Eastenders General News Thread

EastEnders favourite Shane Richie is to appear in pantomime this Christmas, starring in a production of Aladdin in Essex.

The actor, best known for his role as Walford's Alfie Moon, will take to the stage at the Cliffs Pavilion Theatre in December, leading the cast of the production.

According to the Essex Echo, the show will run from Saturday, December 10 until Saturday, December 31.

It is thought that the pantomime is not running into January due to Richie's filming commitments with EastEnders.

Richie's Albert Square character is currently playing a central role on screen as EastEnders continues to explore the aftermath of the soap's baby swap storyline following Ronnie Branning's confession about her desperate act.

John Partridge, who plays Christian Clarke on the show, is also doing a stint in panto this year - starring as Prince Charming in a production of Cinderella at The Marlowe Theatre in Kent.

Scott Maslen has appeared on the front of Angler's Mail after catching a giant carp in Gran Canaria.

The EastEnders actor is pictured holding the 35lb fish, which he caught while on holiday from the soap.

Speaking to the publication, Maslen, who plays Jack Branning in EastEnders, said: "It's the best fishing holiday I've ever had.

"It's always been a dream of mine to be on the front of my favourite fishing magazine - I've read it since I was a schoolboy."

The magazine's editor Tim Knight told the Daily Mail: "Not a lot of people know that one of Scott's very first jobs, when he was a youngster, was working in a tackle shop - getting his hands dirty and smelly with all the maggots and baits. That's a far cry from being soap land's sexiest male!

"Scott's not lazy with his fishing and it doesn't appear like it's all about relaxing for him. He's done well when he's entered some physically and mentally demanding events, like the British Carp Angling Championships and America's 72-hour St Lawrence River Challenge."

Maslen has previously been chosen for both sexiest male and sexiest vegetarian awards, but says that he would much rather gain recognition for his work as an actor.

DS

EASTENDERS is “too white” and fails to reflect real London life, according to a top BBC boss.

Head of Drama John Yorke said Eastenders does not accurately portray the mix of ethnic minorities in the capital.

And he said the show “may be significantly white compared with the real East End”.

He also added the show was not a realistic portrayal of working-class life.

He added: “Real life changes more quickly than representations of it on television.”

But he insisted the show now had more Asian characters than it once did, such as postman Masood Ahmed, played by Nitin Ganatra, 43, and GP Yusef Khan, played by Ace Bhatti, 39.

Black characters – including shopkeeper Patrick Trueman, played by Rudolph Walker, 71, and working mum Denise Johnson (actress Diane Parish, 41) – have featured for a number of years.

And in February 2009 the BBC broadcast an all-black episode of EastEnders which featured no white characters for the first time in the show’s 25-year history.

Mr Yorke said: “It’s considerably more multicultural than it was even five years ago and is easily the most multicultural show on telly now.

“Soaps reach a point where they have a really big decision to make; do they stay true to the original vision or do they adapt to a changing world? My feeling is that the truth lies somewhere in between.”

Coronation Street executive producer Kieran Roberts said the ITV1 soap had the right racial mix.

He said: “The ethnic mix is something we’re always conscious of. Statistically, we’re probably getting it about right.”

Daily Star

EastEnders star Jessie Wallace has finally revealed the identity of her new fiancé.

Wallace, who won 'Best Actress' at last night's British Soap Awards for her role as Kat Moon, is engaged to 49-year-old Vincent Morse, who runs a film catering firm.

Yesterday, she dedicated her award to "my wonderful husband-to-be", adding: "He's the love of my life, I've never been this happy with a man before. He's *absolutely wonderful."

A friend told the Sunday Mirror: "Vincent's great looking and he's completely at ease with her because he meets so many celebrities."

News of her engagement broke last month, with a source saying:

"Jessie really couldn't be happier or more settled at the moment. She made a few mistakes the first time around and was *determined not to do the same when she went back [to EastEnders].

"Jessie has never quite made it up the aisle but she's turning 40 later this year and it's something she'd like to do. She is *determined not to let anything spoil what she has with her latest man. She's decided to keep him all to herself. She has no intention of bringing him into the limelight."

Shane Richie was among the EastEnders stars who showed their support for colleague Rudolph Walker's awards ceremony celebrating young theatrical talent.

