Kat Slater & Alfie Moon

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Shane Richie has said that he wants his character Alfie Moon to stay faithful to wife Kat.

Alfie has been tipped to face temptation in the coming weeks, as lonely Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) realises that she's falling in love with him.

The pair are currently working together at the Queen Vic while Kat (Jessie Wallace) is away looking after her dad Charlie, who has suffered a stroke.

However, Richie told All About Soap: "As far as Alfie's concerned, he's a happily married man. He can see that Roxy is flirting with him, but he just thinks she's being friendly. They've got a great friendship and enjoy some good banter together, but Alfie banters with half of Albert Square."

Asked whether Alfie is capable of being unfaithful, the actor replied: "I hope not. Alfie's got very strong morals and I'd like to keep it that way. He has no idea that he's sending out these signs to Roxy, and there's going to be a lot of confusion between them over the next few weeks.

"There's undeniable chemistry between Alfie and Roxy, but at the end of the day, he's still married to Kat and he loves her to bits. Plus, I'm not sure whether Alfie would want to have a relationship with Roxy - she's got a lot of baggage."

Richie added that there are stories lined up for Kat once she returns to Albert Square.

He said: "I know people love the Kat and Alfie relationship, and when she's back, it'll be full steam ahead on their storyline. But I think Roxy will be in the mix there somewhere."

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Shane Richie has revealed that fans can expect a friendship to develop between his character Alfie Moon and Walford villain Derek Branning.

The actor hinted that Derek could show a more vulnerable side as he gets to know Alfie better in the coming weeks.

Richie told Inside Soap: "We're actually going to see a wonderful relationship developing between them. Derek's set to confide in Alfie because he trusts him - even if he never actually says it.

"Alfie will be like a surrogate best mate. Derek seems to be the kind of bloke who doesn't need any pals, but he likes Alfie."

Richie said that it will be interesting to see whether Derek proves to be a bad influence on Alfie.

"Alfie would never allow anyone to get physically hurt," he explained. "He'd never rob from somebody he didn't think deserved it. Alfie would be quite happy to take from bankers and the like, but he'd never rip off his neighbour.

"Having said that, Derek did serve time and he's taking Alfie down the dark road he's never travelled before. We'll have to wait and see what happens."

Jamie Foreman, who plays Derek, recently promised that the shady businessman will be nicer in upcoming storylines.

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Rita Simons has admitted that she doesn't want her character Roxy Mitchell to have an affair with Alfie Moon for the time being.

Roxy has developed strong feelings for Alfie (Shane Richie) in recent weeks as they have been working closely together at the Queen Vic.

Next week's episodes see Roxy tell Alfie that she's in love with him, leaving viewers to wonder whether the pub boss will stay faithful to wife Kat.

Simons told All About Soap of the aftermath: "Roxy knows it can't happen, but she can't help being in love with him. She leaves The Vic and says she just can't work there any longer. She just decides she has to leave because he goes on and on about Kat. It's too much for her."

Asked whether she wants Alfie and Roxy to have a full-blown affair, the actress replied: "At this point, no, I don't. It's much nicer as a slow-burning thing - you get to play stuff with more depth as you've had time to live with it. Then the audience will hopefully invest a bit more into each part of the storyline."

Simons predicted that there would be fireworks in Walford if Kat learned of Roxy's feelings. The feisty landlady is currently away looking after her father Charlie, who suffered a stroke.

"I imagine it would be the cat fight of the year on Albert Square," Simons said. "I am sure it will happen eventually, but I really don't know when that will be. So just watch this space."

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Jessie Wallace will return to work later this week.

The actress, who plays Kat Moon in the BBC One soap, took a three-month break earlier in the year after she cancelled her wedding to Vince Morse.

Bosses gave her the time off to get over her split. Friends have now told the Sunday Mail that she is feeling "100 per cent" better and is looking forward to her return.

"Jessie has had an *incredibly tough time but the break has done her the world of good," a source said.

Her temporary exit saw emergency script rewrites involving Kat going to care for her sick father Charlie.

Kat will be back on screen in about six weeks.

[alan45]

EastEnders star Shane Richie has expressed his excitement over future storylines for Alfie and Kat Moon.

Kat has been away from Albert Square in recent months as she is looking after her dad Charlie, who suffered a stroke. In real life, Jessie Wallace - who plays Kat - has been on a break from the BBC soap.

