Shane is best known for his portrayal of EastEnders’ Alfie Moon and his turbulent relationship with wife Kat, but in real life the actor’s life is much more settled
Shane Richie has been a staple on British and Irish television for years now.
The actor and comedian is best known for his role as Alfie Moon on BBC soap EastEnders, with his character’s relationship with Kat Slater creating many iconic moments over the years.
Away from EastEnders, Shane has also enjoyed success in reality television, comedy and TV presenting.
While we know all about Alfie, here we take a look at Shane’s life away from Walford – both personal and professional.
Early career
Shane, born in 1964, was involved in youth theatre as a child.
His career kicked off at Pontins in the Isle of Wight, where he worked as a bluecoat entertainer.
This resulted in him pursuing a career in stand-up comedy, and he eventually got the chance to appear on TV shows such as Sky’s Jameson Tonight and BBC sketch show Up To Something.
TV and theatre career
After becoming an established comedian, Shane moved on to TV presenting. He started out hosting children’s quiz show Run the Risk, before moving on to shows such as Caught in the Act, Win, Lose or Draw, Lucky Numbers, Don’t Forget The Lyrics and The Shane Richie Experience.
He begun his acting career with role in soap Night And Day. From there, he landed roles in The Good Samaritan, Father Frank, Skins, Minder and Benidorm.
But the TV star is best known for his role as fan favourite Alfie Moon in EastEnders. He initially joined the cast in 2002 and left in 2005, before returning for a brief stint between 2018 and 2019.
Since 2022, Alfie has been a regular mainstay on the soap and has rekindled his relationship with Kat Slater, played by Jessie Wallace.
In 2020, Shane was a contestant on I’m A Celebrity, alongside other stars such as Sir Mo Farah, Victoria Derbyshire and Beverley Callard.
He also has an impressive theatre CV, having appeared in numerous pantomimes over the years and playing Loco Chanelle in a UK tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Family life with wife and children
Shane has been married to actress Christie Goddard since 2007. She has starred in The Last Dance, American Daylight and Hustle.
Shane and Christie are parents to three children – Mackenzie Blue, Lolita Bell, and Romani-Skye Angel Shelley.
The family of five are reported to live in a mansion in Surrey.
Marriage to Coleen Nolan
Shane was previously married to singer and Loose Women star Coleen Nolan.
The pair got married in 1990, but divorced in 1999.
They share two sons together – Shane Jr, and Jake.
Their marriage came to an end when Coleen found out Shane had an affair while he was working away from home.
“What I did to Coleen was unforgivable and I could never apologise enough,” Shane previously told The Guardian.
“And I was pulling the wool over the public’s eyes, so what do you think was going to happen?”
Despite their divorce, Coleen and Shane are now in a good place.
Shane told Bella magazine: “We met when she was 21 and I was 22, and we were mates, we just grew up together, and we still are good friends.
“We’ve got two great kids together and now we’re both grandparents.”
