Shane Richie aka ‘Alfie Moon’: Walford’s Favourite Barman Shows His Charitable Side
By Kimberly Johnson
Alfie Moon is one of the most beloved characters on EastEnders. He always has a big smile and a laugh for all, and a helping hand for those in need. But there is one man I've met that is much more charitable and generous and that happens to be Shane Richie, the man responsible for Alfie Moon's smile.
Richie has spent this past January gathering EastEnders memorabilia, such as a shirt of Alfie’s, to be auctioned off for UNC’s “Festival” fundraiser this Feb. 27. It is the second consecutive year he has donated such items for the campaign. In August 2009, the BBC came to America to film part of a special program for their Children In Need charity broadcast. The show was "80 Days Around the World" and it involved six pairs of celebrities who each took a portion of the journey circling the globe. Because the two celebrities doing the leg through the South were both Eastenders, the North Carolina EastEnders fan clubs were contacted and asked to participate in a special event. We were invited to have dinner with the two actors, not knowing who they would be, and we jumped at the chance.
The night of the dinner was a very hot 95 degrees and humid, and we were all outside on a patio. There wasn't even a breeze. As we melted in the heat, an RV turned the corner and all thoughts of discomfort left. Shane Richie stepped out of the vehicle and it sounded like the Beatles' arrival. All my very well mannered, grown-up friends turned into giggling school girls and boys and went all gooey. Shane took it as he seems to take everything, with a smile, a laugh and a lot of class.
Both Shane and Josie Lawrence, his partner on their leg of the journey, seemed to enjoy the meet and greet part of the night. Questions were tossed left and right and they fielded them as well as possible. They were both incredibly gracious and let people take quite a lot of photos and videos. As our questions died down a bit, Shane's started. He found out about the fans in NC. He was told where we were in the storyline at the time (since we are about four years behind) and was pleasantly surprised to find out he was still a main character on our screens. He had actually already left Eastenders and wasn't on the show anymore in the UK.
Shane also found out how we are able to get EE in NC. He was told all about the fan clubs' participation in the annual fundraising for PBS. We have one night a year where the clubs take over Festival for three hours and raise all the money needed to keep the show on the air in our area. That's not a small task considering the tens of thousands of dollars required each year.. I'm not sure if it was the concept that we had to pay for the show ourselves or if it was that we did it in such a short time period, but I do believe Mr. Richie was impressed. At the conclusion of the night, Shane and Josie donated a sign from the show with autographs from the cast to help us raise money during Festival 2010. But the generosity didn't stop there. When Mr. Richie found out that I stay in London quite a bit for work, he offered to drop off some items from his EastEnders days to help us raise even more. I really didn't believe that much would come of this, since it had just been such a fun night and well intended promises are always made at the end of a fun night. I thought he was being kind and offering support, but I really did believe that our little fan club and efforts would be forgotten. I could not have been more wrong.
About a month before Festival 2010, I had a message that Mr. Richie had some items for me to take back to the states. I was shocked. I didn't think he'd remember us or our cause. He sure did. He brought a large bag to me full of all sorts of EastEnders goodies from his personal collection about an hour before my flight left London. I wasn't sure I'd be able to fit all the items in my luggage! He brought numerous signed magazines and photos and autographed copies of his book. He even donated a shirt he had worn on one of the episodes. So he was giving us the shirt off his back (or actually Alfie's) to help us keep Eastenders on the air in NC.
The items he donated helped us meet and surpass our fundraising goal and also added a bit of electricity to the event. It was so much fun to see the reaction of those in the studio to the items. To actually have an Eastender know about our clubs and know about our efforts to keep the show on the air tickled quite a lot of them. I overheard one group of young ladies practically swoon over the fact that a bit of his make-up could be seen on the shirt. "O M G! He actually wore that shirt!"
Shane seems to thrive on charitable works. The "80 Days Around The World" program wasn't his first effort for the Children In Need charity. You can see his video of "I'm Your Man" on youtube.com. This was filmed for CIN in 2005 and went to number one on the charts in the UK. Watch it and you will see why. It's pure Shane with humor, song, and a bit of flash. CIN is one of the largest efforts on UK television every year for charity. Shane has been a long time supporter and has appeared on at least the last 10 broadcasts. His generosity, though, isn't just for the famous charities. I took a bold step a few months ago and sent him a note asking for a favor. I knew of a special project for a breast cancer patient in the UK. I wasn't sure if I should ask for his help, but I did. I really thought it was a long shot since it wasn't something being broadcast and wouldn't make the papers. Maybe, I thought, his charity time is best used on bigger events. But his response was amazing. "You can bug me anytime regarding charity." He didn't care that it wasn't a big time event, or a well known effort. He just cared that he could do something for someone else. That to me defines a generous heart.
Spoiler Alert! If you don't already know, Shane has returned to Eastenders and Alfie Moon is back behind the bar in the Queen Vic where he belongs. I wasn't sure if I'd hear from him this year regarding Festival, since he was dealing with his high profile return and a very involved story line. But I had a note last week saying he was gathering items for me to pick up to help out with our fundraising. Here he is having a huge year with Alfie's homecoming, and yet he is still thinking about the fans in North Carolina. There are many great characters that have passed through the square over the years. Alfie Moon is one of the most fun. But even better is the real life version, Shane Richie. His generosity and kindness make him one of my all time favorite people both on and off the screen. Nothing beats a man with a charitable heart!
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