BBC EastEnders icons Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie to take ‘break’ from soap following Michelle Ryan exit news
Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie will both be stepping away from EastEnders later this year.
The beloved soap duo, who portray married couple Kat and Alfie Moon, have secured festive stage appearances that will see them temporarily leave Albert Square later this year.
The news follows confirmation that Michelle Ryan, who plays Zoe Slater, will be leaving the soap this year following a brief return after a 20-year hiatus
|
BBC
Ms Wallace will perform at the New Wimbledon Theatre, with the Peter Pan production running from December 2026 through to January 2027.
Her on-screen husband Mr Richie has signed up to appear at the Cliffs Pavilion theatre in Southend-on-Sea, where he will share the stage with Steps singer Faye Tozer in their Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs production.
Both pantomime runs are scheduled across the festive season, though it is understood that the temporary absences will not be written into storylines.
The characters of Kat and Alfie Moon will simply remain in Walford off-screen whilst the actors fulfil their theatre commitments.
EastEnders couple Alfie and Kat Moon first got married on the soap back in 2003
|
BBC
A source told The Sun: “Jessie will be taking a short break from the soap to appear in panto. Bosses agreed to the short break because it’s over Christmas and won’t hugely affect filming.”
The insider added: “It’s a huge bonus for Jessie. She’s one of the show’s biggest names and can command huge fees for panto appearances.”
Ms Wallace has portrayed the iconic Kat character for more than two decades, having first joined the soap in 2000.
Her status as one of EastEnders’ most recognisable faces means she is able to secure lucrative theatre work during quieter filming periods.
Both actors will be taking a break from the soap later this year
|
BBC
The festive timing of both Ms Wallace and Mr Richie’s stage commitments appears to have made the arrangements more straightforward for production schedules at the Elstree-based drama.
The temporary absences coincide with confirmed changes to the Slater family on screen, following the BBC’s announcement regarding Michelle Ryan’s exit.
A BBC spokesperson told Radio Times on Saturday: “We can confirm Zoe Slater will be departing EastEnders later this year. We wish Michelle Ryan all the best for the future.
“However, we never comment on future storylines as we don’t want to spoil it for the viewers.”
EastEnders co-stars Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie will both be taking time off around Christmas
|
GETTY
Reports suggest that Ms Ryan has already completed filming her final scenes at the Elstree studios, with speculation that Zoe will be killed off in her departure storyline.
The character first arrived in Walford alongside Kat in 2000 as part of the Slater family, becoming central to one of the soap’s most memorable revelations when it emerged that Kat was actually her biological mother rather than her sister.
Ms Ryan returned to the show with some brief appearances last June as Zoe before reprising the role for a full-time position in August.
Comments are closed.