EastEnders fans have seen Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) develop feelings for Alfie in Kat's absence, leading to speculation that there could be an infidelity storyline ahead.

Richie, speaking on The One Show, commented: "It's such a pleasure working with Rita. It's interesting about some of the publications - the ones that are interested in soaps - how they've said Alfie is going to go off with Roxy. But as soon as Alfie does that, he loses the moral high ground.

"But I had a meeting today, funnily enough, about future storylines - and they're going to be incredible. Because Jessie's back at work now after having a little break.

"I can only say, stuff that happened last year is nothing compared to what's going to happen over the next 12 months. It's going to be incredible."

Richie explained that he has adopted a different attitude towards EastEnders since returning to the programme in late 2010.

He said: "I genuinely do love it. I look forward to going to work, and probably more so because I had a long break from the show for five years. I did a few gameshows, I did some other dramas, I did some theatre.

"But coming back now, I've come back with a different attitude. I've got a young family, so I don't take it home with me and I don't take it as seriously.

"Because when I was first in the show, the whole Alfie thing blew up and it was incredible. It was wonderful to be part of that bubble, but after a while you step out of it and you see it for what it is. Now I'm a jobbing actor, that's what I do and that's how I pay the bills."

[Perdita]

EastEnders actress Rita Simons has said that she doesn't yet know whether she will be sharing screen kisses with co-star Shane Richie.

The pair's characters Roxy Mitchell and Alfie Moon have become close friends on screen, but Roxy is harbouring stronger feelings.

Jessie Wallace recently returned to filming as Alfie's wife Kat following a break, but Simons told PA that she is still unsure of where the story is heading in the long term.

Simons commented: "It's been lovely to work with Shane, he's a great actor.

"We haven't had a kissing scene yet, I don't know if we will. He's a very generous actor."

The 35-year-old also voiced her support for EastEnders' new boss Lorraine Newman, who recently took over from Bryan Kirkwood.

She said: "I haven't been at EastEnders under the reign of a female yet, so it'll be interesting to see what different choices she makes. I think she's going to do a sterling job."

Simons and Richie have both previously said that they do not want a full-blown affair for Roxy and Alfie.

[Perdita]

The latest EastEnders spoiler teasers are out for the week commencing Monday, June 5 and they confirm Kat Moon's return date.

Kat arrives back on Albert Square on Thursday, June 7. As we've previously reported, Alfie pays a visit to his wife next week and when he returns home a fortnight later, it's with Kat in tow.

The spoilers show that Kat arrives back shortly after Jean has realised that Michael has conned her, meaning that the pub landlady is likely to be at the centre of drama again from the outset.

Kat will also make it clear to a disheartened Roxy that her days living at The Vic are over!

Final schedules won't be confirmed until next week, but it looks like there'll also be a different transmission pattern that week, with no episode on Monday but an hour-long edition slotted in on Wednesday, June 7 at 7.30pm.

To see the early schedule and latest teasers in full, head over to the spoilers section.

[Perdita]

EastEnders character Roxy Mitchell will apparently confess her feelings for Alfie Moon to Kat.

Kat, played by Jessie Wallace, arrives back in Albert Square on Thursday, June 7.

Viewers will see Roxy (Rita Simons) admit her crush and tell Kat how Alfie (Shane Richie) rejected her, the Daily Star Sunday reports.

Kat will make it clear to Roxy that she is no longer welcome to live or work at The Queen Vic.

"Everyone has been eagerly awaiting Kat's return to Albert Square and it doesn't disappoint," a source told the paper.

"Roxy confesses all in a bid to stay on friendly terms with Kat and Alfie. He then decides the best distraction would be to set up a football team."

Scott Maslen (Jack Branning), John Partridge (Christian Clarke) and Tameka Empson (Kim Fox) were spotted filming the special football scenes on location yesterday.

[alan45]

EastEnders fans see Kat Moon return home to a worrying situation at the Queen Vic next week.

Kat, played by Jessie Wallace, arrives back in Walford after Roxy Mitchell makes a phone call to Alfie - admitting that Jean Slater has taken a turn for the worse and she can't cope with the situation alone.

Roxy's anxieties come as Albert Square's residents begin to fear that Jean (Gillian Wright) is unwell again - all fooled by Michael Moon's attempts to cover up the fact that he has conned her.