The Sun reports that Richie, who plays Queen Vic landlord Alfie Moon, was joined by Kate Williams (Liz Turner) and Ellen Thomas (Grace Olubunmi) at the event.

The Rudolph Walker School's Drama Awards were first launched in the 1970s but were re-established on Sunday, May 22, and Walker, who is also known as 'Enders veteran Patrick Trueman, applauded the youngsters that performed.

"I have been blown away by the talent I have seen on stage here today," he said in a speech.

"They have left me almost speechless. Let's send a powerful and positive message out there about London's young people instead of all this negativity."

Walker added: "With your support the youngsters here today could be lawyers, doctors or even Prime Minister one day."

Earlier this month, EastEnders was named 'Best Soap' at this year's British Soap Awards.

The BBC is reportedly considering moving the set of EastEnders to the MediaCityUK complex on Salford Quays, near Manchester.

The soap could relocate to the site when its current contract with Elstree Studios runs out in 2014, the Daily Star Sunday reports.

"A move from Elstree has been under consideration for some time now," a source said. "With the resources and technology available at the MediaCity site it could be a possibility.

"There's a huge buzz about MediaCity and all the big shows like BBC Breakfast, BBC Sport and CBeebies relocating. To move EastEnders would be incredible, considering the facilities on offer."

The move would see the show being produced in the same place as Coronation Street, which is relocating to the Salford Quays complex.

The source added: "Whether EastEnders is made there or not, it's going to become harder to keep scripts quiet. All those BBC staff are bound to mingle with production workers from Coronation Street."

Bosses are said to "love" the thought of producing a southern soap in the North.

Television bosses have denied that the set of EastEnders will be moving from Borehamwood to the MediaCityUK complex on Salford Quays near Manchester.

The BBC has released a statement following rumours that the soap may be changing its location in favour of better resources.

The statement confirmed: "There are currently no plans to move EastEnders to Salford."

Earlier this week, the Daily Star Sunday suggested that the show might be relocating when its long-term contract at Elstree Studios expires in 2015.

A source had alleged: "A move from Elstree has been under consideration for some time now. With the resources and technology available at the MediaCity site it could be a possibility.

"There's a huge buzz about MediaCity and all the big shows like BBC Breakfast, BBC Sport and CBeebies relocating. To move EastEnders would be incredible, considering the facilities on offer."

EastEnders star Laurie Brett has confirmed that she is overjoyed following the arrival of her first child.

The actress, who plays Jane Beale on the Walford soap, recently gave birth to a baby girl named Erin Anne Millie Brett in a private London hospital.

Brett has now spoken publicly about being a new mum in an interview with Hello magazine, revealing that she and partner Johnny Milroy are "ecstatic" over the new arrival.

The 42-year-old also confessed that she found herself listening to Milroy's favourite Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet songs throughout the birth as she was keen to hear music but forgot to bring her own iPod to the hospital with her.

She told the magazine: "I think that's why I was so calm, because I was lying there thinking, 'What is that?'"

Brett also confirmed that it was her boyfriend's idea for Erin to take her surname rather than his.

"I was not fussed, but Johnny said, 'I think Erin Brett is such a strong name'," she explained.

Brett is currently on maternity leave, so viewers recently saw Jane depart Walford following her split from husband Ian.

Congratulations to them :cheer:

glad to hear that she's had her first child :d such a gorgeous name too.

BBC One controller Danny Cohen has claimed that EastEnders' Dot Branning (June Brown) is a Christian role model.

Cohen said that the chain-smoker, who is better known as Dot Cotton before she re-married, is an example of a Christian living out her faith in a "day to day way".

The BBC One boss made the remarks after being challenged to provide instances of ordinary believers on television who were not "freaks, geeks or antiques".

Cohen told delegates attending this year's Church and Media conference on Tuesday: "She is a single example of someone who lives out her faith on television in a charitable way."

However, the controller's case study did not go down well with some faith leaders and broadcasters.

Afterwards the Rev Hayley Matthews, chaplain for MediaCity UK, the new Salford base for BBC North, said: "I don't think Dot Cotton is very representative of Christians. I think a lot of people would be offended by that."

Matthew Adcock, from the London School of Theology, commented that although Cotton was portrayed as a Christian she did not represent the country's "growing younger demographic".