EastEnders‘ Shane Richie is reportedly set to take to take a break from playing Alfie Moon in the soap after landing a role worlds away from Albert Square.
The actor, 61, who has played the iconic character on and off since 2002, will be leading the cast of Theatre Royal Plymouth’s Christmas pantomime Dick Whittington this Christmas.
Shane will be joined in the cast by musical theatre stars Anne Smith and Emily Beth Harrington with the show running from December 12 until January 10.
This means that he will have to take a short break from filming the BBC soap due to his theatre commitments, however his absence will mostly be covered by the cast’s festive break.
A source told The Sun: ‘Shane will be taking a short break from the soap but it won’t affect Alfie’s time on screen.’
Daily Mail have contacted BBC for comment.
EastEnders ‘ Shane Richie is reportedly set to take to take a break from playing Alfie Moon in the soap after landing a leading role worlds away from Albert Square
The actor who has played the iconic character on and off since 2002, will be leading the cast of Theatre Royal Plymouth’s Christmas pantomime Dick Whittington (pictured in the soap)
It comes after Shane’s co-star Balvinder Sopal revealed she had already obtained an injury after just two days of Strictly rehearsals as she admitted the show is the hardest she has ever worked.
The actress, best known for her role as Suki Panesar, was rushed to see the show’s medical team after suffering a thigh injury during training.
With just days until this year’s Strictly officially kicks off, the star took to her Instagram to share how she heard ‘something pop’ while practising a routine.
Taking to her Instagram Story she told fans: ‘So it’s the second day of training and I’m at physio. Something popped and I’m here to find out what exactly.’
Reassuring her followers she continued: ‘I’m fine, everything is ok, I can still walk, I can still move.
‘But my left glute and hip is feeling a little tight and uneasy so I’m going to get someone to look at it.’
Balvinder went on to praise the professional dancers as she confessed: ‘I can’t tell you this is the hardest I have ever worked. The pros are incredible, superhuman, literal gods, honestly.
‘The way they move, the way they teach you, it’s just brilliant and I’m loving every single second of it.’
Shane will be joined in the cast by musical theatre stars Anne Smith and Emily Beth Harrington with the show running from December 12 until January 10
This means that he will have to take a short break from filming the BBC soap due to his theatre commitments, however his absence will mostly be covered by the cast’s Christmas break
Balvinder later returned to training after seeing the physios as she shared a snap of herself during training.
She penned: ‘All good. Day three training done! Hip/glute all good – just tight. Thank you for all your messages of love and support. We kept dancing.’
Meanwhile fellow contestant Vicky Pattison revealed her brutal injuries from her gruelling training sessions.
Giving her fans a glimpse of the reality behind the glitzy BBC competition, she shared an album of pictures to Instagram, featuring gruesome images of her feet torn to pieces.
In her latest episode of her podcast, Get A Grip Vicky told her co-host Angela Scanlon, who also appeared on the competition in 2023, that she didn’t expect her injuries to come so soon.
‘The rate I went from having perfectly normal feet to absolutely butchered dancer’s feet, just happened overnight’, she explained.
‘It can happen in a good 30 seconds if you are having a good rub at the cha cha.’
It comes after co-star Balvinder Sopal revealed she has already obtained an injury after just two days of Strictly rehearsals as she admitted the show is the hardest she has ever worked
Meanwhile last year’s champions, professional dancer Dianne Buswell and comedian Chris McCausland will reprise their unforgettable waltz in Saturday’s launch episode.
The dance will be performed between the announcements of the 15 new couples for this series of Strictly, which will air on BBC One and iPlayer from 6:40pm.
The partner reveals, filmed in a series of surprise-filled sequences, promise plenty of heartwarming reactions and Strictly sparkle.
Chris, 48, and Dianne, 36, won the BAFTA TV Memorable Moment Award earlier this year for the waltz, performed to You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Voted for by the UK public, the waltz captivated audiences during the semi-final of Strictly in 2024, ahead of Chris’ series win.
The episode will also include dazzling group numbers from Strictly’s professional stars, with the new celebrity contestants making their dancefloor debut.
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