The blonde isn't expecting Kat to return alongside Alfie, so it's an unwelcome surprise for her when they both turn up at the pub following her call.

Kat's immediate concern is for Jean's welfare when she finds her lying alone in an empty bath, distraught by Michael's twisted attempts to deny all knowledge of their financial arrangement.


© BBC


As the Moons settle back in and hear what's been going on in their absence, Alfie believes Michael when the schemer insists that the missing money at the pub is nothing to do with him.

However, when Kat hears Jean's story herself, she believes every word - knowing how scheming Michael can be.


© BBC



© BBC


Refusing to take any nonsense from Michael, a livid Kat storms straight round to the boxing gym and demands that he pays the money back.

When Michael turns on the charm with Kat by protesting his innocence, will she believe him or continue to back Jean?

EastEnders airs these scenes on Thursday, June 7 and Friday, June 8 on BBC One.

[alan45]

EastEnders bosses have announced that Kat Moon will be embarking on an affair with a mystery lover this summer, building up to more explosive drama in her marriage to Alfie.

For the official details of the storyline, which is set to run until the autumn, check out the main story in the news section.

Here, though, Soap Scoop takes a look at the five suspects who have been named by EastEnders chiefs. Which of them will tempt Kat to cheat in the coming months?



RAY DIXON
Ray had a previous relationship with Bianca Butcher years ago and has recently begun dating Kim Fox. The pair seem happy together, but Kim's struggles to bond with Ray's daughter Sasha have also caused some problems between them.

Ray has so far appeared to be a decent family guy, so may not be the top suspect among EastEnders fans. However, viewers have also seen that he is an expert at flirty banter, while his job as a chef at The Vic would make him perfectly placed for a secret fling with Kat.

Would Ray risk things with Kim, not to mention his position at The Vic, by pursuing the pub landlady?



MICHAEL MOON
Michael is due to marry Janine Butcher later this month, and the couple are currently expecting a child together. Although Michael and Janine's similar natures have made them a good match, it's never been quite clear whether there is a genuine love between them or if Michael is more interested in his fiancée's fortune.

Michael and Kat have already had a previous fling, which led to Kat falling pregnant with Tommy Moon. While Michael has nothing to do with his son, it's possible that he still carries a torch for Kat.

With Michael and Kat set for a showdown over Jean in the coming days, it'd be a surprise if their tension turned to passion - especially as Kat knows how scheming he can be. But could Michael turn out to be the secret lover after all in a shock twist?



MAX BRANNING
Max is currently living with his ex-wife Tanya and their three children. Viewers will know that Max has a history of affairs and recently struggled to resist temptation when Roxy Mitchell took an interest in him.

Max currently seems happy now that he's back with Tanya, but they have also struggled to get things in the bedroom back to normal in the aftermath of Tanya's battle against cervical cancer.

Show bosses have also promised a huge year for the Brannings, and it's known that Jo Joyner - who plays Tanya - will be taking a break from the soap in 2013. Could the fallout from a Max and Kat affair lead to her temporary exit?



DEREK BRANNING
As the baddest Branning brother, it's unlikely that Derek would have any qualms about embarking on an affair with Kat, despite the fact that he and Alfie struck up an unlikely friendship earlier this year.

Since returning to Walford last autumn, Derek hasn't had a serious relationship, so perhaps EastEnders chiefs have decided that it's time he had some romance.

Kat has never been afraid of living dangerously, so could she turn to bad boy Derek to put some spark back into her life?



JACK BRANNING
Jack has been single for some time in the aftermath of his divorce from Ronnie, so the Walford businessman is another character who may be ready for a new relationship.

Kat and Jack have always got on well, especially as Kat was so sympathetic to Jack when the truth about the tragic baby swap came out last year.

Jack has a reputation as one of Albert Square's biggest womanisers thanks to his past antics, so viewers may suspect that he'd be well up for a steamy fling with Kat. Will she be his next love interest?



SOMEONE ELSE?
EastEnders have named Ray, Michael, Max, Derek and Jack as the main suspects, but they've also said that there will be "at least" five men in the frame - so could there be a further twist?

As we saw with Coronation Street's Frank Foster death mystery earlier this year, the culprit isn't always on the suspect list, so we wouldn't rule out an outsider. Would anyone else in Walford catch Kat's eye?