Shane Richie teases another huge EastEnders comeback after it's confirmed Michelle Ryan will return as Zoe
over the moon Shane Richie teases another huge EastEnders comeback after it's confirmed Michelle Ryan will return as Zoe
SHANE Richie has hinted about another EastEnders star's comeback after it was revealed Michelle Ryan is returning as Zoe Slater.
The soap legend opened up about the new executive producer Ben Wadey's plans as he takes over the role from Chris Clenshaw.
2
Kat and Alfie Moon with Alfie's brother Spencer
Credit: BBC
2
The retired actor is in demand for a comeback
Credit: BBC
In the week that the BBC soap won a total of eight gongs for its 40th anniversary episodes, actor Shane teased "fireworks" and the potential for Spencer Moon to return.
He told the Mirror: "Chris has told me some things. I said 'let me sit down'.
"There's fireworks, there's Kat and Alfie. There is a story that is about to kick in, which will carry on through to after Christmas. Honestly it's a big story.
"If you thought the 40th was big wait until you see this story. That's all I'm saying."
Talking about the potential for his on-screen brother to rejoin the soap, Shane said: "I would like him to come back.
"One of my sons keeps in touch with Christopher [Parker], but he's a lawyer now.
"He flies between LA and London. I would love to think that one day they might bring back Spencer, but so much is going on at the moment. Alfie could probably do without that."
Christopher played Spencer Moon between 2002 and 2005 before he quit acting for good and started working as a lawyer.
The Sun revealed actress Michelle, 41, is back on Albert Square later this year - two decades after quitting the soap.
Michelle starred on the soap from 2000 to 2005, before moving to Hollywood after landing the lead role in a series called Bionic Woman.
EastEnders' Shane Richie reveals new trauma for Alfie Moon amid prostate cancer storyline
A source said: 'Bosses have repeatedly reached out to Michelle over the years, but the timing has never been quite right.
'People are still talking about her character, so it's a real coup to bring her back.
'She feels like now is the perfect moment — and there was an exciting script on the table.'
EastEnders was awarded Best Soap after its huge live episode and anniversary week which saw Anita Dobson return as Angie Watts and Martin Fowler killed off in the arms of his love, Stacey.
Actress Lacey Turner received the trophy for Best Leading Performer ahead of her impending exit from the show.
The 40th anniversary also managed to clutch the Scene of the Year thanks to Angie's shock return.
Steve McFadden a won a trophy for Best Dramatic Performance as Phil Mitchell, but did not attend the ceremony with Angela Wynter and Rudolph Walker also receiving prizes as Patrick and Yolande for the Best On-Screen Partnership award.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
16 minutes ago
- STV News
BBC drops Ozzy Osbourne documentary from schedule with new date to be announced
The BBC has dropped its Ozzy Osbourne documentary from Monday's schedule with a new air date to be announced. Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home was due to be shown on BBC One at 9pm but has now been replaced with an episode of Fake Or Fortune?, with no reason given for the change in schedule. A BBC spokesperson said: 'The film has moved in the schedules and we'll confirm new TX (transmission) details in due course.' The hour-long documentary will show the late Black Sabbath frontman reuniting with the band on stage as part of The Back To The Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham, where he died just weeks after, aged 76, on July 22 from a reported heart attack. The film was originally conceived as a series, announced in 2022 and called Home To Roost, and was to document Osbourne and his wife Sharon's move back from the US, where they had lived for more than two decades, to rural Buckinghamshire. But the project 'evolved as Ozzy's health deteriorated' into the one-hour film, the BBC said. The BBC says the documentary sees the story of the concert told through 'unique and intimate access to the whole Osbourne family', including Sharon, and their children, Kelly and Jack. It was filmed over three years and 'captures the extraordinary rollercoaster of their lives' as the famous couple 'attempt to complete their long-held dream of moving back to the UK', the BBC has said. Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home also captures the musician as he 'heroically battles to get fit enough to perform' and the family dealing with 'the dramatic consequences of his ill health', with Kelly quoted as saying in the film: 'Iron Man wasn't really made of iron.' The rocker had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. Last month, fans gathered alongside Osbourne's family to pay tribute to the star as a funeral cortege travelled through Birmingham. Sharon and the couple's children could be seen wiping away tears when they arrived at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers were left. Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse as it passed slowly through the city. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners' World tragedies from Monty Don's 'terrible illness' and co-star's cancer diagnosis
Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has been the face of the BBC gardening show since 2003, and in recent years he has opened up about several heartbreaking health issues Gardeners' World is fronted by 70-year-old horticultural expert Monty Don, who has been the beloved face of the cherished BBC show since 2003 following Alan Titchmarsh's departure. Whilst the plant aficionado and dog lover routinely shares updates about life's finer aspects, including cultivating flora and produce, numerous personal hardships have affected the presenter in recent times. Monty became the lead presenter in the early 2000s and, after a brief break due to illness, returned in 2011. He presents from his own garden, Longmeadow, which has become beloved by viewers. Since shooting to fame, Monty has faced several health issues which have completely changed his life. It comes after Monty fired back at BBC viewers who complained one thing is 'spoiling' Gardeners' World. Dreadful ailment This summer saw Monty provide an update after being struck down by a "terrible" illness twice, prompting supportive messages from his devoted audience. In 2023, he contracted COVID, informing his social media followers: "That would explain why I have felt terrible for the past couple of days." This represented the second occasion Monty had contracted the virus, having previously been bedridden for four days, when he informed fans: "Boy, doesn't it knock you sideways - utterly exhausting." Auditory problems Whilst holidaying in Greece with companions this year, he realised his sense of smell wasn't matching that of his mates. He also revealed that his wife Sarah's sense of smell had been "dramatically affected" since the Coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on the Gardeners' World Magazine podcast, he revealed: "Perfume is almost lost on me, occasionally my wife has said, 'Which perfume do you prefer?' and they're both exactly the same to me, or the difference is so small that's it's not interesting. So clearly that's a lack, but there's nothing I can do about it." Heartfelt goodbye Earlier this year, Monty received an outpouring of support when he said a heartfelt goodbye to a "dear friend." He shared the sad news of his companion's passing on Instagram, penning a touching tribute. Previously, Monty spoke about how gardening can provide solace during times of grief in a chat on BBC Radio Four. He noted: "One of the things that has always moved me, and this has often been said by people who are grieving, is that the rhythm of the seasons is a huge comforter. In the bleakest midwinter, you trust that spring will come, that the blossom will appear." Cancer diagnosis More recently, a Gardeners' World contributor named Steve revealed his devastating terminal cancer diagnosis on the show alongside his wife, Pippa. Viewers were brought to tears as Steve explained it could be "two months or two years, possibly" before he passes away. Despite this, his positive attitude remains unbroken, and Steve sees his cancer as a "new challenge" during the poignant episode which aired earlier this month.
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Blankety Blank player misses out on jackpot as he's bested by mind-boggling riddle - but can YOU solve it?
A Blankety Blank player missed out on the jackpot after being bested by mind-boggling riddle - but can you work it out? The popular BBC game show, which is hosted by Bradley Walsh, has gripped viewers with its word association brain teasers over the years. But as one player, David, was given the word 'Down', followed by a blank, they narrowly missed out. With the help from three celebrities help, David was challenged to match their common phrases. Nish Kumar, offered up the word 'hill' to make 'Downhill', Shane Richie suggested 'town' to make 'Downtown'. For the final suggestions, Lesley Joseph recommended the word 'stairs' to form the word 'downstairs'. But David revealed to host Bradley that he was considering 'under' as his choice to make 'Down under'. After he locked in his own answer, it was revealed 'under' was the third most popular answer - for £500. The second most popular answer was Lesley's suggestion, 'stairs', which would have bagged him £750. Meanwhile, coming out on top was 'town' which was Shane's choice and have got David a home decorating package. The long running show sees two contestants match the answers to as many of the six celebrity panellists on fill-in-the-blank statements in order to win 'unique' prizes. The Chase presenter, 63, who took over for the most recent comeback in 2021, will has returned for a fourth and fifth series. Terry Wogan and then Les Dawson previously hosted the show from 1979 until 1990 before the programme was briefly revived by Paul O'Grady as his drag alter-ego Lily Savage in 2001. Some of the most recent celebrity contestants to take part in the series include Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse, This Morning stars Eamonn Holmes, Josie Gibson, and Alison Hammond and Loose Women panellist Judi Love. Earlier this year, Naga Munchetty made her first appearance on Blankety Blank amid the BBC Breakfast bullying probe. The news presenter featured on the show alongside other guests which included Great British Bake Off star Sue Perkins, This Morning's Dermot O'Leary, Iain Stirling, Paralympian Ellie Simmonds and Layton Williams. However, many viewers were focused on Naga, as her Blankety Blank debut came as she found herself reportedly accused of bullying a member of staff, according to The Sun, and allegedly was spoken to by bosses over a sex jibe she made while off-air at BBC Radio 5 Live. BBC Breakfast was also reportedly undergoing a bullying probe which was launched into BBC Breakfast, with much of the upset centred around its editor Richard Frediani. Watchers took to social media to share their thoughts and one posted on X: 'Naga Munchetty on Blankety Blank after the headlines she's been making someone at the bbc will get fired for that #bbc #blanketyblank.' Someone else added: 'Naga hasn't been cancelled yet then #blanketyblank.' 'Bad timing to feature Naga #BlanketyBlank,' one viewer said, followed by a laughing face emoji.
