Shane Richie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shane Richie
Richie in 2005
Born	Shane Patrick Paul Roche (1964-03-11) 11 March 1964 (age 61) Kensington, London, England
Occupation	Actor comedian presenter singer
Years active	1978–present
Known for	Role of Alfie Moon in EastEnders
Notable work	EastEnders (2002–2005, 2010–2016, 2018–2019, 2022–present) Kat and Alfie: Redwater (2017) Flushed Away (2006)
Spouse(s)	Coleen Nolan ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1999)​ Christie Goddard ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	5, including Jake Roche

Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a famous English actor, comedian, presenter, and singer. He is most well-known for playing the character Alfie Moon in the popular BBC One TV show EastEnders. He appeared in the show from 2002 to 2005, then again from 2010 to 2016, 2018 to 2019, and returned in 2022. He also starred in the spin-off show Redwater in 2017.

In 2020, Shane Richie was a contestant on the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here and finished in fourth place. He has also hosted several BBC game shows, including Reflex, Win Your Wish List, and Decimate.

Shane Richie often performs in pantomime, which are fun musical plays, especially around Christmas. He has played the role of Robin Hood many times. He first took on this role in 2016 in Southampton and has played it in other cities since then. In 2019, he starred as Dick Whittington in a pantomime in Bristol.

Early Life and First Jobs

Shane Richie was born on 11 March 1964 in Kensington, London. His parents were from Ireland. He went to Willesden High School and was part of a youth theatre group when he was a child.

He started his professional career as a "bluecoat entertainer" at a Pontins holiday camp on the Isle of Wight. This job involved entertaining guests. Later, he became a stand-up comedian and was even nominated for an award for best new stand-up comedian.

In 1989, Shane Richie appeared on a TV chat show called Jameson Tonight for Sky TV. In 1990, he was one of the comedians on the BBC One sketch show Up to Something!.

Becoming a TV Host

Shane Richie became a TV host after successfully presenting the children's quiz show Run the Risk. This show was part of the BBC Saturday morning program Going Live!.

He then started hosting other popular shows like Caught in the Act, Win, Lose or Draw, The Shane Richie Experience, and Lucky Numbers. He also appeared in TV adverts for Daz detergent.

Career Highlights

Musicals and Music

Shane Richie has performed in many musicals. He appeared in Boogie Nights and a London show of Grease in 1993.

He also released two music albums, The Album in 1997 and Once Around the Sun in 2000. In 2003, he had a number 2 hit song in the UK Singles Chart with his cover of Wham!'s "I'm Your Man" for Children in Need.

In 2005, he toured in the musical Scrooge. In 2009, he was supposed to be the opening act for Michael Jackson's concerts, but the concerts were cancelled after Jackson's passing.

Shane Richie has continued to star in pantomimes, playing characters like Aladdin and Cinderella's Buttons. In 2017, he released a country music album called A Country Soul. Some of the songs on this album were co-written by his son, Jake Roche.

Television Roles

In 1990, Shane Richie was a regular co-host on the early Sky One talk show "Jameson Tonight." He also hosted game shows like Lucky Numbers starting in 1995.

From 2002 to 2003, he played Danny Dexter in the show Night and Day. He also had roles in British films like Dead Clean and Distant Shadow. In 2003, he was an executive producer for the film Shoreditch, where he also acted.

In 2007, Shane Richie appeared in the ITV drama The Good Samaritan and Father Frank for BBC One. He also had a role in the second series of Skins on Channel 4.

In 2008, he hosted the quiz show Don't Forget the Lyrics! on Sky One. He also filled in as a guest host for The Paul O'Grady Show.

In 2009, Shane Richie starred in a new version of the series Minder on Channel 5. He played Archie Daley, the nephew of a character from the original show.

In 2011, he hosted a special Christmas episode of Jim'll Fix It. From 2014 to 2016, he presented the game shows Reflex and The National Lottery: Win Your Wish List for BBC One. He has also been a guest host on The One Show.

In 2015, he appeared in an episode of Benidorm. In 2019, he filmed Caravanning With Shane Richie for Channel 5. In November 2020, he joined I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! as a contestant.

Starring in EastEnders

In 2002, Shane Richie joined the cast of EastEnders as Alfie Moon. Alfie was a funny character who brought a lot of humor to the show. This role earned him many awards, including Best Male European Actor at the Rose d'Or festival and Most Popular Actor at the National Television Awards in 2005. He and his co-star Jessie Wallace left the show on Christmas Day in 2005.

Shane Richie often said he would love to return to EastEnders. On 23 July 2009, he announced on The One Show that Alfie Moon would be back. He made his on-screen return on 21 September 2010, after being away for almost five years.

Besides acting in EastEnders, Shane Richie also narrated three episodes of the documentary series EastEnders Revealed. These shows went behind the scenes to explore characters and storylines.

In 2015, it was announced that Shane Richie would star with Jessie Wallace in a six-part BBC One drama series called Redwater. In this spin-off, Kat and Alfie Moon traveled to Ireland. Shane Richie said he was very excited about the show.

He briefly returned to EastEnders in 2018, leaving again in early 2019. In July 2022, it was announced that he would return to play Alfie Moon once more in the autumn.

Film Roles

In 2003, Shane Richie produced and starred in the film Shoreditch. In 2006, he voiced a rat named Sid in the Aardman Animation film Flushed Away. He also performed in the UK stage tour of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Stage Performances

In July 2015, it was announced that Shane Richie would star alongside his EastEnders co-star Jessie Wallace in The Perfect Murder on stage in 2016.

Since 2016, he has regularly appeared in pantomimes as Robin Hood. In 2019, Shane Richie starred in the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre in London. He played the character Hugo Battersby, also known as Loco Chanelle. He then continued this role for the UK tour from 2020 to 2022.

Personal Life

Shane Richie married Coleen Nolan in 1990. They had two sons, Shane Roche Jr. (born 1988) and Jake Roche (born 1992). They divorced in 1999. Shane Richie has three more children with his current wife, Christie Goddard.

In 2003, Shane Richie released his autobiography called Rags to Richie. In the book, he shared some of his life experiences, including a time when he faced difficulties and was without a permanent home. He said this experience had a lasting effect on him.

Charity Work

Shane Richie supports several charities. He is a patron of Shinfield Players Theatre, a small amateur theatre in Reading. He took on this role in 2007.

He is also a patron of the UK's Huntington's Disease Association, which helps people with Huntington's disease. Additionally, he supports Cherry Trees, a charity that provides care for children with disabilities.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

• 1997 – The Album
• 2000 – Once Around the Sun
• 2017 – A Country Soul

See also

In Spanish: Shane Richie para niños