie is probably best known for playing Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.

Richie was a member of a youth theatre as a child, and began his professional career as a bluecoat entertainer in Pontins holiday camps whilst still 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 BBC One sketch show You Gotta Be Jokin' (1991).

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 was a success in musicals - including the 1970s-based Boogie Nights and a London production of Grease - so tried branching out into other types of singing and acting. He released two albums, to limited appeal, and almost scored a Number 1 single in the UK Singles Chart, with his Children In Need single, a cover version of George Michael's "I'm Your Man". It occupied the top spot going into Sunday of its first week on the chart, but was eventually outsold by Will Young's "Leave Right Now".

From 2002 to 2003, Richie played villainous Danny Dexter on Night and Day. He won supporting roles in low-profile British films, Dead Clean and Distant Shadow, and in 2003, invested a six-figure sum into the budget of the film Shoreditch. Ritchie also starred in the project which ultimately made little profit.

As Alfie Moon, Richie received immediate acclaim for bringing humour to a programme often panned for being too depressing. The role won him numerous awards including the award for Best male european actor at the Rose D'or Festival and National Television Award for Most popular actor in 2005, shortly before he left the programme.

Over Christmas 2005, Richie appeared in an acclaimed touring run of Scrooge the musical.

In 2003 he released his autobiography Rags To Richie, which was a best-seller. In the book, he claims to have had sex with six girls in a chalet, during his time as a Pontins Bluecoat and he broke the law by orchestrating ticket touts outside the production of his Grease show. He also claims to have given free tickets to the touts, who went onto sell them at a large profit for Richie.

In 2006, Richie played a rat called Sid in the Aardman Animation film Flushed Away and appeared in What we did on our holidays for ITV1. He has recently been seen in the UK stage tour of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and heard as a presenter on Virgin Radio.

In 2007, Richie wil star in a new ITV1 drama The Good Samaritan, Father Frank for BBC1 and begin work on a role in Carry On London, the latest film in the Iconic series.

[edit] Personal life

Richie was born in Hampstead and is the son of Irish parents; his father was a dustman.

Richie married Coleen Nolan in 1990, but they divorced in 1999. They have two sons Shane and Jake. He proposed to second wife Christie Goddard at her 26th birthday party in April 2005, and on St. George's Day 2006, she gave birth to a baby boy who they named Mackenzie.

He is a big fan of Manchester United.

[edit] External links

• Shane Richie's official site
• Shane Richie as Alfie Moon on the BBC's EastEnders page
• Shane Richie at the Internet Movie Database
• Shane Richie appearing in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at The Mayflower Theatre Southampton
• Shane Richie from the beginning